Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, March 20, 2026 Savvy Senior by Jim Miller Medicare Can Help Older Smokers Kick the Habit Dear Savvy Senior, Does Medicare offer any coverage that helps beneficiaries quit smoking? New Beneficiary Dear New, If you’re ready to quit smoking, Medicare can indeed help! Medicare Part B covers up to eight faceto-face counseling sessions per year to help you kick the habit, and if you have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, certain smoking-cessation medications are covered as well. Here’s a guide to help you get started. It’s Never Too Late According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 8.3 percent of Americans age 65 and older still smoke. Many older smokers indicate that they would like to quit, but because of the nicotine, which is extremely addictive, it’s very difficult to do. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness, responsible for an estimated one-fifth of deaths in the United States each year. But research shows that quitting, even after age 65, greatly reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis and many other diseases. It also helps you breathe easier, smell, and taste better, and can save you money. An $8 pack-a-day smoker, for example, saves about $240 after one month without cigarettes, and nearly $2,880 after one year. How to Quit The first step you need to take is to set a “quit date,” but give yourself a few weeks to get ready. During that time, you may want to start by reducing the number or the strength of cigarettes you smoke to begin weaning yourself. Also check out over-the-counter nicotine replacement products – patches, gum and lozenges – to help curb your cravings (these are not covered by Medicare). And just prior to your quit day get rid of all cigarettes and ashtrays in your home, car, and place of work, and try to clean up and even spray air freshener. The smell of smoke can be a powerful trigger. Get Help Studies have shown that you have a much better chance of quitting if you have help. So, tell your friends, family, and coworkers of your plan to quit. Others knowing can be a helpful reminder and motivator. Then get some counseling. Don’t go it alone. Start by contacting your doctor about smoking cessation counseling covered by Medicare and find out about the prescription antismoking drugs (bupropion and varenicline) that can help reduce your nicotine craving. You can also get free one-on-one telephone counseling and referrals to local smoking cessation programs through your state quit line at 800-QUIT-NOW or call the National Cancer Institute free smoking quit line at 877-44U-QUIT. It’s also important to identify and write down the times and situations you’re most likely to smoke and make a list of things you can do to replace it or distract yourself. Some helpful suggestions when the smoking urge arises are to call a friend or one of the free quit lines, keep your mouth occupied with some sugar-free gum, sunflower seeds, carrots, fruit or hard candy, go for a walk, read a magazine, listen to music or take a hot bath. The intense urge to smoke lasts about three to five minutes, so do what you can to wait it out. It’s also wise to avoid drinking alcohol and steer clear of other smokers while you’re trying to quit. Both can trigger powerful urges to smoke. For more tips on managing your cravings, withdrawal symptoms and what to do if you relapse, visit 60plus.SmokeFree.gov. There are also a variety of helpful quit smoking apps you can download like EasyQuit, QuitNow and Quit Genius. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 1. On March 20 in the last year of what decade was Big Bird of “Sesame Street” born? 2. Recently, in what country did a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu become prime minister-designate? 3. March 21 is World Puppetry Day; on what TV show that started in 1955 would you find a puppet named Lamb Chop? 4. What character stars in the 1948 cartoon “Daffy Dilly”? 5. In what state with a name including a name is a university located in College Park? 6. In what 1942 animated film (debuted in London) about a deer is “Let’s Sing a Gay Little Spring Song”? 7. On March 22, 1895, the first on-screen film was shown by the Lumière brothers in Paris; it shows workers leaving their factory on foot and by what? 8. What three countries are cohosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup? 9. How are Mars, Milky Way and Wonka similar? 10. What team was the National Hockey League’s first in the USA? 11. On March 23, 2021, what kind of ship obstructed the Suez Canal for six days? 12. What is the name of the first day of spring? 13. Which animal has the heaviest tongue: blue whale, elephant or giraffe? 14. What Central American capital has the same name as a city in Florida and a hat? 15. On March 24, 1905, what author known as the “father of science fiction” died? 16. What country has a sandwich (usually with crustless milk bread) called a sando? 17. What type of orchid has an edible fruit? 18. In what state is the world’s longest tunnel, which has the name of another state? 19. What character had the most appearances in Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons? 20. On March 25, 1983, what female group performed “Someday We’ll Be Together” during TV taping of “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever”? ANSWERS 1. 19960s (1969) 2. Nepal (Balendra Shah) 3. “Captain Kangaroo” 4. Daffy Duck 5. Maryland (University of Maryland, College Park) 6. “Bambi” (the first mascot for U.S. forest fire prevention; Disney let the Wartime Advertising Council use the image for a year.) 7. Bicycle 8. Canada, Mexico and USA 9. Names of chocolate bars (Wonka was originally a fictional chocolate bar in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl.) 10. Boston Bruins 11. A container ship called the Ever Given 12. Spring equinox (In the Northern Hemisphere it’s March 20, 2026.) 13. Blue whale 14. Panama City and Panama hat 15. Jules Verne 16. Japan 17. Vanilla (A vanilla bean is actually a fruit.) 18. The Delaware Aqueduct in New York State 19. Bugs Bunny 20. The Supremes
11 Publizr Home