Change your lifestyle and change your lifespan. John Part 1

Take advantage of your Medicare Advantage plan to maximize your benefits and improve your health on Medicare.

I spoke with a good friend who lives out of state in New Mexico about changing his lifestyle at 69 to help maximize his time left on this earth for his family and kids.

Like many of us at retirement, he just planted himself and let life take over.  We stopped being in charge of your mental and physical health.

John is overweight and has bad knees and hips. His balance sucks. He drives for a ride-share service to have something to do, so he sits all day in his car.

In his two-story house, John has to go up and down stairs backward due to the lack of core stability and leg strength.  He must use the handrail to climb stairs for stability.

He rides an indoor recumbent bike but hesitates to bike outdoors due to the fear of falling.  He has zero flexibility in his back, neck, and hips.  He cannot stand next to a bike and swing his leg over to mount it due to the lack of strength and loss of hip flexibility.

We had not talked in a few months when he mentioned he had lost 50 lbs. by eating one Mexican Food meal a day.

I asked him if he was serious about getting healthy. He confirmed he was, so I had him pick up a fitness tracker, a Garmin VivoActive 5, that also measures and tracks health metrics, including sleep, steps, HRV(heart rate variability), resting heart rate, SPO2(oxygen saturation—can be an insight into sleep apnea), respirations, and more. See my separate post on Fitness Trackers.

Below are current totals from a few metrics my Garmin tracks yearly.

He received that watch, and I walked him through setting it up over the phone and using it to track exercise, such as an outdoor walk with GPS tracking and an indoor bike ride without GPS and data connection to his bike from the watch.

I reviewed the Garmin Connect app with him so he understands the “Garmin Vivoactive 5 System” and how to review his health metrics.

He has information on a Paleo lifestyle diet but has yet to commit.

Next, I gave him homework to review his Medicare Advantage plan online to familiarize him with his portal. From there, I will Zoom with him to review his plan and see how to get the most out of it from both a Service and a Reward standpoint.

To see how to maximize your monetary rewards(free money), this link to DHS https://downhillslide.life/2024/07/30/free-money-in-retirement-for-being-good-medicare-may-pay-you-up-to-170-to-be-healthy/

So, John’s main issue stopping him from being more active is his lack of strength, flexibility, and balance. From a Medicare standpoint, he is having problems with some of his Activities of Daily Living.

His issues with “Activities of Daily Living” are on the Mobility Ambulatory front.

Here are the five main areas of ADL as explained by WebMD:

Ambulating. This includes the ability to walk, sit, stand, lie down and get up, and climb up and down stairs, both inside and outside your home.

Grooming. This includes all activities necessary to maintain personal hygiene, like brushing your teeth, bathing, shaving, and hair and nail care.

Toileting. This includes the ability to control your bladder and bowels (continence), use the toilet safely, and clean yourself after use.

Dressing. This involves the ability to dress yourself properly, including using buttons and zippers.

Eating. This includes the ability to use cutlery and feed yourself.
(https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-are-activities-of-daily-living )


Now, we are working on getting him to review his Medicare Advantage plan to see what physical therapy benefits he has and getting him into physical therapy for strength and flexibility training.

With his Medicare plan, he has free gym access, but he needs help gaining the ability to work out independently.

The goal for John is to get referred for 6-8 weeks in PT (paid for by Medicare – minus his CoPay amount per visit) to help him make safe, guided advances in his physical fitness, Strength, and Flexibility at Physical Therapy. 

For those unfamiliar with Physical Therapy, it is based on what your PCP has written as the issue(s) to work on, e.g., balance, stair climbing strength, or flexibility to help you tie your shoes. 

Your PCP can write up to 3 days a week for several weeks.  Mine have always been 6-8 weeks, 2X a week. 

Every time I went, if there was still work to do on me (documented range of motion, strength,  not back to normal), after the first 6-8 weeks, they could request that Medicare extend treatment, giving you almost double (an additional 6-8 weeks) if approved.

The physical therapist will take your history and evaluate you in many different ways. They may (depending on your issues) measure your range of motion(angles) of both arms/shoulders and hip flexion…. Then, compare this data to the general population of your age group. Show Hip Range of Motion from Spooner if possible.

Starting with stretches and strength exercises, concentrating on the target areas, they will add more reps/weight and new exercises to build strength and stability in the areas of need.  Most of these exercises will be body weight, large rubber band, simple hand $10-$30 hand weight, or even a whole “can” of soup can be your weight.

Depending on your PT facility, they may have free weights and some machines, including bikes, steppers, and treadmills.  Tell your PT what exercises you are doing or plan to do, both in the gym and outdoors, and they will make sure you have a plan down to sets/reps for a specific piece of equipment in your local gym that Medicare covers under your Renew Rewards Program.

