SPECIALIZING IN HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS SUMMER 2008
YOUR NEWS TO USE     $AVING$ ON GENERIC$ HEALTH CARE & 2008 ELECTION MUSIC'S MEDICAL "MAGIC" SNOOP ALERT Thanks! MUSIC’S MEDICAL "MAGIC” Suffering from high blood pressure? Music could be your new best friend. An Italian study found a three-to-four point DROP in blood pressure readings in adults already taking medications to lower their mild hypertension. That result came a month after the participants listened to music for 30-minutes a day along with breathing deeply. The melodies ranged from classical to Celtic – all with slow, soothing rhythms. Researchers report music also can be an “audio analgesic” in people with chronic pain. Listening to calming classical CD’s reduced the pain by up 21-percent – and depression (a common side-effect of pain) by up to 25 percent. Doctors do not fully understand the exact neurological effects of music. But the director of a Baltimore hospital’s coronary care unit says that a half-hour of classical music produces the same effect as 10 milligrams of Valium. You can learn more about music’s “magic” at www.webmd.com. Specializing in Health Insurance Benefits R. Kashmiry & Associates is a certified broker for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in handling the Medicare Advantage and Blue MedicareRx plans.   Visit our website at www.rkashmiry.com	WELCOME This summer is already filled with mind-blowing prices at the gas pumps as well as presidential election wrangling over the issues like the economy. So this edition of our newsletter re-emphasizes our efforts at R. Kashmiry and Associates to provide you with the best health care insurance service – and the biggest bang for your buck. $AVING$ ON GENERIC$ We want you to maximize your health insurance benefits, while minimizing your out-of-pocket expenses. When using you prescription benefits, talk with your doctor about generics, instead of brand name drugs. The dollar difference can be astounding. For example, look at this online comparison of ZOCOR, a commonly prescribed drug for high cholesterol. The brand name drug, ZOCOR, is $405 for 90 tablets at 20mg. The generic, SIMVASTATIN, is about $74 for 90 tablets at 20mg. You do the math – and check with your physician. And don’t forget about over-the-counter medications. By sticking to the no-name store brand, you can save an estimated $100 of the $400 that the average American spends annually on OTC drugs. HEALTH CARE & 2008 ELECTION Voters are sending a loud and clear message to the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees about health care spending. These escalating costs and limited access quality medical care are among the TOP domestic issues in national polls of voters. The U-S Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offers this perspective. The cost of health care is now about 16-percent of the Gross Domestic Product. The GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in the U-S within a year. That health care figure is likely to exceed 20-percent by 2017. SNOOP ALERT No true confessions required here – but did you ever wonder, or even peek at, what was in a medicine cabinet in a bathroom as a houseguest or while attending a party? “Consumer Reports” did – and these are the top five items, in descending order, according to 6,000 CR readers. 5. Tylenol (or store brand containing Acetaminophen) –72.5% 4. Advil (or another product containing Ibuprofen) – 72.8% 3. Lip balm (such as Chapstick) – 75.9% 2. Lotions or creams for dry skin – 84.8% and at Numero Uno: Band aids – 93.2% If you would like to see what else may be in a medicine cabinet near you, such as Calamine or other anti-itch lotions –50.7% as well as Aloe Vera – 29.5%, check out this “Consumer Reports” link click here. Thanks! We hope we offered a few helpful tidbits today. Our goal is to say what we mean -- and mean what we say. If you have questions or comments, drop us an email, info@rkashmiry.com, or phone, 877.860.6295. Please feel free to forward this eNewsletter to anyone who might find it useful. Remember, it's all "Just For The Health Of It!"