January Special Section
Your Local Broker for Medicare Insurance Needs
Jay Looft Owner/Agent
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Why did my Medicare prescription drug cost go up?
Brought to you by - Senior Source Medicare Solutions
Medicare Deductibles and coinsurances for brand-name medicine are higher in 2025 than they have ever been before. But good news lies ahead! By the end of the year you probably will have paid less in prescription cost than in the past. Let me explain:
The new law (part of the Inflation Reduction Act), affecting Medicare Prescription Coverage, went into effect on January 1st, 2025.
The new law states that no Medicare beneficiary that has Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage will pay more than $2,000 for covered prescription drugs in 2025. Also, with this “cap” of $2,000, the doughnut hole has now gone away.
It’s great news for Medicare consumers, but not so much for insurance companies offering Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.
Who’s “footing” the bill if/when I reach $2,000 for covered drugs?
Insurance Companies - 60% Drug Manufacturer - 20% Medicare insurance - 20%
Based on these percentages, you can now see why your drug costs are
higher on the “front end”, or earlier in the year. The insurance companies are truly trying to make up for lost ground that they know is coming once Medicare beneficiaries reach $2,000 out-of-pocket for covered drugs using their Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.
Who’s winning with this new law?
While some who take just one brand-name prescription drug might see their cost stay about the same, or go up because of higher deductibles and higher coinsurance, those who take multiple brand-name prescriptions are the winners and will see a major reduction in their cost in 2025.
This new law now gives Medicare Prescription Drug Consumers confidence that they can afford the prescriptions that they need, and takes high prices out of the equation.
Everyone takes a different set of prescriptions. To understand how this new law affects your prescription cost, you can visit the prescription drug calculator tool on Medicare.gov.
We are here to help! If you need a local Medicare insurance agent call us today at (770) 913-6464 or send us a message by going to www. SeniorSourceMedicare.com/contactseniorsource.
Great news in Pediatric Melanoma
Brought to you by
– Dr. Brent Taylor, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta
Isn’t it wonderful to hear that you are making a difference? Well, you are! All that hard work that you put in with children or grandchildren getting them to protect themselves from the Sun and wear sunscreen is making a difference!
A recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) of more than 76,000 pediatric melanomas confirmed a decline in melanoma incidence over the last ten years in children ages five and older. That decrease in melanoma is likely due to the measures you and your family members have taken during those years and during the prior ten to fifteen years when you worked so hard to protect them from the Sun.
And it is hard work. I have personally braved and endured myself. We all know what it’s like: The child in question seems to morph into a wet fish wriggling out of your grasp. Your slippery sunscreen hands don’t make it any easier! The rascal gets free, and you chase him or her down. Your drink gets knocked over. Sand gets on chairs, in bags and in other places you don’t want sand to get. It’s a task somewhere between roping a calf and getting a cat to take a bath. Grueling, grasping, groaning, finally it’s complete! The child may go and play. And in an hour and a half, you get to repeat the process all over again!
We know sun safety isn’t easy. What dermatologists ask of parents and grandparents is not a simple task. Is it really all worth it?
Yes! The results are in, and they are inspiring. This very encouraging study in the JAAD strongly suggests that all our hard work is paying off.
For children ages 10-14, there was a greater than 30% drop in melanoma between 2002 and 2020.
For children ages 5-9, there was a greater than 60% drop in melanoma between 2014 and 2020.
Interestingly, a small increase in pediatric melanoma cases for children ages four and younger supports that what we are doing is making a difference. Older children who develop melanoma are much more likely to have developed skin cancer from sunburns and sun exposure. Babies and children under 4 years old who develop melanoma are NOT likely to have developed melanoma from sun exposure. (But they still need to be protected from the Sun). Instead, genetics, a chance unlucky mutation or non-sun related environmental factors are more likely to be responsible for
melanoma in the extremely young. They simply haven’t had much time to be damaged by the Sun. The fact that melanoma in those ages four and under slightly increased but melanoma in those five and older dramatically decreased makes the claim even more credible that our efforts at sun protection are working.
Good news in pediatric melanoma is likely great news for these individuals’ entire lives. Our bodies have proteins called “mismatch repair enzymes” whose job it is to fix DNA that has been damaged by ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Unfortunately, these enzymes don’t do a perfect job, and many mutations in our DNA are with us for life. Our entire lives, these mutations increase the chance that we develop skin cancer. Dermatologists have tools including prescription creams and in office treatments that kill pre-cancers and reduce one’s sun damage, but some of the Sun damage from childhood and adulthood is always with us. The fact that pediatric melanoma has plummeted in the last ten years gives us great hope that these same individuals will develop far fewer cancers as adults as well.
When you protect your loved one as a child, you are likely helping protect him or her for life.
