Does Medicare cover weight-los treatments?

Does Medicare cover weight-los treatments? Well, ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, Swift’s Eras Tour is scheduled for four concerts at the Tokyo Dome, Wednes- day through Saturday.

SAVVY SENIOR

And laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, which inserts an inflatable band that creates a gastric pouch encir- cling the top of the stomach.

Dear Savvy Senior, Does Medicare cover any weight-loss treatments for overweight retirees? I just turned 65 and need to lose about 100 pounds and would like to know if Medicare can help.

(Expect bo- nus post-game cameos—and maybe even one of the lovebirds hugging and kissing, depending on the outcome. There were two of those after KC beat the Ravens, plus two cutaways to Taylor beaming proudly during the trophy presenta- tion.)

Overweight Owen Dear Owen, Yes, traditional Medicare does indeed cover some weight-loss treatments like counseling and certain types of surgery for overweight beneficiaries, but unfor- tunately, it doesn’t cover weight-loss programs or medications. Here’s what you should know.

The flight from Narita International Airport to the runway on Wayne New- ton Boulevard is a little more than 12 hours. But, thanks to the International Dateline, Taylor can arrive Saturday night, well before kickoff—unless there’s a glitch.

What’s not cov- ered

BY JIM MILLER

Unfortunately, original Medicare does not cover weight-loss programs such as fitness or gym memberships, meal delivery services, or popular weight-loss programs such as Jenny Craig, Noom and WW (formerly Weight Watchers).

* * * Prop Bet No. 1— Will CBS feature an interview with Taylor Swift as part of its multi-hour pre-game programming?

Who’s eligible For beneficiaries to receive available Medicare-covered weight-loss treat- ments your body mass index (BMI), which is an estimate of your body fat based on your height and weight, must be 30 or higher.

Here are some possi- bilities and my suggested plays:

Medicare also does not cover any weight-loss drugs, but it does cover FDA-approved diabetes drugs that have unintentionally become very popular for weight loss.

Over/Under— Will this game break last year’s record for largest television audience?

There’s plenty to talk about: Her relationship with Travis . . . What’s in their future. . . the 12-hour flight from Japan . . . all the attention and public fuss over her budding romance . . . and . . . and . . .

Medicare Part D plans cover Ozempic and Mounjaro for diabetes only, not for weight loss! So, your doctor will need to prescribe these medications for diabetes to get them covered.

A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese and increases your risk for many health conditions, such as some cancers, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and sleep apnea. To determine your BMI, the National Institutes of Health has a free calculator that you can access online at nhlbi.nih.gov/health/ educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm.

When Kelce & Company knocked off Philadelphia, 115.1 million pairs of eye- balls watched (according to those who measure such things), topping the previ- ous record set in 2015 by almost 700,000. (There’s been no suggestion that Taylor’s Baby Blues were among them last Febru- ary.)

Medicare also does not cover Wegovy or Zepbound because they’re approved only for weight loss.

My choice: If she’ll agree to do it, I can’t imag- ine the network passing up the chance. But will she? I’d say she won’t want to upstage her beau, so I’d bet No.

The reason behind the weight-loss drug omission is the Medicare Mod- ernization Act, which specifically excluded them back when the law was written 20 years ago. They also ex- cluded drugs used for cosmetic pur- poses, fertility, hair growth and erectile dysfunction.

What’s covered If you find that your BMI is 30 or higher, Medicare Part B will cover up to 12 months of weight-loss counseling conducted by a medical professional in a primary care setting (like a doctor’s office).

* * * Prop Bet No. 2— Will Taylor Swift be shown on TV during either the national anthem or the halftime show?

My choice: With Swift- ies tuning-in to once again catch glimpses of their idol, take the Over.

Weight-loss medications are expen- sive without insurance, often costing $1,000 to $1,300 a month. To help curb costs, try websites like GoodRX. com or SingleCare.com to find the best retail prices in your area. Or, if your income is limited, try patient assistance programs through Eli Lilly ( LillyCares. com ) which makes Mounjaro and Zep- bound, or Novo Nordisk ( NovoCare. com ) the maker of Ozempic and We- govy.

Most counseling sessions entail an ini- tial obesity screening, a dietary assess- ment and behavioral therapy designed to help you lose weight by focusing on diet and exercise.

* * * Another Over/Un- der— Will CBS show Tay- lor more or fewer than six times between kickoff and 0:00?

Reba McEntire, called the “Queen of Country,” will sing The Star-Spangled Banner , and Usher, her- alded as the “King of R&B,” will be the star of intermis- sion.

Medicare also covers certain types of bariatric and metabolic surgery for morbidly obese beneficiaries who have a BMI of 35 or above and have at least one underlying obesity-related health condi- tion, such as diabetes or heart disease. You must also show that you’ve tried to lose weight in the past through dieting or exercise and have been unsuccessful.

In the American Football Conference Championship Game Sunday before last, the same network cut away to the future Mrs. Kelce

My choice: Of course, a resounding Yes! Who could pass up checking on the

Medicare Advantage If you happen to be enrolled in a pri- vate Medicare Advantage plan, you may have coverage for gym memberships and some weight loss and healthy food delivery programs. These are consid- ered expanded supplemental benefits and have gradually been added to some plans to provide coverage for nutrition, health and wellness. Contact your plan to see what it provides.

These procedures change your diges- tive system to help you lose weight and improve the health of your metabolism.

Some common bariatric surgical procedures covered include Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, which reduces the stomach to a small pouch that makes you feel full even following small meals.

Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

P.O. Box 93, Black Hawk, CO 80422

Does Medicare cover weight-los treatments?

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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