Empty Nest - June 2025

Appen Media Group

June Special Section

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2 | June 2025 | AppenMedia.com

Your Local Broker for Medicare Insurance Needs

Specializing in Medicare Advantage & Medicare Supplement Plans Serving North Atlanta Seniors for More Than 15 Years Representing Most Medicare Insurance Companies • Experienced Medicare Insurance Broker • Provides Personalized Plan Analysis Jay Looft Owner/Agent

• Annual Plan Updates, Including Upcoming Trends • No Cost to Use Our Services

770.913.6464

www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com “We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.”

Should I switch to Plan N? Brought to you by – Senior Source Medicare With Medicare Supplement premiums on the rise, is it time to switch to Medicare Supplement Plan N? For those of you on Medicare Advantage, you are pretty much locked into your plan for 2025, unless you have a Special Enrollment Period.

But, for those of you already on a Medicare Supplement plan- like the very popular Plan G- you can switch to a new Medicare Supplement plan anytime throughout the year.

Have you considered a Medicare Supplement Plan N? To make this change, you would have to go through medical underwriting. So, some of you with chronic conditions, like heart conditions or diabetes, might have to stay on your current Medicare Supplement plan.

Like with everything in life, there are pros and cons with Plan N, but after considering these you might find Plan N to be a better fit for you.

On average, Plan N is about 25 percent less in monthly premium costs than Plan G. This savings could add up to thousands of dollars over the next several years!

I also find that annual rate increases for Plan N (which occur with every Medicare Supplement plan) seem less impacted than with Plan G. In other words, annual rate increases to Plan N tend to be nominal compared to annual rate increases of Plan G.

The reason Plan G may still be the more favorable option is because with Plan N you will have higher costs when you use medical services. Here’s a breakdown of costs that you can expect to pay on Plan N: • Part B Deductible (this is the same as Plan G; current deductible is $257 for 2025) • When applicable, Part B Excess Charges would be passed on to you (up to 15 percent more than the Medicare approved rate for services) • Doctor Office Copay (up to a $20 copay) • ER Visits (up to $50) Through my experience, these charges don’t add up to an unmanageable amount, but some people would rather not have to deal with them. Over time, I believe the monthly premium savings will more than make up for any dollars lost paying for the above medical services, but it’s a personal decision that neither I or anyone else should make for you.

I would advise you to compare the additional medical expenses for services to the overall annual savings in premiums to help determine which Medicare Supplement plan may be the best fit for you.

If you’d like to have a discussion on whether a move to Plan N would be worth it for you, please give us a call today at (770) 913-6464 or contact us through our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare. com/contact-seniorsource.

EMPTY NEST • Sponsored Section

A major step forward in understanding Multiple Sclerosis Brought to you by – Dr. Brent Taylor, Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta While I usually focus on dermatology, every so often, a discovery from another field demands attention. A recent, elegantly designed study has produced compelling evidence that some cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) may be caused by bacteria in the Lachnospiraceae family.

MS is a chronic disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks the central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord. MS often worsens over time, leading to disability and reduced life expectancy. Common symptoms include fatigue, difficulty walking, balance problems, and cognitive impairment—issues that severely impact quality of life.

In recent years, the importance of gut health in overall wellness has come into focus. We now frequently hear about the “gut-skin,” “gut-joint,” and “gut-brain” axes, suggesting that gut health is closely tied to the health of distant organs. We’re just beginning to understand how gut bacteria— collectively known as the gut microbiome— play a role in both health and disease.

Clues to MS’s origins have come from a related condition, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). In GBS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath around peripheral nerves, leading to symptoms like hand and foot weakness and sometimes paralysis. A well-established trigger for GBS is Campylobacter jejuni. Its surface proteins mimic those found in human nerves closely enough to confuse the immune system, leading the immune system to attack both the bacteria and the body’s own tissues—a phenomenon called molecular mimicry.

Since the 1982 discovery that C. jejuni can cause GBS, researchers have hunted for a similar microbial trigger for MS. Many studies proposed potential bacterial culprits, but with thousands of gut bacteria to sort through, most leads fell flat.

That may have changed in February 2025. A breakthrough study involved using a mouse model that mimics MS when mice are exposed to certain gut bacteria. In sterile environments, these mice remained healthy, but once exposed to normal gut flora, they could develop a MS-like illness.

They were more likely to develop this illness if the bacteria came from the gut of people with MS. The challenge was identifying which specific bacteria were responsible.

The game-changing insight came from studying identical twins where one twin has MS and the other does not. Researchers

collected bacterial samples from the ileum and colon—both stool and wall-adherent bacteria—from these twins. The twins’ DNA might be identical, but their gut microbiomes were not! Researchers transferred these bacterial communities into the MS-prone mice. The result: mice receiving microbiota from MS-affected twins developed illness, and a bloom of bacteria from the Lachnospiraceae family was observed.

Two species in particular—Eisenbergiella tayi and Lachnoclostridium—were linked to disease development.

While this study is a landmark in neurology, its implications extend to autoimmune diseases across the body, including those of the skin. For example, patients with inflammatory bowel disease are nearly three times more likely to have severe psoriasis, a chronic skin condition. Molecular mimicry involving the gut microbiome could be a unifying cause in many autoimmune disorders.

Why the ileum and not some other part of our gut such as the stomach? The stomach is extremely acidic. In contrast, the pH of the ileum is around 7.4 – similar to the rest of our body. The bacteria that thrive in the ileum could also easily thrive in the rest of our body, so bacteria in the ileum pose more of a threat of invading and causing disease. To defend our bodies from the bacteria that live in the ileum, the immune system has to be hypervigilant – sometimes too vigilant. The ileum has specialized lymphoid structures to train aggressive immune system cells. But highly trained immune cells can sometimes become overzealous attacking not just harmful invaders, but our own tissues as well. Sometimes, autoimmunity is a consequence of having a part of our gut be the same pH as the rest of our body and of having to fight off the bacteria that grow there.

