Greetings!  

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

August is recognized as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This month highlights the need for improving national immunization coverage levels and encourages all people to protect their health by being immunized against infectious diseases.

Adults need immunizations too!  Your need for immunizations doesn't end when you reach adulthood. Regardless of your age, we ALL need immunizations to keep us healthy. With time, immunity from childhood vaccines can fade and you may be at risk for new and different diseases. With adulthood comes responsibility, including the need to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

How do you find out which vaccines you need?  The specific immunizations you need as an adult are determined by factors such as your age, lifestyle, high-risk conditions, type and locations of travel, and previous immunizations. Throughout your adult life, you need immunizations to get and maintain protection against: 

• Seasonal influenza (flu) (for all adults),
• Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) (for all adults who have not previously received the Tdap vaccine)
• Shingles (for adults 60 years and older)
• Pneumococcal disease (for adults 65 years and older and adults with specific health conditions)
• Hepatitis B infection (for adults who have diabetes or are at risk for hepatitis B)
• Other vaccinations you may need include those that protect against human papillomavirus (which can cause certain cancers), hepatitis A, chickenpox (varicella), measles, mumps and rubella

Ask your doctor which vaccines are recommended for you.

Encourage other adults in your family to check with their doctors for immunizations they may need to help protect against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Remind your family, friends, co-workers, and those in the community to get vaccinated each year against seasonal influenza. If they are up-to-date on all of their vaccinations, they protect themselves and those around them, especially babies too young to be vaccinated.

"Ask Jane" Director of Social Services

Dear Jane,

I'm turning 65 this fall, but I'm still working and have health insurance from my job that I want to keep. Do I need to enroll in Part B? 

-Tom 

You may not need Part B right now, if you still work and have health coverage that pays primary to Medicare. Remember that if a health insurance is primary, it pays first for health care services you receive. Employer health insurance is primary if you work for a large employer that employs 20 or more people.  If you have employer coverage that is primary to Medicare, it pays first for health care you receive. As long as you're still working, you'll also get a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in Part B without having to pay a late enrollment penalty. Your Special Enrollment Period lets you enroll at any time while you have insurance from a current job, and during the eight months after you stop working or lose your employer coverage, whichever comes first.

However, if you work for a small employer that employs fewer than 20 people, the rules are different. Medicare will be your primary insurance when you turn 65. In this case, you should take Part B. If you want to keep your employer insurance, you can usually keep it and it will act as supplemental insurance, paying secondary to Medicare. Medicare will also be your primary insurance if you have coverage from a former employer, such as a retiree plan or COBRA.

There are a few exceptions to these rules, because every employer-based health insurance plan is different. Talk to your employer before you turn 65 to find out exactly how Medicare coordinates with your plan. Ask your employer for a copy of your evidence of coverage, which will give detailed information about the plan and how it works with Medicare. You can also contact the Social Security Administration to confirm which insurance is primary. Keep records of your call with Social Security that document when you placed the call, who you spoke to, and what the Social Security representative told you.

I'd recommend following the Medicare Rights Center's checklist of things you should do when you're deciding whether to take Part B.  For more information on this topic, including your drug coverage options, see this list of frequently asked questions on current employer insurance and Medicare.

Lastly, I'd like to mention that the rules for delaying Part B enrollment are different for people under the age of 65 who are getting Medicare because of a disability or End-Stage Renal Disease. People getting Medicare under the age of 65 should check out Medicare Interactive to find out how Medicare will coordinate with other insurances they may have.

Peach Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 3 medium fresh peaches, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• MINT VINAIGRETTE:
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh mint
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 lettuce leaves

Directions

"Head in the Clouds"

If you give to the United Way, please consider designating Baptist Home of South Jersey as your recipient.  Our designation code is 1831.