Winter Respondent Newslette

What’s Inside:
Maintaining Health
through Physical
Activity
page 2
Person-Centered
Strategies: Health
Savings Account
page 2
Tips for Choosing
Healthy Meals
page 3
Word Search
page 4

WINTER | 2019

Greetings! You are receiving this newsletter because, as a participant in the Medicare Current

Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), you are an important supporter of the MCBS. The success of the
survey depends upon the cooperation of every MCBS participant! We welcome your feedback on this
newsletter and hope you find this issue informative.

What is the MCBS?
The Medicare Current Beneficiary
Survey (MCBS) is a continuous
survey of people who receive
Medicare benefits. This survey
is designed to represent the
entire population of individuals
currently receiving Medicare
benefits, including people living
in a community setting or in longterm care facilities. The survey’s
main goal is to collect information
pertaining to costs associated with

health care services provided to
people with Medicare. The MCBS
collects comprehensive data on
beneficiaries’ health insurance
coverage, health care utilization and
costs, access to care, and satisfaction
with care. The MCBS is sponsored
by the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) and
is conducted by NORC at the
University of Chicago.

About NORC
NORC is an independent,
nonprofit organization whose
mission is to conduct high
quality social science research
in the public interest. NORC has
offices in Chicago, IL; Bethesda,
MD; Atlanta, GA; Boston,
MA; and San Francisco, CA. In
addition, we have interviewers
across the nation working on
the MCBS. NORC is deeply
committed to protecting the
privacy of all respondents’
personal information; therefore,
all information about participants
will be kept private and
confidential as required by law.

To learn more about NORC or to contact the MCBS team please call
NORC toll-free at 877-389-3429 or email NORC at [email protected]. You can also
visit the website: https://mcbs.norc.org/.
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Maintaining Health through Physical Activity
Physical activity is important for healthy aging.1 The amount of exercise you need depends on your age
and health. Below are some exercises that can help you stay limber, stable, and strong. Check with your
health care provider before engaging in these activities.2

ENDURANCE

STRENGTH

BALANCE

FLEXIBILITY

Brisk Walking or
Rolling

Side Arm Raise

Heel-Toe-Walk

Upper Back Stretch

You can do this exercise while standing or
sitting in a sturdy chair.
Keep your feet flat on
the floor, shoulder width
apart. Hold hand weights
straight down at your
sides with palms facing
inward. Breathe in slowly, then slowly breathe
out raising both arms
to the side, shoulder
height. Breathe in as you
slowly lower your arms.

Position the heel of one
foot just in front of the
toes of the other foot.
Your heel and toes
should touch or almost
touch. Choose a spot
ahead of you and focus
on it to keep you steady.
Take a step, placing your
heel just in front of the
toe of your other foot.
Repeat for 20 steps. Try
doing this exercise near
a wall to steady yourself.

Sit in a sturdy chair with
your feet flat on the floor,
shoulder-width apart.
Hold arms in front of you
at shoulder height with
palms facing outward.
Relax your shoulders,
keep your upper body
still and reach forward
with your hands. Stop
when you feel a stretch
or slight discomfort. Hold
position for 10-30 seconds.

Aerobic activities increase your breathing
and heart rate. Brisk
walking or wheelchair
rolling are great ways
to exercise. Try walking
or rolling for 10 minutes
at a time and build up
to 3 times a day. When
the weather or traffic are
bad, try walking or rolling
in a shopping mall.