The discovery of Lachnospiraceae in the ileum likely causing some cases of MS is exciting because it offers a roadmap for uncovering microbial causes of autoimmune diseases more broadly. If a suitable animal model exists for a disease, and if human twin pairs can be identified where only one of the two twins is affected, this approach could be replicated across various conditions—perhaps in psoriasis, certain types of eczema or in hidradenitis.

We are entering an era when the microbiome may hold the key to some of medicine’s most enduring mysteries. As our understanding of these bacterial-human interactions deepens, causes of disease will be identified, and new treatments will follow.

AppenMedia.com | June 2025 | 3

Skin Cancer & Mohs Surgery • Medical Dermatology Vein Care • Cosmetic Services

Honored to be Voted: Best Dermatologist and Best Vein Specialist

Insist on the BEST Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.

He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.

Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 22 years experience as a Dermatology PA and cosmetic dermatology.

Dr. Brent Taylor

Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.

Kathryn Filipek, PA-C

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

Best Of WINNER Best Of WINNER Best Of WINNER Best OfWINNER North 2018 North 2020 North 2022 North 2024 Atlanta Best Of Atlanta Best Of Atlanta Best Of AtlantaBest Of North North North North Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta 2017

2019

2021

2023

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Accepting new patients. We accept Medicare.

Schedule your appointment with Premier Dermatology today.

3180 North Point Parkway, Suite 420 • Alpharetta, GA 30005 PremierDermatologyAtlanta.com • 678-345-1899

4 | June 2025 | AppenMedia.com

EMPTY NEST• Sponsored Section

Importance of skin checks for mature skin Brought to you by - Dr. Kehinde Olumesi of Epiphany Dermatology Brookhaven As skin matures, it undergoes various changes that necessitate regular skin checks to ensure overall skin health. Differentiating between age spots, healthy moles and potential skin cancers is crucial. Age spots, often appearing as flat, brown, or black spots on sun-exposed areas, are generally harmless but can be mistaken for more serious conditions. Early detection of skin cancer, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, significantly increases the chances of successful treatment.

Therefore, routine skin examinations are essential for mature skin to maintain health and catch any issues early.

Addressing skin conditions and rejuvenation procedures Dermatologists can assist with a variety of skin conditions and rejuvenation procedures for mature skin. Common issues such as dryness, age-related pigmentation and conditions like rosacea, psoriasis and eczema, which can persist or develop with age, are also addressed with specialized care plans.

In addition to treating conditions, dermatologists offer rejuvenating procedures to enhance the appearance and health of mature skin. Treatments such as chemical peels, laser rejuvenation and injectable treatments like BOTOX® Cosmetic and dermal fillers can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, improve skin texture and promote collagen production. These procedures not only rejuvenate the skin but also boost confidence and overall well-being.

Establishing a relationship with a dermatologist ensures that your skin receives comprehensive care tailored to its evolving needs, promoting longterm skin health and vitality.

EMPTY NEST • Sponsored Section

AppenMedia.com | June 2025 | 5

Should I switch to Plan N? Brought to you by – Senior Source Medicare With Medicare Supplement premiums on the rise, is it time to switch to Medicare Supplement Plan N? For those of you on Medicare Advantage, you are pretty much locked into your plan for 2025, unless you have a Special Enrollment Period.

But, for those of you already on a Medicare Supplement plan- like the very popular Plan G- you can switch to a new Medicare Supplement plan anytime throughout the year.

Have you considered a Medicare Supplement Plan N? To make this change, you would have to go through medical underwriting. So, some of you with chronic conditions, like heart conditions or diabetes, might have to stay on your current Medicare Supplement plan.

Like with everything in life, there are pros and cons with Plan N, but after considering these you might find Plan N to be a better fit for you.

On average, Plan N is about 25 percent less in monthly premium costs than Plan G. This savings could add up to thousands of dollars over the next several years!

I also find that annual rate in-

ASK APPEN What do you want to know about the community?

creases for Plan N (which occur with every Medicare Supplement plan) seem less impacted than with Plan G. In other words, annual rate increases to Plan N tend to be nominal compared to annual rate increases of Plan G. The reason Plan G may still be the more favorable option is because with Plan N you will have higher costs when you use medical services. Here’s a breakdown of costs that you can expect to pay on Plan N: • Part B Deductible (this is the same as Plan G; current deductible is $257 for 2025) • When applicable, Part B Excess Charges would be passed on to you (up to 15 percent more than the Medicare approved rate for services) • Doctor Office Copay (up to a $20 copay) • ER Visits (up to $50) Through my experience, these charges don’t add up to an unmanageable amount, but some people would rather not have to deal with them. Over time, I believe the monthly premium savings will more than make up for any dollars lost paying for the above medical services, but it’s a per-

sonal decision that neither I or anyone else should make for you.

I would advise you to compare the additional medical expenses for services to the overall annual savings in premiums to help determine which Medicare Supplement plan may be the

best fit for you.

If you’d like to have a discussion on whether a move to Plan N would be worth it for you, please give us a call today at (770) 315-8145 or contact us through our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com/contact-seniorsource.

Your Local Broker for Medicare Insurance Needs

Specializing in Medicare Advantage & Medicare Supplement Plans Serving North Atlanta Seniors for More Than 15 Years Representing Most Medicare Insurance Companies • Experienced Medicare Insurance Broker • Provides Personalized Plan Analysis Paige Gorman Agent

• Annual Plan Updates, Including Upcoming Trends • No Cost to Use Our Services

Submit questions at appenmedia.com/ask or scan QR code.

770.315.8145

www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.

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