People sometimes think they are too old to do something new and different, but every month we dispel that notion. We have guests who have returned to college, run track or take dance lessons. You're never too old. One thing in particular you're never too old to do, is to quit smoking or using other tobacco products. The benefits of quitting are countless. Did you know, twenty minutes after quitting your blood pressure and pulse rate decrease? A mere day after quitting the likelihood of having a heart attack decreases and after two days nerve endings regenerate and your sense of smell and taste begin to return. Quitting can be hard, but there is help. You just need to know where to turn.
This program features Ken Slenkovich, Director of Smoking Cessation Services for the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation, and Dr. Tom Houston, Director of the Ohio Health Nicotine Dependence Program at McConnell Health. They discuss the benefits of stopping and the different types of smoking cessation programs, as well as where you can get help for yourself or a loved one who smokes or uses chewing tobacco.
SEGMENT 2:
Currently 1.8 million Ohioans utilize Medicare as their primary insurance program and nearly 1.6 Ohioans have prescription drug coverage through Medicare. Once again the time to pick or switch plans is upon us. Medicare's annual open enrollment period is November 15 to December 31. During this time people on Medicare can evaluate whether or not to enroll in a Part D Medicare prescription drug plan, determine if they have existing drug coverage, or if they have already enrolled, switch to another Part D or Medicare Advantage plan. Mary Jo Hudson, director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, helps us navigate this important topic.