This is the road map for navigating this sometimes-daunting process.

START HERE:
1. Make an appointment with your PCP(Primary Care Physician) for your annual physical if you are due. (You should have a standing appointment EVERY YEAR for your physical) See my article about why yearly exams are critical: https://downhillslide.life/2023/09/14/your-health-past-50-and-beyond-bad-news-does-not-get-better-with-age/

2. Come in ready with a list of Daily Activities you are having issues with, such as walking, Stairs, Biking, Falling, and Balance.  Strength, Balance, and Flexibility are the major causes of injury in older adults, leading to falls.

Easy Right?

Activities of Daily Living are a big issue for Medicare and should be for each of us as we age.

Many PT programs can help with all those issues, but they require work on your part.
TINSTAAFL(Tin-Snaffle) = There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

This is NOT “take a pill” for that. It’s hard work, pushing yourself, and probably some pain. You did not get out of shape overnight, so don’t expect overnight success.

It takes dedication to make health the most essential thing in one’s life. Without health, nothing else matters.

Make that appointment with your Primary Care physician today.  After you hang it up, make that list of activities of daily living you are having issues with.
#MAHA

In a previous article, I wrote about Free Money in Medicare and how many fitness trackers can automate data logging for your Medicare Rewards Program to earn that extra cash.

“In 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) permitted Medicare Advantage plans to offer limited rewards and incentives to beneficiaries. The guidelines were slightly expanded in 2016.

According to CMS, the goal of rewards and incentives in Medicare Advantage “is to encourage enrollees to be actively engaged in their health care and, ultimately, improve and sustain their overall health and well-being.” In 2016, CMS expanded the ability to offer rewards and incentives, but more improvements are needed. ( Better Medicare Alliance Fact sheet July 2019).”

Tracking physical activity to qualify for these perks can be reported manually via your Medicare Advantage Plan account page or automatically tracked via devices like my Garmin Fenix 6XPro watch, a Fitbit, or many other brands of fitness trackers that connect directly to your Advantage Plans Rewards Page. You do your stuff and collect those Rewards dollars. These are two of many brands and models of trackers.

Do your research and find the one(s) that most closely match your current and future needs. Are primary health metrics sufficient for you, or are you planning on running a marathon or the R2R2R(Rim to Rim to Rim crossing the Grand Canyon from one side to the other and back, where serious health parameters tracking like VO2max or continuous O2 Saturation, Sleep, body battery, and HRV are part of your daily health monitoring

The Garmin Fenix 8 Series was released on 9/2024. It is a fantastic sports and outdoor device with Full US Topo maps and built-in GPS. It tracks health and sleep metrics (HRV, Sleep, Body Battery, Exercise Activities, and more).

The Garmin 6XPro on my wrist is about five years old, so there are newer models in the lineup. https://amzn.to/3X7Albg

The Fitbit Inspire 3, released September 2022, is around $99(July 24) and is a great “starter” health and fitness tracker. The Inspire 3 lacks heart rate on exercise equipment(does not communicate with equipment), no heart rate training zones, floors climbed, and fall detection(yes, they do have that). https://amzn.to/4dcnpHA

These are shortcomings ONLY if you are further advanced in clawing back any Medicare dollars you can get and probably have a more advanced tracker. This article is for those who haven’t started to earn some of your retirement money back.

Here is the direct link to Garmin Watches. Depending on your sport, they probably have a model just for you with price and feature sets that will fit your budget. See the features and compare at https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/wearables-smartwatches/

Keep an eye on Amazon for deals on Garmin watches. They have some fantastic deals that pop up that should show up at this link: https://amzn.to/3SrgLVW.  For example, in May, my friend John, who I am coaching, grabbed a Garmin VivoActive 5 for $250. Currently $299 https://amzn.to/4dha5Sa

The data below are screenshots of the Garmin Connect App online(desktop version). This data is compiled automatically, other than initiating an activity like a hike, walk, or bike ride by pressing the right button or touch screen. You can access the same data on your phone but in a more compact form.

The image below is a screenshot of the (the day I wrote this article). Notice the sleep score is a crappy 37. I gave myself a 1st degree in AC joint separation by doing a poorly excited forward roll in Krav Maga class; hence, more pain and less sleep were recorded. My 6XPro automatically tracks this data.

The following screenshot is of the daily metrics in the middle of the day.

Below are more of yesterday’s metrics and the Last Seven Days.

I ruck(hike with a weighted backpack) 2500-3000 miles a year, ruck/ride (ride a gravel bike with a 30lb backpack) 3000 miles per year, Weight Lift 6+ hours per week, and do 2-6 hours of Krav Maga and my Garmin tracks it all for me.

