Category: Health and Wellness Issues
(Updated July, 2023) - February 5, 2021 -- Is The Villages the STD Capital of the US - fact or myth? Any time the subject of The Villages (TV) in Central Florida comes up in conversation, the chances are that you will hear someone chime in with the tidbit that the popular active community is the STD capital of the US. In many circles this bit of false news is taken as the gospel. Everyone chuckles and they move on.
Is The Villages the STD Capital of the US?
The rampant STD rumor - Is The Villages the STD capital of the US first erupted in 2006 after a gynecologist who had moved to the area stated that she’d treated more cases of herpes and human papillomavirus in The Villages than when she practiced in Miami. She later modified her account, but the damage was done. The New York Post picked up the salacious report as did other media outlets across the country. Andrew Blechman's Leisureville, which depicted Mr. Midnight's late night adventures as a senior citizen Lothario, also helped to perpetuate the image of TV as Gomorrah in Central Florida.
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Published on February 4, 2021
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
January 23 -- Outrage over media reports of Canadians and other foreigners paying big dollars for charter flights to Miami for coronavirus vaccine shots generated understandable blowback. Reacting, Florida Gov. DeSantis took steps to eliminate this form of medical tourism this week. While that made most residents happier, Florida's many snowbirds became concerned that the new rules might effectively shut them out of getting inoculated. Fortunately the new rules for snowbirds and other seasonal visitors have been clarified, and most should be eligible for a shot (if they can get an appointment!)
Playing politics?
Elsewhere, there is concern that groups with close ties to the Governor, who is touting his decision to prioritize residents age 65+ over essential workers, are getting priority access to the vaccine. Residents in communities like The Villages were quick to an allocation, while almost everyone in Century Village and Kings Point has had a chance to get their shots by now. Meanwhile, millions of other FL residents not so well connected are stymied by non-existent web sites, lengthy queues, and fragmentary information. This has led to speculation that the Governor or his staff is steering vaccines to organizations he has ties to. Speculation has also arisen over the Publix supermarket chain's donation of $100,000 to the Governor's political campaign. The chain has since become a major source of Covid 19 vaccines administered in the state. The Governor's office has denied any connection, according to WUSF Public Media.
Who is Eligible for the Vaccine in Florida?
Eligibility for non-Florida residents starts with being able to prove that they reside in the state for at least 31 consecutive days. Then they have to scramble to come up with two other types of documents. The first document might be easy to come by, but the second could involve more effort.
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Published on January 23, 2021
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
January 23, 2020 — The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that will allow enrollees to know in advance and compare their out-of-pocket payments for different prescription drugs. The changes are generally effective for the 2022 plan year and will potentially lower enrollee cost sharing…
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Published on January 22, 2021
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
January 3, 2020 -- Hundreds of millions of Americans can't wait to have a coronavirus vaccine pumped into their arms. The problem is the wait could be long, and the process to get one could turn into the wild west - every person for themself. Evidence of that is already happening in places like Fort Myers, FL, where seniors are camping out over night in a chaotic effort to get a shot because Lee county has no online system for appointments. Officials say that was necessary because eager vaccine seekers are crashing online vaccination systems. We earnestly hope the process of vaccinating America doesn't turn into a disaster as the unprepared authorities botch the rollout.
The ball is in your court
Consider this: it is highly unlikely that you will get a phone call or person knocking on your door, telling you where and when to go to get your shot. How soon will you get one? Sadly, that probably depends on you. To help, here are some steps you can take and a few resources.
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Published on January 2, 2021
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
December 19, 2020 -- A very popular retirement-age calculator now is Livingto100. Developed by Dr. Thomas Perls, it asks a raft of fairly predictable questions and then provides an estimate of how long you will live, along with tailored advice. The questions makes a lot of sense - if you are healthy and avoid most of the bad things (drinking, smoking, stress, obesity), and do the good things (exercise, have friends, brain activities, floss, wear sunscreen, etc.), and your parents lived to ripe old ages - you have a good shot at living to 100. Which leads us to the connection to Winston Churchill, who, despite legendary bad habits, lived to 90 years old. How did he do it, and what can we learn from his experience?
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Published on December 18, 2020
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
December 4, 2020 — Been wondering exactly where you stand when it comes to getting a Covid vaccine? We know we have been. Out this morning is a very cool tool to help you get a better idea, depending on where you live, your age, occupation, and any health care…
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Published on December 4, 2020
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
November 26, 2020 -- You see the person coming down the aisle toward you and... panic! A minute ago their name was on the tip of your tongue, but now it is gone! Or, you are describing something to a friend, and the name of the book or the noun you are looking for has completely escaped you. It happens to all of us, but new research indicates that it is more likely to occur in people who are retired than people of the same age who are working.
Ross Andel, director of the School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida, tested the memories of people in their early 60s living in Canberra, Australia over almost a 20 year period. In the Australian test, starting at age 60 subjects were were asked to remember as many random and unrelated words in a list as they could. The tests were repeated every 4 years.
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Published on November 26, 2020
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
October 22, 2020 — It seems like there are only two kinds of ads in the last week or so – ones from politicians or Medicare plans. We have heard from several Members who they feel buried, and confused, by the latter. The reason for all those ads – we…
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Published on October 23, 2020
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
October 17, 2020 - The Open Enrollment Period for Medicare started this week and runs through Dec. 7. It is an important event for eligible people not currently enrolled in the plan, or who want to change some component of their current plan.
During Open Enrollment, eligible people can sign up for Medicare. Medicare beneficiaries can compare coverage options like Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and choose health and prescription drug plans for 2021.
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Published on October 17, 2020
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Category: Health and Wellness Issues
October 13, 2020 — Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period starts on Oct. 15. That is when you can sign up for Medicare if you didn’t during your original eligibility period, or have not qualified for a special enrollment period (if you are already on Social Security you should have been automatically…
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Published on October 12, 2020
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