Excerpt:

"Mounjaro is the newest diabetes drug that also triggers dramatic weight loss in people who inject it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Mounjaro a year ago for patients with diabetes.

FDA officials have not approved Mounjaro for weight loss yet, but Low Wang said they are fast-tracking consideration of the drug. That’s because clinical trials have shown that people who do not have diabetes but do have elevated body mass indexes (BMI) used lost considerable weight when they used Mounjaro.

An FDA recommendation regarding Mounjaro for weight loss could come by the end of this year.

In the approval for Mounjaro for people with diabetes, federal health officials said it works well for people with Type 2 diabetes. That’s the most common form of diabetes, and more than 30 million Americans suffer from it.

Like Ozempic and Wegovy, it’s an injectable medication, but Mounjaro differs in some key ways from the other new, popular diabetes medications.

How does Mounjaro work? Why does it cause weight loss for people with diabetes?

“It suppresses appetite and makes you feel more full. It changes the rate at which your stomach empties,” Low Wang said.

Are Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy the same drugs?

No. Ozempic and Wegovy are brand names for a drug called semaglutide. Mounjaro is the brand name for a different drug called tirzepatide. The drugs work in similar ways to reduce appetite, but there are some differences.

The drugs also are made by different companies. Eli Lilly makes Mounjaro, while Novo Nordisk makes Wegovy and Ozempic.

How does Mounjaro work?

“It’s a completely new drug class,” Low Wang said. “Instead of being a single-receptor agonist, which semaglutide (the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy) is, Mounjaro activates two receptors at the same time. That’s why it’s called a ‘dual-agonist.’”

This double agonist approach seems to cause people who use Mounjaro injections to lose even more weight than those who use a single-agonist medication.

These receptors stimulate hormones that control blood sugar levels and reduce appetite, triggering weight loss.

The receptors are known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).

Wegovy and Ozempic activate the GLP-1 receptor, while Mounjaro activates two receptors: both GLP-1 and GIP.

How much weight do people lose with Mounjaro?

Low Wang said the weight loss data from the Mounjaro clinical trials have been stunning.

People who used the largest dose of Mounjaro, 15 milligrams, lost as much as 21% of their body weight.

“They were able to achieve unprecedented amounts of weight loss. It was dramatic and exciting,” said Low Wang, who receives no funding from pharmaceutical companies.

While losing significant weight, study participants also were able to keep their diabetes symptoms in check.

“We’ve never had a medication that is so effective for improving diabetes control and weight loss without putting patients at high risk of hypoglycemia,” Low Wang said.

Even so, time will tell how the drugs perform over time.

“The impacts on appetite and weight regulation are startling,” Low Wang said.

But people should not jump to conclusions and assume that Mounjaro will be a miracle drug.

“We still don’t know what the effects would be of taking Mounjaro for a short time, then going off of it. Does it change anything about your biology? Does it make it harder to lose weight in the future without a medication? We really don’t know yet,” Low Wang said."

Much more with all the links to related info:

https://www.uchealth.org/today/what-is-mounjaro-and-how-does-it-work-for-weight-loss/

    I have been taking 1000 IU since October 2020. Then about 4 months ago I started taking 5000 IU per day.

Any questions, thoughts or ideas about said topic?

I had him write the my prescriptions for six months instead of year.  If I have to return to town to see him, might as well fill the prescriptions at the same time.

I checked the self-purchase prices and this year Costco pharmacy was cheaper then Good Rx for a basic set of five cardiovascular and prostrate medications.  They are all generic.

I dropped off the prescriptions at Costco and told them to fill the first three month prescription with the insurance company, if cheaper.  I would go ahead and pay for the second three months out of pocket.

My insurance carrier is GEHA.  Last year all the prescriptions were slightly cheaper through insurance than self-purchase.  This year only TWO are the prescriptions were cheaper through insurance than self-purchase.  In the end, the differences were minor.  Paying for all my prescriptions by myself was just a couple of dollars cheaper than going through the insurance company.

In the end I ended up saving nine dollars by having GEHA cover the two cheaper prescriptions.

I always check Costco and Good RX for prices prior to dropping off the prescriptions.  Cost Plus drugs is also a quick and easy site to check prices, but they are a mail order pharmacy.  The PHARMACIES MUST place an order and then cancel the order, if like in my case it is cheaper to by pass the insurance company.  That did add to the time of picking up the prescriptions.  I seems that their should be a law passed that requires the insurance companies to disclose their prices PRIOR to the pharmacist placing an order.

Why am I paying over $400 a month for GEHA insurance at MY COST so I can pay MORE for prescription drugs!!!  

BTW....Costco had access to my medical records from my previous pharmacy.  How does that work under HIPPA?

   Try searching Google for it.

  In another part of these forums I have been unknowingly documenting my time with macular degeneration. It has been sorta frustrating as all my life I helped people and now when have retirement time, now I need to deal with this.

   But I have searched the net since my diagnosis.

 I will follow with a posting about some of what I have found.

   Vern.

I have a lot of concerns about Medicare Part D, which is why I did not enroll the first time around, choosing the keep my prescription benefits with GEHA.  

They do have a number you MUST call to opt out.  It only took TWO HOURS plus to finally opt out.  AND you must do it by December 5th, otherwise they will automatically enroll you in Part D.

Is GEHA, the only one that is running this "program" among the Federal retiree health plans??   I think I have had enough of GEHA.  Are the Blue Shield and other plans shifting their clients to Medicare Part D???

