Author: Colleen Moody

Medical professionals and health care providers commonly use laboratory tests to diagnose diseases or medical conditions, identify health changes, plan and evaluate treatment options, and monitor disease progression. Without these valuable diagnostic tools, your health could be at serious risk, so it’s fortunate that Medicare covers many of them.   How Medicare Part A covers lab work  Medicare covers many different types of clinical diagnostic laboratory tests if your physician orders them because they are medically necessary to diagnose, rule out, or treat a medical condition. …

Whether you’re new to Medicare, or you’ve been enrolled for years, you might not be aware of all the benefits available to you through your Medicare coverage.  Here’s a look at five important benefits that you should know about: 1. Telemedicine services  If you live in a rural area or you can’t leave home easily, Medicare provides telemedicine services so you can access medical care like psychotherapy, speech therapy, doctors’ visits, and others via audio or video communication with a medical professional.  If you’re enrolled…

If you need to monitor your ketone levels, test strips can be a convenient and easy way to check. If your doctor suggests using ketone test strips due to a medical condition, or if you’re dieting and checking if you’re in ketosis, you may be wondering if your Medicare insurance will help cover the costs.  If you have diabetes or another medical condition that puts you at risk for developing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), you may need to make sure your ketone levels are not too…

Medical imaging has played a vital role in healthcare since the late 1800s, and the addition of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the 1970s opened new possibilities for detecting, diagnosing and treating injuries and disease. Today, the MRI remains one of the most powerful imaging tools used by doctors and specialists in the fight against medical conditions like cancer, infection, tissue damage and developmental anomalies. How does an MRI work? MRI technology works by applying a strong magnet over the body. This causes protons to…

Stress and anxiety are a part of everyday life for many people, including seniors. When stress and anxiety begin to cause debilitating health effects, symptoms may indicate an anxiety disorder, depression or some other form of mental health concern. Seniors who face mental health struggles like anxiety disorders are encouraged to speak with their primary care physicians. In many cases, therapy services can help seniors cope with feelings of anxiety and allow them to manage stress better. In cases where talk therapy alone is not…

Every year in the United States, approximately two billion X-rays are taken. Health care providers use these valuable diagnostic tools to examine bones, tissue, and air pockets inside the body, so they can evaluate medical conditions like:  Bone fractures Bone infections Muscle sprains and strains Arthritis Osteoporosis Lung infections Certain types of cancer  Heart conditions  Blood vessel narrowing or blockages Digestive or abdominal issues Urinary tract issues If you’re over 65, your health care provider might order X-rays for any of the reasons mentioned above,…

As people get older, fingernails and toenails may change in structure and growth rate. This can be the result of diseases, insufficient nutrition, exposure to chemicals or ultraviolet light, or the normal aging processes.  Some of the most common changes that can happen to your toenails as you get older are: They don’t grow as fast as they used to.   They get thicker and harder which makes them difficult to trim and keep clean.   They can be more prone to fungal infections, especially if your…

Vivitrol is the brand name for naltrexone, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medication to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders. Naltrexone is one facet of an overarching drug abuse treatment program encompassing counseling, behavioral therapy, lifestyle change, compliance, monitoring and psychosocial support.  Naltrexone, one of a class of drugs called opiate antagonists, is available as a pill and an injection. Naltrexone oral medication is on the market as ReVia and Depade, which you can buy with a prescription at your pharmacy. Vivitrol is a…

The common cold is a nuisance and can sometimes keep you from your normal activities. Medications to reduce your symptoms are available at the pharmacy, but you may wonder if your Medicare health insurance helps cover the costs.  Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and health care products are becoming more and more popular in this country, and sales topped 162 billion dollars in the United States in 2022. Today, seniors make an average of 26 trips to retail outlets per year solely for OTC purchases like cold care…

You might think that osteoporosis is a disease that only affects older women, but the truth is that men are affected by osteoporosis at almost the same rate as women. Some studies have demonstrated that about 30% of women are at risk of developing this condition at some point in their lives. Between 13% and 35% of men are at risk. Although gender doesn’t seem to matter as much when it comes to who is affected by osteoporosis, age is a bigger factor. The risk…