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SeniorArk Bulletin
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LET
THE HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM BILL DIE
February 08, 2010
- Robert Fassbach, editor: www.SeniorArk.com
On December 7, 2009
SeniorArk withdrew support for the current Health Insurance
Reform effort. (See
article) The
bill had been so weakened by conservative Democrats, and
independent Joe Lieberman, that it became little more than a
jackpot for private health insurance companies. This current
effort deserves to die.
But - - this death should
only signal the beginning of a more serious effort to pass
sweeping healthcare reform.
Kill
the current bill
immediately, and start talking about Medicare for all
in America. It should become the drumbeat of those who
would seek universal healthcare. "Medicare for all"
is
the drumbeat. Start repeating it. This would be far simpler, and would
result in high quality care for all, cradle to grave, at a
much reduced price. Medicare has successfully
delivered quality healthcare for nearly 50 years, and with
administrative costs of only 3%
(Health insurance companies have balked at being limited to 15%).
"Medicare for
all"
is very workable. The machinery is already in place.
For insurers and drug manufacturers, this proposal is the ultimate heresy. But Congress is elected to serve
the needs of the citizens,
not the profits of companies bent on giving us as little care
as possible.
We cannot sustain a further burden on the Medicare Trust Fund,
so
costs to the non-senior member must be
determined, and assessed to the user, or the employer. But
this would be a very efficient, proven, health delivery
method.
Remember, it's
"Medicare for
all".
Picture of the Day
Seniors,
always remember, if you are EVER
in need of ANYTHING,
email:
seniorark@aol.com
We may
not be able to help, but we WILL TRY.
And we
WILL answer your email.
Email
us--we want to be bothered.
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DAILY HOT NEWS ISSUES FOR
SENIORS
___________________________________________
Updated:
Monday February 08, 2010
Did you read something on this page, and
now it's gone? If so, you will probably find that it has been
moved to this page.
Can you guess what the average Senior
receives monthly in Social Security benefits?
Click for Answer
TODAY'S IMPORTANT NUMBERS
-
Monday February 08, 2010
***********************************************************
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January 2001 the
national debt was $5,728,195,796,181
January 2009 the national debt was $10,656,877,048,913
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* 0 - American troops who died in Iraq the month of
December 2009
* 237 - Miles the average European walks per year
* 3,000,000 - Soft drink vending machines in the U.S. One for
every 100 people.
* 87 - Miles the average American walks per year
* Don't ask, don't tell - Miles I
walk per year
* 27% - Gift cards never redeemed in the U.S.. Over $8 Billion
worth of them were never used from 2006.
* $700 - $1000 per MONTH. Amount Medicare Advantage insurers
are paid by Medicare for your care.
* $772,000,000 - Amount AARP was paid by health insurance
companies in 2008. Beware their opinions.
* $13,375 - Average 2009 cost for an
employer-based family health insurance policy
* 8 - Percent of American companies that
will drop healthcare for employees in 2010
* 35 cents - amount health insurers
want to pocket for every health insurance dollar received
* 2.1 - USA spends $2.1 trillion/year on health care.
Double per person in any other country.
* 44 million - # of Americans on
government-run health insurance - It's called Medicare!
* 44 - years Medicare has served
the needs of America's Seniors - July 30 > 44th birthday
* 43rd - U.S. life expectancy - 42
nations are higher (best healthcare in the world???)
* 28th - U.S. ranking on infant mortality
- 27 were better. (Center for Disease Control)
* 1 - Number of top 30 developed
countries without universal healthcare >> U.S.A.
* 33 cents -
Portion of each U.S. health dollar spent on administrative
costs
* 6 British pubs are closing every day
(now--this is serious)
* 2,944 consumer bankruptcies filed per day
* 50 Million - - # of Americans who will
face today with no health insurance
* 17,000 - Democrats and Republicans who are
losing their health insurance every day
* 9.2 Million U.S. households
net worth of $1 million or more, not including primary
residence
* 41 - Days until Spring 2010 (as of
February 8, 2010)
* 34
days until Daylight Saving Time.