On a different note.  I did tell them that I was recording the phone conversation.  The first guy was fine with it, but when I was transferred to the second person to cancel they said that they would discontinue the conversation unless I stopped the recording. 

First time that has happened.  I did tell them, after they told me that, thatI was using this recording as proof that I complied with all the requirements for cancelling the transfer to Medicare Part D.

Any advice a a new health plan for next year???

How Do Prescription Cards Work?

"Great news! Escapees has partnered with Grouper, an organization that shares our commitment to fostering an engaged community. Grouper provides benefits to eligible Escapees members aged 65+ for staying active in their communities.

Maintaining social connections through group activities - like attending RV events - has proven health benefits, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. These connections are especially important for older adults, who have above-average risks of social isolation.

Here’s what Grouper offers:

    Easy eligibility check with two simple questions and no personal information needed
    Eligible? You’ll receive a $50 payment to support your group activity
    For every three months of activity, Grouper will also send you $20 wellness payments."
       
------------------------------------------------------

I received an email this morning, promoting this service.  The company behind it is Grouper, which apparently sells this service to many groups besides RVers.  

Anyone have experience with this program?

I have been reading some terrific results from these for treating serious clinical depression. Not suffering from it myself I'm still interested in their results. I have read testimonials that folks report great results. If you or someone you love suffers from depression this may be of interest.

Excerpt:

"First modern-era Colorado psilocybin clinical trial for depression set to launch this fall

https://www.uchealth.org/today/colorado-psilocybin-clinical-trial-for-depression-set-to-launch-this-fall/?utm_source=MC

My doctor understood the full time lifestyle retired so I needed another doctor, the clinic recommended a replacement.

I saw her once, she was cold and un-caring, I asked her why she did not reply to my questions before the first exam, she said I should have tried again as she gets busy.

This doctor does not answer questions (on MyChart) and will not refill my meds without another office visit. I have an appointment scheduled for May. We are full timers currently in Florida and the doctor is in Minnesota, I am not going to Minnesota in the winter.

I have asked her if I can go to a lab (LabCorp, Quest etc.) and get a blood test but she does not reply.

What do other full timers do in a case like this?

In November, I had a huge spike in my blood pressure which resulted in taking many more pills as well as two visits to the emergency room for extremely high blood pressure.

My doctor then wrote ANOTHER prescription for my blood pressure medicine ($1.87 with insurance, $20 without).  When I went to pick up my medicine, the pharmacist said the insurance company DENIED the prescription.  Given my previous adventures with GEHA insurance, I just rolled my eyes and the pharmacist said you can buy it out of pocket for $20.

As I was leaving I asked for a copy of the form denying the prescription.

This morning I called the number on the denial claim form.  On the form there was the Molina Insurance Company of Washington which denied my claim.  I had no clue who they were, but assumed that they were a contractor for GEHA.

Called them.  They administer the Medicaid program for the state of Washington.  I am NOT a Medicaid client, nor have I had ANY business connections ever with the insurance company.  They confirmed that I was NOT a client of theirs.

I asked why they denied my claim, instead of sending a note to the pharmacist that I was not their client and to contact MY insurance company.  They refused to answer.

What was worse, is when I asked the pharmacist why he accepted the denial.  He said ALL insurance companies are the SAME. 

It doesn't matter who they send the prescription to review!!!

They DID have a copy of my previous prescription information and made the denial on that basis!!!

I followed that phone call with a call to the Washington State Insurance Commissioner and pointed out that they were going to KILL people depending on the prescriptions that they were denying.  They agreed, and are assigning a case number and a investigator to follow up on my denial of the prescription.

ANYWAY, after my last adventure with GEHA and taking copious notes I decided this time to RECORD my conversation with the insurance company.  All it takes is a phone and another phone or IPAD with a voice memo function.  Put your phone on speaker and record on the second phone or IPAD.

Full instructions here:  https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-record-a-call-on-iphone/.

In many states, YOU MUST INFORM them that you are recording the conversation.  I start with stating the number I am calling and then start the conversation with the fact I am recording the conversation and Washington state is a two party disclosure state for recording conversations. 

It made the call so much easier.  I could focus solely on my questions and answers instead of stopping to take copious notes.  It did make the people on the other end, slightly more courteous when they realized they were being recorded.  But the Molina Insurance guy did say "your not our client and I have nothing further to say" and then hung up on me.

The Washington state Insurance Commissioner guy was impressed that I recorded the conversation and gave them the required legal warning.

I intend to use this in ALL my future conversations regarding insurance, etc. etc. etc.

Yesterday I called the pharmacy in the news report to renew my prescriptions. They said they would have to charge now for the shipping and I said fine. I want to support a business where I grew up and have spent many summers near. 

Then today I got the following email encouraging me to utilize on of the mail order companies they have contracted with and who knows where they are located. As George Carlin said "there is no such thing as free enterprise" or something like that. 

https://click.em.silverscript.com/?qs=bbefc10341ce3da0ff31c46dc8e177777438bf4fe881fb7ecca7e8b75ba1cc577fdb6d2137eb5a906f3b3faf53ba8e9425ea956e43457f7469d8bd06055e183f

Don't know if either links will work. (or allowed)

Rod

Wonder what to budget for 2 people 2 years until Medicare at 65? Where are people getting health insurance these days not working? Obamacare marketplace?

The compensation of physicians and surgeons in the United States reflects a complex landscape shaped by factors like specialty, geographic location, and demand.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 816,900 Americans were working as physicians or surgeons as of May 2022. In 2022, the median annual wage for physicians and surgeons was $229,300, according to the BLS. This was nearly five times more than America's general median wage, which was $46,310.