The End of the World

This past Saturday, I hosted dinner for a select group of my Retirement Millionaire lifetime subscribers.

We spent a few hours socializing, eating, and talking about the markets. During the evening, I gave a presentation titled "The End of the World." And it led to questions I've heard a lot lately...

  • Is the market about to collapse? When?
  • Is another recession coming?
  • Is there still time to put money into the market? 

As I pointed out during dinner, these questions often stem from fear. In times like these, it's important to educate yourself so that you can protect your portfolio from catastrophic losses if the market does fall... and also be prepared to take advantage of profit-making opportunities.

That's why I'm excited to have another chance to meet subscribers next week. On Monday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 2, I'll be at the beautiful Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the annual Stansberry Conference.

The Stansberry Conference is a gathering of financial heavyweights and contrarian thinkers. We've had presentations from "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary, political satirist P.J. O'Rourke, senior editor of digital products at The Economist Kenneth Cukier, and, of course, a range of our own talented analysts from Stansberry Research.

If you've ever wanted to be a "fly on the wall" at our biggest event of the year – and hear directly from Porter Stansberry, Dr. Steve Sjuggerud, and more than 20 other fantastic speakers – now is your chance.

We call it our Online All-Access Pass.

With the pass, you can tune into a high-definition livestream of the conference instead of attending in person... for just $699. Plus, you'll receive $500 in Stansberry Credit to use for one new subscription to any Stansberry product.

Click here to claim your spot before it's too late.

Q: Are eye cataracts avoidable? What about reversible? – A.C.

A: For readers who don't know... a cataract is the clouding of the eye lens. Cataracts are strongly linked to aging. More than half of Americans 80 years old and older will develop cataracts. If we lived long enough, it's likely that nearly everyone would develop cataracts.

But you can do a few things to reduce your risk...

We've railed against cholesterol-lowering drugs (or "statins") for years. Longtime readers know that statins are overprescribed and have dangerous side effects, including cataracts.

Sun exposure damages your eyes and promotes the development of cataracts, too. So it you're out in the sun, wear sunglasses.

Eat plenty of foods with antioxidants to fight cataracts. Antioxidant-rich foods include chocolate (the darker, the better), popcorn, blueberries, tomatoes, and broccoli. And my personal favorite, red wine.

If you already have severe cataracts, the only way to correct them is to have surgery. Some studies are underway testing other possible treatments. But prevention is the best.

Q: My wife needs cataract surgery and recently saw the surgeon in our ophthalmology group. To our shock we found out that he recommends upgraded lenses and laser assisted surgery at a cost of $3,000 per eye. He says that standard cataract surgery with the basic lens will not have as good an outcome. I can accept that, but what gets me angry is that he will not do standard surgery, or offer surgery with an upgraded lens. He will only do laser assisted surgery with upgraded lenses and then will not file Medicare causing us to pay everything. I understand maximizing revenue, but I feel this is unethical. He is just trying to get around accepting what Medicare reimburses. Cataract surgery is not an elective procedure, but he is making it so.

To make things worse, we have checked with two other ophthalmology practices, and it appears this is the new business model for cataract surgery. They run down the standard surgery so much that one doesn't want them to do a procedure they don't believe in.

When I had my cataract removed about eight years ago, the surgeon offered the upgraded restore lens at extra cost, but filed the surgery under Medicare so I only paid the cost of the lens. Apparently this is no longer acceptable to the surgeons. – J.D.

A: You've hit on, arguably, one of the biggest issues with Medicare – the disparity between what Medicare covers and the services doctors provide. Doctors aren't obligated to accept Medicare. And even if they do, they're not obligated to perform procedures covered under Medicare.

Take cataract surgery, for example. Typically, Medicare only covers the most standard procedure, including basic lens implants. Unfortunately, Medicare likely won't cover the more advanced laser cataract surgery or any type of premium lenses.

I can't say why the doctors you spoke with won't perform the standard cataract surgery. But you can try finding a doctor who fits your needs.

On Medicare's website, you can search for physicians in your area who deal with specific specialties and conditions. We checked in our area and found a local hospital and an eye center that perform the type of surgery covered under Medicare.

Just go to https://www.medicare.gov/physiciancompare/ and enter your location and needs.

Q: I am a subscriber to Doc's publications. I see [High Income Retirement] is free to new subscribers, but I already am subscribed. Can I get an electronic copy for free too? – N.W.

A: High Income Retirement is a book available to all of my Retirement Trader subscribers. Subscribers can read it here. In the book, I walk readers through how to use options to generate safe, steady income. If you've been nervous about trading options... or aren't sure if this income-generating technique is right for you... this book will help you overcome your fears.

If you're not a Retirement Trader subscriber, you can order a copy right here.

What We're Reading...

Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,

Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
September 28, 2018