YES!! (As of February 8, 2010)
Do you know there are now
9 news sections on
www.seniorark.com?
Volunteers scour the web EVERY DAY to find the most
important articles for Seniors
***********************************************************
Primary News Sections
·
The Home Page you are now viewing, for the
very latest news for Seniors
·
The
"News" page for today's news on health and other items of
interest
·
Up-to-date
news on Medicare, including Part D information (last
section)
·
Up-to-date
news on Social Security, including other pension related
news (last section)
·
News on
Senior Health Issues, (last section), older than the
current
"news" page
Archived News Sections - Articles you remember reading somewhere,
but can no longer find.
·
Hot News items that have been
moved very recently from the page you are now reading
·
Older Medicare News
·
Older Health Articles with summary
·
Older Health Articles listed, without a summary
$250
SOCIAL SECURITY STIMULUS CHECK TO BE PAID IN 2010???
The US government is taking every
measure to revive the economy and bring it out of the
recession. President Obama has said that there will be a
Social Security Stimulus Check in 2010 of $250. However, the
final decision for this special measure is up to the congress.
They should approve bill H.R.3557 – To provide an emergency
cost-of-living increase for Social Security benefits for 2010
in their next session. This will be a bonus and will cost the
government about $13 billion. The last couple of years has
seen the worst slowdown in all the markets including the
housing and financial markets which has caused a lot of
problems to the economy. By the distribution of the social
security stimulus check in 2010 the government hopes to
stimulate the markets and the economy and the slowdown can be
reversed. (Read complete article at
itaxrebate.com)
Update: In his
new budget, released on February 1, 2010, President Obama
officially proposes this one-time payment to seniors. Now it
is up to the House of Representatives. If you do not write
or call your Representative, don't complain if the measure
does not pass. Go to our
Government Links
page, and click on "Contact your Representative". The process
will take you about 3 minutes.
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR???
**********************************************************
February, 2010
Check on your
neighbors during cold weather to make sure they are OK.
Watch for the exposed homeless, and call authorities to
alert them--and make sure it is dealt with. Many have been
rendered homeless by our sagging economy.
In
Medford, Oregon
, in December 2009,
a 70-year-old man was pronounced dead. Officials
said it appeared he had gone to sleep on the ground near
railroad tracks with only a light blanket around himself.
Homeless at 70, in the winter, is a recipe for death.
But one need not be homeless to
freeze to death.
A 93-year-old Michigan man froze to death this past year
inside his home just days after the municipal power company
restricted his use of electricity because of unpaid bills,
officials said. Marvin E. Schur died "a slow, painful
death," said Kanu Virani, Oakland County's deputy chief medical
examiner, who performed the autopsy. Neighbors discovered Schur's body on
Jan. 17. They said the indoor temperature was below 32 degrees at
the time, The Bay City Times reported Monday.
Who is my
neighbor?
Perhaps the better question is
"Who isn't my neighbor?".
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THIS IS THE
SENIORARK MEDICARE BIG RED NEWS BOX
(Your source for the latest
Medicare information, as you make decisions for 2010)
For more helpful information on
Medicare, Parts A, B, C, and D, the Donut Hole, the
CPI-W, Current Medicare News
Articles, and much more, see our
Medicare Page.
Why
you must look at your Medicare Advantage Plan Today
You can still make changes between January 1 and March 31,
2010
Updated:
February 08, 2010
Robert Fassbach, editor,
www.seniorark.com

When January 1 arrives, your worries about Medicare
Advantage are not over. Not yet. And that is very good. What you do right now
can determine how well you do for the rest of the year
in getting the medical care and prescriptions you need.
If you still have concerns about whether you are
in the right Medicare Advantage Plan (20% of Seniors
choose this method of receiving Medicare), you have
until March 31 to make additional changes.
