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How your eggs change in your 30s and beyond
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Do you actually know what time it is on your biological clock? - photo by Melinda Fox
As you get older, you know that your body is going through changes, but what exactly is happening to your eggs as you enter your 30s ... and beyond?

You only have 100-200 thousand eggs left

You are born with one to two million eggs in your ovaries. By the time you reach your 20s, you only have 100-200 thousand eggs left. Even though you have far fewer eggs at this time, your fertility is still at its prime.

While you continue to lose eggs each month throughout your 30s, you should have enough to create an embryo. It's in the later end of your 40s that you begin running out of eggs. Dr. Andrew K. Moore, MD, an infertility specialist says, "By age 50, most women have few if any eggs left, which is the primary reason for menopause."

Egg abnormalities are more common

Even though most pregnancies during a woman's 30s are healthy, the quality of her eggs decreases as she gets older. Moore explains that aging eggs sometimes have abnormal chromosome number. These chromosomes are the DNA which will be passed to your baby. So when an egg has too many or too few chromosomes it will create an abnormal embryo. An embryo with an abnormal amount of chromosomes will not implant, end in miscarriage or cause conditions like down syndrome.

Your chances of getting pregnant decrease

While you can certainly get pregnant in your 30s, your likelihood decreases. "The decade of the 30s sees a significant decrease in fertility," said Dr. Moore. "The chance of pregnancy per month at ages 20, 30, and 40 are, respectively, 40 percent, 25 percent, and 7 percent."

You can check your fertility

Beyond the statistics about your chances of getting pregnant at your age, there are ways to check your individual level of fertility. You can get a blood test and ultrasound to see if your ovaries are aging at a normal rate.

However, what does Dr. Moore suggest as the best indicator of fertility? "Simply trying to get pregnant."

You will probably still have a healthy pregnancy

If you're in your 30s, there's good news for you. Dr. Moore said, "Most pregnancies produced by women in their 30s will be completely healthy."

How to increase your fertility

"Depending on family size goals, probably the most important thing is to not unduly delay child bearing." However, since that's not always feasible, he recommends freezing your eggs if you are 30-35 and don't have any clear plans to start a family.

Beyond that, the best way to keep your body fertile is to take care of it. According to Dr. Moore, when it comes to maintaining a fertile body "healthy diet, healthy weight and moderate amounts of exercise are helpful."
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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