Person-Centered Strategies:
Health Savings Accounts
The text below is an excerpt from a blog post on the CMS website written by Randy Pate, CMS
Deputy Administrator and the Director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance
Oversight. You can find the full text here: https://www.cms.gov/blog/person-centered-strategieshealth-savings-accounts
Millions of Americans enjoy the flexibility, lower premiums, and tax advantages of enrolling in
a Health Savings Account (HSA) through their jobs. But did you know that you can also enroll
in an HSA-eligible High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) in the individual health insurance
market through HealthCare.gov?
An HSA is a savings account that allows you to put aside money for qualified medical expenses
your insurance doesn’t cover like deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments, adult dental
expenses, and glasses or contacts. It’s a real savings account that belongs to you—and the funds
can earn interest and follow you throughout your life, through job changes or other life events.
Coupling an HSA-eligible HDHP with a Health Savings Account is often something that
employers offer to their employees. However, the same opportunity exists for millions of
Americans who don’t get health insurance through their jobs, but who want to take advantage
of the benefits HSA’s provide. Not only are HSA-eligible HDHP premiums generally lower than
other plans, but Americans who select an HSA-eligible plan through HealthCare.gov and then
open an HSA are able to put additional money aside in their tax-preferred HSA to help with
future health care costs.
If you are interested in learning more about HSAs, here is a good place to start: https://
marketplace.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/health-savings-account.pdf
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Tips for Choosing Healthy Meals
Eating healthy foods is important at any age! As your body changes through the
years, it is important to make sure your food is providing you with the right nutrients.
Use these tips to guide your food choices for better health at each stage of life.3
• Drink plenty of liquids: Water helps you digest food, absorb nutrients, and get rid
of waste. It is important to drink water often throughout the day. Low-fat or fatfree milk, 100% fruit juice, and caffeine-free tea are also good ways to help you
stay hydrated.
• Plan healthy meals: Plan meals that include plenty of colorful vegetables as well
as whole grains and some protein. Fruits are also important sources of nutrients—
try fruits with skins like apples and pear, which provide extra fiber that promotes
regularity.4
• Know how much to eat: Dietary guidelines suggest that adults eat about 2 cups of
fruit, 2.5 cups of vegetables, 5-10 ounces of grains, 5-7 ounces of protein, and 3
cups of dairy per day.
• Vary your vegetables: include a variety of different colored vegetables in your
diet. Orange vegetables like carrots are high in vitamin A, which promote eye
health. Dark green vegetables like broccoli are a great source of vitamin C, which
help support your immune system.

Vegetable Frittata Recipe
Eggs are packed with protein. Try this Vegetable Frittata Recipe5 for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner!

Ingredients

Directions

4 large eggs

1. Beat eggs, pepper, and salt in large bowl, set aside.

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

2. Microwave potatoes until slightly soft, but not completely cooked, then
cube. (Alternate method without microwave: cube potatoes and boil 5
minutes until slightly soft, drain)

2 medium unpeeled red potatoes

3. Chop remaining vegetables while potatoes cool. Mix vegetables together.

½ teaspoon olive oil
4 cups kale or spinach
¼ cup chopped onion
½ red bell pepper (chopped)

4. Heat oil in a 10-inch non -stick skillet. Sauté vegetables for 5-8 minutes;
add to eggs and mix well.
5. Pour egg-vegetable mixture into the same skillet. Cook over low to
medium heat until eggs are almost set, about 8-10 minutes.
6. Cover and let sit until eggs are completely set, about 5 minutes. Egg dishes
should be cooked to 160º F.

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Words to find:
MEDICARE

NORC

MCBS

CMS

SURVEY

FIBER

HEALTH

VITAMIN

INSURANCE

FRITTATA

RESPONDENT

STRETCH

INTERVIEWER

EXERCISE

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Meet the Field Interviewer: Linda Satterfield
My name is Linda Satterfield and I live in a small town in Southern Illinois. I have
worked on the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) since the beginning of the
study, in 1991. The MCBS was one of the first government studies to be conducted on a
laptop computer, and we have been innovating ever since. We aim to make the survey as
easy as possible for people who are selected to participate.
I work primarily in Southern Illinois including interviewing in long-term care facilities.
The area is beautiful, and the people I work with there are really special. I have been
fortunate enough to travel to other states in the U.S. to interview respondents, as well as
assist with training other interviewers. The Medicare population is wise, and I have learned so much over the years.
I enjoy my job!
Your participation is helping legislators make informed decisions that improve and strengthen the Medicare program
for you and others like you. I feel lucky to have worked on such an important study for so long. I sincerely thank all
of the Medicare beneficiaries who volunteer their time to make this study a success.
References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-physical-activity
https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/exercise-type/endurance/
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/choosing-healthy-meals-you-get-older
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/know-your-food-groups
https://whatscooking.fns.usda.gov/recipes/myplate-cnpp/garden-frittata

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