Very interesting article.

LOL I was wondering how that picture fit in with the subject. I suppose a rash is used because it's a good visual representation of the virus. You can't see nerve pain except maybe on the face of the person experiencing it. I got the vaccine shot after my sister (who is 80 now) got shingles over 2 years ago and still has nerve pain. Her rash was on her body and was very, very painful.

Having it twice is just adding insult to injury!! That really stinks, Alisande. I sincerely hope it doesn't strike again.

Thanks, Murraysmom! Compared to some of the stories I've heard, my shingles was mild. I agree they should show pictures of the rash, and talk about it, but I don't know why they never mention how the virus gets into the nerve and causes terrible pain. Maybe no one at Merck has ever had shingles. :-) (Now that would be a great testimonial for the vaccine!)

Most commercials and print ads, with limited time or space, aim only to be plant a bug in the ears of potential customers. Especially with a medical product, using the one word "pain" is probably as effective as any to attract attention and convey a simple message.

PS - funny photo

In 2006 had a mild case of shingles on the right side of my forehead (but not in my right eye). I saw my MD because I thought the 'red spots' were multiple spider bites, and DH had recently been bitten by a brown recluse. Quick diagnosis and anti-herpes meds within 72 hours *kept* my shingles outbreak mild. Both DH and I had the vaccine in 2008. We were over 65, and our medigap insurance paid the full cost. No further troubles here. (Knock wood!)

We both had the new, improved Prevnar pneumonia vaccine this spring, having gotten an earlier version in 2005. Perhaps the new, improved shingles vaccine will be recommended for us too.

I'm peeved at AARP for endorsing United HealthCare and allowing the company to scare people into buying medigap insurance. Their ads lead people to believe they will be liable for 20% of inflated provider bills rather than 20% of the vastly lower Medicare-approved fees for services. Many people only need protection against catastrophic expenses. Until my hospitalization for pneumonia this spring, neither my DH nor I paid out of pocket more than two hundred dollars per year to medical providers (our 20% of Medicare-approved services). Yet our medigap insurance premiums were nearly $1,000 apiece. (Our premiums would have been even higher through AARP United HealthCare.)

Who is really running AARP today?

Chisue, your response really interests me because I turn 65 in April and I will have to make those decisions and I am getting bombarded with insurance company offers, though lacking in any real information, and I don't even know what questions to ask or what I really need. I have never been hospitalized, rarely get a cold and have never had to take prescription drugs. I don't expect things to go south any time soon, of course one never knows. Any advice you could share?

Thanks for the reminder about this, Alisande. I got the shot a few years ago, but there's a family member who needs a reminder (again).

Murraysmom, Chisue has made it clear in a number of posts that she is no fan of AARP and their TV ads. I don't mind their TV ads because a) they don't seem to me to be any worse than any of the Medicare supplement ads, and I think they're far better than some, and b) I switched from the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Medicare Part C to the AARP-recommended United Health's Part C about five years ago, and have been very happy with it. United Health gives me the same coverage as BC/BS, but at a lower premium.

I'm also grateful to AARP for providing me with a great deal of useful information over the past 10 or more years.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you don't sign up for Medicare Part D, the prescription drug coverage, at age 65, and need it some time in the future, you will pay a hefty penalty.

I, too, take no regular prescription drugs. Last year I switched from United Health's Part D to the Walmart/Humana plan. Much lower monthly premiums, but when I needed doxycycline following a tick bite, I paid much more than I expected. This year, in anticipation of needing more drugs to treat Lyme and its co-infections (I'm seeing a new doctor), I'm switching to yet another provider for my Part D.

It's easy to misunderstand the relationship between United Healthcare and AARP. It's a business relationship that makes money for AARP, nothing more. Not an endorsement, not a partnership. United Healthcare pays fees to AARP for the use of its name in UHC's insurance product(s). AARP has no involvement other than to receive money as a royalty.

I too am no fan of AARP. It's one of too many organizations that started with valid and altruistic goals but lost its way to become an organization that's more interested in its own destiny than that of its supposed constituents. Consumers Union and the Sierra Club are two others that come to mind that seem act mostly in their own self-interest (organization-wise) and to have all but abandoned their original purposes.

I'd add the US Congress to Snidely's list, perhaps at the very top.

Uh oh. We seem to have taken a twist in the road. LOL Thank you all for your explanations. It's a bit confusing to me since I am just beginning to look into this. Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

murraysmom, does your hospital have a SHIIP person? There should be one in your state. Maybe you can link from here? http://www.iid.state.ia.us/shiip They can help you sort the different options out. It's free to use the service. I am not on any Rx drugs either and have no health issues or dr. visits.

I don't know. I will check out your link. Thanks.

Our Senior Center has a person familiar with the in's and out's of all of this Medicare stuff, but there's a lot available online too. www.medicare.gov

You have to join AARP to purchase medicare supplementary insurance (medigap) from United Health Care. In effect, this is 'group insurance'. I only discovered this last week when I called UHC to inquire about their medigap policies. (Not switching, as they don't offer Plan F - High Deductible in our area. Still 'looking' for one cheaper than the BCBS medigap policies we have now.)

I will be staying with UHC for my Part D coverage, but changing to another plan within their company.

DH will be leaving the Part D plan he's had this year and moving to another company's. (He did not take a Part D plan at age 65 and now pays an annual penalty.)

In other news...haha...I see that the AMA is urging passage of a law to prohibit advertising of prescription drugs. I doubt that has a chance of passage; too much Big Pharma clout in Congress. (The US and New Zealand are the only first world nations to permit this kind of advertising -- the cost of which greatly inflates the cost of our medications.)

Man I would love to not have to see those drug commercials! And if it saved me money, so much the better. Thanks for your information. I didn't realize you could have different companies covering the different parts. And I will definitely address Part D. My goofy brother didn't bother when he turned 65 and a few years later, when he needed it, he, too, had to pay a hefty fine. Thanks for giving me a couple more places to look for the information.