Lyndon Thomas Insurance
GRANDMA BABS IS TAKING TIKTOK BY STORM!
Barbara Costello, deemed TikTok’s favorite grandma, has taken the world by storm with her cooking and lifestyle advice on the popular platform. Like most viral TikTok users, Costello “blew up” during the COVID-19 quarantine by showing users how to make easy meals at home and giving advice for making everyday living a little easier. Grandma Babs began her journey in April 2020. Her daughter, Liz Ariola, already had an established TikTok platform when she recruited her mother to start her own account. She was hesitant initially, but Grandma Babs lives by the mantra, “You’re never too old to try something new!” There was a future beyond entertainment, and Babs realized her show could also be used as a teaching tool. Grandma Babs’ first video — demonstrating how to cook a sheet-pan chicken recipe — received more than 130,000 views! The recipes she has collected throughout the decades from family, friends, magazines, and even newspapers have benefited many people. But since her recipe box can’t supply TikTok content forever, she began expanding her repertoire. Cooking Up Food for the Soul
She has posted many simple life-hack videos along with some wise grandmotherly advice. Grandma Babs’ fanbase ranges between 20–40-year-olds, and fans have found comfort in her presence as many couldn’t see their relatives during the quarantines of the past two years. She continues to use her TikTok platform to help people, but now she is on TV, too — like “Good Morning America” and “Access Hollywood.” TikTok has taken Grandma Babs to a celebrity status that has transitioned well from the phone screen to the television screen. Her most popular post to date has been an overnight breakfast casserole that caught the attention of Drew Barrymore, who then invited Costello to her show! So, what’s in store for Grandma Babs? She may be 72 years old, but her trajectory on the popular platform suggests she may host her own cooking show someday! But, she’s in no rush and would prefer her career to evolve naturally. She still enjoys her time on TikTok and plans to stay on as long as her content continues to help others.
By now, you’ve likely received news from Medicare or other sources that the Medicare Part B premium is actually going down next year! Now, this is unusual if not unprecedented. Don’t the Medicare numbers (Part B premium, Part B Annual Deductible, Part A Hospital Deductible) go up every year? So, what happened? Especially in this time of crunching inflation, why would Medicare lower the Part B premium and Part B Annual Deductible? Here’s what happened. In 2021, Medicare gave preliminary approval to cover an emerging Alzheimer’s drug called Aduhelm from Biogen to be covered by Part B at a projected cost of $56,000 per person per year, with program costs projections of $100 billion to as high as $400 billion. Before the Aduhelm approval decision, the 2022 Part B premium had been set at $158.50. Then in November 2021, in anticipation of those increased costs, the Medicare Trustees raised the 2022 Part B premium to $170.10 to jack up cash flow. WELL, HOW ABOUT THAT!
Then in mid-2022, Medicare decided NOT to cover Aduhelm. Even though Biogen cut the cost to $28,000, it simply didn’t prove to be effective. In the nearest thing to “oops!” you will ever see, or a government agency admitting they made a mistake, the 2023 Part B premium was reset down to $164.90, which is right where the 2023 premium would have been if they hadn’t messed with 2022. And you know you’re not getting any of the extra 2022 premium back! Social Security beneficiaries will, however, enjoy their 8.7% Cost of Living Allowance increase! Happy New Year!
2
CA# 0D96309
1211 Maricopa Hwy, Ste 222, Ojai, CA 93023
www.LT-ins.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator