Does Vitamin D Help Our Bones and Our Muscles? A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN BENEFIT OF VITAMIN D As the weather cools and the days get shorter, we can’t rely
of inactive vitamin D in 116 women ages 20–74. What they found was that women with higher muscle mass had lower levels of inactive vitamin D, while women with lower muscle mass had higher levels of inactive vitamin D. The conclusion researchers drew was that active vitamin D might help optimize muscle strength. While that conclusion is not ironclad, vitamin D’s other well-known benefits still make it worth getting your daily dose. It can aid weight loss, enhance mood, support cardiovascular health, boost the immune system, and strengthen bones, among many other benefits. So, its potential muscle-boosting properties are just another reason to get more vitamin D. To get more of this important vitamin in your diet, try adding salmon, mushrooms, and even canned tuna to your menu. Also, as winter approaches, it might be time to start taking a vitamin D supplement. Whether you’re 20 or 74 years old, it’s never too late to find ways to strengthen your muscles.
as much on the sun for our daily dose of vitamin D. The primary function of vitamin D is regulating the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are necessary for strengthening our bones and teeth, which becomes increasingly important as we age and our bones naturally become more brittle. While these benefits of vitamin D are well documented, did you know that getting your daily dose of vitamin D can also contribute to healthier muscles? A few years ago, researchers published a study that seemed to show that vitamin D could potentially help people gain muscle mass. While the research team said their results weren’t conclusive, their findings were certainly interesting. Vitamin D enters the body in an inactive form. It doesn’t become active until it comes in contact with the right enzymes in either the liver or the kidneys. To learn more about what factors affect this vitamin’s rate of absorption and activation in the body, researchers observed the levels
Get These Home Care Services Covered by Medicare Advantage
Starting in 2019, all Medicare Advantage (MA) plans began offering additional services to help improve enrollees’ health and quality of life. The definition of what is “primarily health-related” for supplemental benefit holders was reinterpreted as follows: “An item or service that is used to diagnose, prevent, or treat an illness or injury, compensate for physical impairments, act to ameliorate the functional/psychological impact of injuries or health conditions, or reduce avoidable emergency and healthcare utilization.” Accordingly, this reinterpretation of supplemental benefits will allow Medicare health plans to offer coverage or benefits for the following: • Adult Day Care Services: These are services provided outside the home, such as assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). • In-home Support Services: These are services that a personal care attendant provides. Attendants assist disabled or medically needy individuals with activities of daily living, such as eating, bathing, transferring, and other instrumental activities. These activities may include managing money, preparing meals, and cleaning a house. Services must be
performed by individuals licensed to provide personal care services, or in a manner that is otherwise consistent with state requirements. • Home-Based Palliative Care Services These services are available for individuals whose life expectancy is under six months. • Transportation for Nonemergency Medical Services: This can include transport to obtain Medicare Part A, Part B, Part D, and supplemental benefit items and services. It cannot be used for nonmedical services, such as groceries or errands. • Home Safety Devices and Modifications: These are safety devices to prevent injuries in the home and/or bathroom. The modifications must be non-structural and not covered by Medicare. This benefit can include a home and/or bathroom safety inspection to identify any need for safety devices or modifications. Keep in mind that a physician or licensed medical professional must recommend these home care services. Medicare’s expansion of MA plan benefits, like adult day care, helps patients remain in their homes as they age rather than being institutionalized, which could also result in lower costs for Medicare and Medicaid. If you have any questions regarding your MA benefits, don’t hesitate to call Omaha Insurance Solutions to get them answered right away!
2 • OmahaInsuranceSolutions.com
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