I turned 65 the day before Christmas 2007,
Selecting a Medicare Advantage Plan that also covered my
prescriptions, was a traumatic experience. My choice for
2010 was much the same. I have been
studying and writing about the nuances of Medicare for
over four years on SeniorArk, and in various other
publications. But until I entered the scene myself, I
had no idea of the extreme confusion surrounding the
process. Even now, having made an "informed" decision
for 2010, I am not
completely sure I have made the best choice
for my needs. I have a plan that will work, and it
includes Prescription Drug coverage, but Pennsylvania
has some 100+ plan possibilities out there, all being
offered by private insurance companies interested more
in my money than my health. During insurance company
plan presentations I heard misrepresentation,
half-truths, and outright misinformation. But a choice
was needed, so one was made.
So then, if our decisions on Part "D" or Medicare
Advantage were made between November 15 and December 31,
what is there to do between January 1 and March 31?
Well, here goes.
(1) Here is exactly what Medicare says we can do
between January 1 and March 31:
"Between January 1 through March 31 of each year.
Your coverage will begin the first day of the month
after the plan gets your enrollment form. During this
period, you can't do the following:
-
Join or switch to a
plan with prescription drug coverage unless you
already have Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part
D).
-
Drop a
plan with prescription drug coverage.
-
Join,
switch, or drop a Medicare Medical Savings Account
Plan."
Here are the different coverage scenarios permitted
during Medicare Advantage open enrollment:
-
If a person on Medicare currently has coverage in a
Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription drug
coverage, they can use open enrollment to select a
different Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription
drug coverage, Original Medicare and a stand-alone
prescription drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage
Private-Fee-For-Service Plan and a stand-alone
prescription drug plan.
-
If a person on Medicare currently has coverage in a
Medicare Advantage Plan with no prescription drug
coverage, they can use open enrollment to select a
Medicare Advantage Plan or Original Medicare without
prescription drug coverage.
-
If a person on Medicare currently has coverage in
Original Medicare with a stand-alone prescription drug
plan, they can use open enrollment to select a
Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription drug
coverage or a Medicare Advantage
Private-Fee-For-Service Plan with the same stand-alone
prescription drug plan.
-
If a person on Medicare currently has coverage in
Original Medicare without a stand-alone prescription
drug plan, they can use open enrollment to select a
Medicare Advantage Plan without prescription drug
coverage.
(2) Now let's assume that you review the details
of your Medicare Advantage plan and decide that you
are in the right Medicare Advantage plan with
prescription drug coverage. Or you are in traditional
Medicare with a stand-alone part D drug plan. Then
today you need to think about the doughnut hole. The
best time to begin avoiding it is right now. This week I
met with my doctor to go over the salad of drugs that
seem necessary to keep me going each month. I told him I
wanted to find a generic for every one of them. He was
willing to do that with one exception, and I may still
decide to change that one. It is a statin, and I'm not
convinced that Lipitor is necessarily better than
several others out there. I will need to do a little
research on that.
Here are some examples of
the savings when switching from Brand to Generic:
-
Celebrex 200mg, a medication used for
arthritis, costs about $100 for a one-month supply.
Replace with Meloxican 15 mg (generic for Mobic)
costs about $8. Cost difference,$1100/yr.
-
Lipitor 20mg, used for cholesterol, costs about
$111 for a month's supply. Simvastatin,
(generic for Zocor) cost $11. Savings, $1200/yr.
-
Prevacid 30mg, a medication for heartburn,
costs about $144 for a one-month supply. Omeprazole
20mg (generic for Prilosec) costs about $27, or a
savings of $1400/yr.
-
Tricor 145mg, a medication for triglicerides,
costs around $100/mo. Fenofibrate (generic for
Tricor) costs $37, for a savings of about $750/yr.
Remember for 2010, in the "stand-alone" Part "D" plans,
you are paying the first $310 of annual drug costs, and
then 25% of the next $2,520 ($630). After that, you will
pay 100% of the next $3,610. This is the doughnut hole.
