Lyndon Thomas Insurance - May 2023

Lyndon Thomas Insurance

THE HEALING POWER OF PETS:

Companionship, Exercise, and Purpose!

Four-legged companions are cute, cuddly, and friendly and work wonders for our mental health and well-being! It makes sense, then, that the first week of May is National Pet Week, part of Mental Health Month. According to the Human and Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), pet ownership improves the mental health of 74% of pet owners. In fact, studies have shown that caring for a pet helps relieve anxiety, loneliness, stress, and depression. It even boosts your heart health! The best part is that it doesn’t matter what kind of pet you have — feathered friends, rabbits, and even snakes can be great companions! Here are some of the top benefits of bonding with your pet daily. They provide companionship. Let’s be honest: Nothing beats having a four-legged friend greet you at the front door every time you come home! That companionship bond can boost your immune system while reducing depression. Also, having a buddy can help you to feel needed, wanted, and valued. Many pet owners even talk to their animals! They encourage exercise. Especially if you have a dog, your pet is sure to keep you active. Canines crave exercise, so while you meet their movement requirements to stay happy and healthy, you also get in your daily steps! Likewise, keeping a cat active requires your energy behind a laser pointer, feather wand, or other toys. They reduce anxiety. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, petting a dog helps lower cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress. Pets live without concern for yesterday

or tomorrow. They only care about the here and now, which helps their owners feel calm and relaxed. Also, petting and holding an animal allows you to appreciate the beauty of nature, which can be soothing. They add structure and purpose. Pets are creatures of habit — they like to be fed around the same time each day, go on their morning or evening walks, and look forward to playtime. No matter how badly you’d like to stay on the couch, your pet will get you up and moving. A pet’s unconditional love certainly does more than just keep you company! Our pets can genuinely be little lifesavers!

MEDICARE PART B AND PART D PROJECTIONS

The most recent Medicare report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has been published. • Of interest for all Medicare beneficiaries is the second column containing the projected (Intermediate Estimates) for the Part B Premium for the next nine years. • The Part B Annual Deductible column will be of interest to those who have Supplement G, as this is your yearly out-of-pocket responsibility. • The Base Beneficiary Premium column is of interest to those with a Part D Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP) as this is the basis for the LEP formula. • The Part D Deductible Column informs those with a Part D plan containing a deductible of their annual upfront out-of-pocket cost for those included drugs.

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