The next time you wonder, “is it worth it?...Should I really use that sunscreen, that UPF 50 sun shirt or take on the herculean task of wrangling a kiddo channeling his or her inner feral cat?,” the answer is YES. You are making a difference. And we only see these wonderful results at the population level in a published study because of many, many daily actions at the individual level – through the genuine care and love of many, many parents and grandparents who love their family and showed it through their actions. Keep up the great work!
Insist on the BEST
Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.
He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.
Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 22 years experience as a Dermatology PA and cosmetic dermatology.
Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.
Kathryn Filipek, PA-C
PEXELS
Comprehensive Internal Medicine
Serving as the Medical Home for Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton, & Johns Creek, for over 20 years
Brought to you by – Comprehensive Internal Medicine
What is a medical home?
A medical home is an approach to providing comprehensive and high-quality primary care, in a coordinated fashion with specialists and consultants.
A medical home is patientcentered with many aspects that contribute to improved healthcare outcomes
• Accessibility: Care is easy for the patient to obtain, including geographic access and insurance accommodation.
• Family-centered: The patient and family are recognized and acknowledged, ensuring that all medical decisions are made in true partnership.
• Continuous: The same primary care clinician cares for patient, aiding and support through young adulthood through elder years.
• Comprehensive: Preventive, primary and specialty care are provided.
• Coordinated: A care plan is created in partnership with the patient and communicated with all health care clinicians.
• Compassionate: Genuine concern for the well-being of the patient is emphasized and addressed.
At Comprehensive Internal Medicine, we involve many team members at various levels to coordinate and provide patient care. Our doctors lead all clinical decision-making in a team approach,
collaborating with the patient to tailor care in an individualized manner.
Understanding the intricacies of our patient’s care brings a deeper knowledge of the long-term care plan. Our team of administrative professionals strives to answer each call quickly, avoiding voice mail or a phone tree.
Our scheduling department quickly accommodates each patient’s scheduling needs.
We save appointment times for same-day appointments and are
always welcoming new patients.
Whereas it may be convenient to see Urgent Care, we believe seeing your regular doctor brings your healthcare to a higher level, being seen quickly when needs arise prevents worsening medical symptoms.
Call today to establish with one of our many doctors. We have physicians who focus on young adult care, and others who have special training in the care of geriatric patients.
Providing Medical Care Including the Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases
Jacqueline T. Pearson, M.D., M.S. Anju Bhushan, M.D. Arezou Fatemi, M.D. Ryan Bozof, M.D. Shima Mansouri, P.A.-C Laurae Carpenetti, M.D.
Carol Hector, M.D. Sumera Pervaiz, M.D. Sudeshna Nandi, M.D. Petula Gunn, APRN Jeffrey Obiora, M.D. Raphael Lopez,
Buelow
Brought to you by -
Dr. Kehinde Olumesi of Epiphany Dermatology - Brookhaven
As skin matures, it undergoes various changes that necessitate regular skin checks to ensure overall skin health. Differentiating between age spots, healthy moles and potential skin cancers is crucial. Age spots, often appearing as flat, brown, or black spots on sun-exposed areas, are generally harmless but can be mistaken for
Why did my Medicare prescription drug cost go up?
Brought to you by – Senior Source Medicare Solutions
Medicare Deductibles and coinsurances for brand-name medicine are higher in 2025 than they have ever been before. But good news lies ahead! By the end of the year you probably will have paid less in prescription cost than in the past. Let me explain:
The new law (part of the Inflation Reduction Act), affecting Medicare Prescription Coverage, went into effect on January 1st, 2025.
The new law states that no Medicare beneficiary that has Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage will pay more than $2,000 for covered prescription drugs in 2025. Also, with this “cap” of $2,000, the doughnut hole has now gone away.
It’s great news for Medicare consumers, but not so much for insurance companies offering Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.
Who’s “footing” the bill if/when I reach $2,000 for covered drugs?
Insurance Companies - 60%
Drug Manufacturer - 20%
Medicare insurance - 20%
Based on these percentages, you can
now see why your drug costs are higher on the “front end”, or earlier in the year. The insurance companies are truly trying to make up for lost ground that they know is coming once Medicare beneficiaries reach $2,000 out-of-pocket for covered drugs using their Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.
Who’s winning with this new law?
While some who take just one brandname prescription drug might see their cost stay about the same, or go up because of higher deductibles and higher coinsurance, those who take multiple brand-name prescriptions are the winners and will see a major reduction in their cost in 2025.
This new law now gives Medicare Prescription Drug Consumers confidence that they can afford the prescriptions that they need, and takes high prices out of the equation.
Everyone takes a different set of prescriptions. To understand how this new law affects your prescription cost, you can visit the prescription drug calculator tool on Medicare.gov.
We are here to help! If you need a local Medicare insurance agent call us today at (770) 315-8145 or send us a message by going to www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com/ contact-seniorsource
Your Local Broker for Medicare Insurance Needs
Paige Gorman Agent