(see
chart) How
fast you reach this expenditure level is determined by
what your pharmacy bills your insurance company,
not what the insurance company pays your pharmacy. If
you are using generics, it will take much longer to
reach the doughnut hole than if you are using brand
name drugs.
(By
the way, this is also a good time to go over your
medications to determine if you still need every one of
them. Over time, medications are prescribed that should
be given for a limited time, but they are never stopped.
Several doctors, including your specialists, may have
written prescriptions that just keep refilling
automatically long after their need ends. Doctors are so
busy these days, that many overlook this. Make them
look.)
(3-a) Go online to see if
you you qualify for
Federal help
with your Medicare expenses.
(3-b)
Go online, ( click your state on the
map at this page)
or call your state's agency on aging, or the equivalent
department, to determine if you may actually qualify for
additional state prescription help. There is a lot of it
out there. My state, Pennsylvania, has 2 tremendous
plans for couples earning less than $31,500, and
individuals below $23,500. You may be passing up help
that is staring at you. See our
"Surviving the Doughnut
Hole"
page for 14 ideas on dealing with the doughnut hole.
(4) Let's assume that you looked over your
paperwork, and decide that you may have made a Medicare
Advantage mistake. Now there are two choices: live with
it until next year (changing to something else between
November 15 and December 31, 2008), or switching NOW
to a
Another Medicare Advantage Plan, occasionally
called Medicare Health Plan, and also called
Medicare "C". (see
simple description)
Open enrollment has not ended for these plans. Open
enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans goes until March
31. This plan is not administered by the
government, but is handled by private insurance
companies. It combines Medicare A, B and D. There are a
wide variety of plans, and types of Medicare Advantage
Plans.
If you take a number of
prescription drugs, however, it gets more difficult to
choose. Certain plans might cover some of the drugs you
need but not all of them. But there are a number of
resources to help you choose.
Medicare's
Part D, or Medicare Advantage Plan Finder
enables you to enter your drugs, for your area, and
determine which plan makes the most sense for you.
Be aware that if you switch
to a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must review much more
than just the Part "D" portion of the policy. That
insurance carrier takes over your "full care", and
provides the features of Parts A, B, and D. Study which
doctors, hospitals, and other types of care are included
with the policy. Medicare pays the Medicare Advantage
insurance provider around $650/month for every
month you are in their care, whether you need them or
not.
We hope all of this adds to
your options, and not to your confusion, If questions
remain, you can always search at
www.medicare.gov,
or call 1-800-MEDICARE. There may also be a state
representative available to give you some help.
So what was my choice
with Medicare and/or Part "D" for 2010?
I opted for a very different
Medicare Advantage plan this year. My premium for last
year's policy went to $76/mo., and the benefits were
severely reduced. This year I have gone to Highmark-Freedom
Blue PPO. There are NO monthly premiums, but I do have a
$1200 annual deductible on the larger expenses. My
premiums alone would have been $912 under my old plan,
and co-pays would have pushed it quickly over $1200 if I
needed any hospital or lab related care. We'll see how
this works. I am a government-created gambler; I gamble
on what I will need during the next year. What a system.
I have no deductible in the drug portion of the program,
and will pay $7/mo for generics and more for brand
names. There is no donut hole coverage, but I found that
I did not reach the donut hole last year.
A final comment. I think it
is obscene that our government puts us through this
traumatic, risky, confusing process. I totally support a
"single-payer" system, run by the highly competent
Medicare section of the Department of Health and Human
Services. They can administer the program more cheaply,
and would have huge negotiating power with drug and
other suppliers. The only thing standing in the way has
been Congressional backbone, and Presidential consent.
Insurance and drug lobbyists have wielded enough power
to control these programs up to this point. Until it is
changed, we must sift through this program as best we
can. Best wishes.
You
may also want to read:
Medicare Advantage open season
and
I'm Falling into the Doughnut Hole
For much more helpful information
on Medicare, Parts A, B, C, and D, the Donut Hole, the
CPI-W, Current Medicare News Articles, and much more,
see our
Medicare Page.