For more reviews of fitness trackers and products, go to the https://www.dcrainmaker.com/ website. It is one of the most trusted names in fitness product reviews.

Let me know if you have any other questions on trackers.

Let’s say you are one of the millions of older retired people who try to do some exercise a few days a week.  And you do this every week for a year or more.

Imagine seeing the same person on the trail while you walk, hike, run, bike, swim, or do yoga…. And you see them every day you exercise.

Now imagine that person who sees you doing the work, walks up to you after that year, hands you $160+ cash, and says, “This is for working hard to stay healthy.”

That would be pretty awesome, wouldn’t it?  Well, it happens to me every year!  Seriously, Every Year with my United Health Care Medicare Advantage Program.

“In 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) permitted Medicare Advantage plans to offer limited rewards and incentives to beneficiaries. The guidelines were slightly expanded in 2016.

According to CMS, the goal of rewards and incentives in Medicare Advantage “is to encourage enrollees to be actively engaged in their health care and, ultimately, improve and sustain their overall health and well-being.” In 2016, CMS expanded the ability to offer rewards and incentives, but more improvements are needed. ( Better Medicare Alliance Fact sheet July 2019).”

Below is a screenshot of my actual Medicare Advantage Portal. I had a 132.59 rewards balance I could spend, which I earned from the goals. Here, you can see the Get Moving monthly moving challenge. The ten green circles mean I covered the required minimum walking distance for that month and received $10, which gets added to the reward balance.

You can see I have up to $25 more available by signing up for text messaging, completing my annual wellness visit(three months away), and getting a flu shot. So, I will grab $15 of that free cash.

My Medicare Advantage Plan has a REWARDS program that pays me:

$10 to get some form of exercise 10 days a month($120/yr )
$10 to be “Social” by participating in a social activity
$5 to sign up for text messaging
$15 for an annual physical / wellness visit
$5 for a flu shot
$5 form making a doctor appt.

Many Medicare Advantage Programs also offer you $40 every three months to spend on over-the-counter medications, health aids like eye drops, my all-time favorite Preparation H, and hand lotion,… per my UHC plan:

 Get more help with your everyday needs. Your plan comes with a credit that will be loaded to your UnitedHealthcare UCard® every quarter for covered over-the-counter (OTC) products. Shop in-store or online for pain relievers, cold remedies, toothpaste, vitamins and more.
Word of warning: use it or lose it. This money does NOT roll Over.

CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Walmart, and other online and retail stores allow you to use this card. These allowable sources can change over time, so keep track of them.

In the past years, this money from the UHC plan has bought me $165 Rucking/walking hiking shoes, which I go through four pairs a year. I have also paid for a $370 Garmin Edge 530 Bike computer from this fund.

Tracking physical activity to qualify for these perks can be reported manually via your Medicare Advantage Plan account page or automatically tracked via devices like my Garmin Fenix 6XPro watch, a Fitbit, or many other brands of fitness trackers that connect directly to your Advantage Plans Rewards Page. You do your stuff and collect those Rewards dollars.

The Garmin Fenix 6XPro, $750 on release, has been replaced by the Fenix 7 Series. The Fenix series is a fantastic sports and outdoor device with Full US Topo maps and built-in GPS. It tracks health and sleep metrics (HRV, Sleep, Body Battery, Exercise Activities, and more).
The Garmin 6XPro on my wrist is about five years old, so there are newer models in the lineup. https://amzn.to/4fp7WWl

The Fitbit Inspire 3, released September 2022, is around $99(July 24) and is a great “starter” health and fitness tracker. The Inspire 3 lacks heart rate on exercise equipment(does not communicate with equipment), no heart rate training zones, floors climbed, and fall detection(yes, they do have that). https://amzn.to/4dcnpHA

You can read my article about Fitness trackers in more detail here https://downhillslide.life/2024/08/09/fitness-trackers-can-help-improve-your-life-and-earn-you-cold-hard-cash/

The money you earn from this Rewards Program can actually buy you a fitness tracker with most plans.

The main point of this article is that IF you have a Medicare Advantage Plan and would like some extra spending money, check out your plan online today.

Not all Medicare plans offer this perk, but you should investigate as the Open Enrollment period starts soon. While looking for ways to spend money, you may find a Medicare plan that offers a more attractive plan/benefits package.

For me, it became a game not only to get as healthy as possible as soon as possible but to earn as much money in rewards as possible. 

It is not a lot of money, but it provides additional incentives to motivate you.

Check out your plan and let me know by posting a comment if you score any free cash.