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FELLOW SENIORS, CONSIDER THIS
**********************************************************
February 08, 2010 We seniors are in a pretty good position.
(1) We have a fixed income--something much of the population
would love to have.
(2) We have government-run, single payer health insurance
(Medicare), something that 50-70 million Americans would fall
on their knees to get.
(3) We received a 5.8% cost-of living adjustment last year.
(4) We have a health insurance premium (part B) that cannot go
up if there is no cost of living increase. (applies
to most Seniors who earn less than $85,000--$170,000 for
couples)
(5) Obama has negotiated with drug companies to reduce the
cost of medications, paid by seniors, by 50% in the donut
hole. (May be dependent upon the final health insurance reform
bill)
Obama has no control over whether there is, or is not, a cost
of living adjustment. That was established by law many years
ago. And his health proposals take NOTHING away from us. They
will add to the health of Medicare, and care for us very well.
Don't believe the trash being disseminated by greedy insurance
companies. They succeed only on fear, and our fears are
unjustified.
Now, we do have another legitimate issue:
does the CPI-W - - the index that determines our COLA - -
truly reflect Senior expenses. We think not, and we need to
let our congress people know that. (See
SeniorArk article on this subject)
2009 - 2010 RECOVERY ACT: HUGE TAX CREDITS FOR BUYING ENERGY
EFFICIENT PRODUCTS
**********************************************************
Applies through December 31, 2010 - - The Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009
stimulus) offers huge investment tax credits for a range of
high energy products for your home. Windows, doors, heating,
roofs, and alternative energy-producers all participate. If
you are having difficulty in selling an existing home,
energy-saving improvements could be the key. Few know of
these provisions, so move quickly to avoid backups in
supplies and contractors.
Read the Details and Cash In
SOME SIGNIFICANT RECENT NEWS HEADLINES
- from the web:
***********************************************************
For more news headlines, go to
"NEWS" page.
BusinessWeek -
January 20, 2010
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Assessing whether
you are in poor, moderate or ideal cardiovascular health
takes just seconds, thanks to a new American Heart
Association measure of health factors and behaviors.
Medical News Today Posted by SA January 20, 2010
The nanoburrs can release their drug payload over several
days, and could be used to deliver drugs to treat treat
atherosclerosis and other inflammatory cardiovascular
diseases, the researchers told the press.
Fish Oils
May Slow Genetic Aging in Heart Patients
ABC News -
John McKenzie -
January 20, 2010
Now, some say a study out this evening in the Journal of
the American Medical Association might explain why.
Specifically, the researchers behind the study report that
for heart disease patients, omega-3 fatty acids may
protect against ...
Bone marrow stem cells are supposed to home in on damaged
parts of the heart. Once there, they send out signals that
help the body repair the injury.
Do what the article said- Buy a Carbon Monoxide detector!!
If yours is more than 5 years old, buy a new one. Put it
somewhere where you can … read more hear it from your
bedroom(s) if it goes off.
IFAwebnews.com -
Bob Graham
Jim Ferlo, a Democrat
representing the Pittsburgh area, introduced Senate
Bill 400, which would create a government entity,
the Pennsylvania Health Care ...
Wall Street Journal -
Melinda Beck -
It's that time of year when darkness descends like a heavy
blanket beginning in mid-afternoon in much of the country.
For some people, it also brings a desire to stay in bed
and wait for spring.
Quick
Fixes to Add Years to Your Life!
CBS News
The effect of hobbies is
especially important when we retire from the workforce.
(Source: Psychologist Michael Brickey, author of the book,
"Defy Aging") ...
Also read: 57 Hobby Ideas
for Seniors
<<< Grow indoor potato plants in winter.
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SENIOR
ACTION REQUIRED
YOU MUST REVIEW YOUR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN OR YOUR
PART D PLAN NOW
************************************************************
Insurers have made MAJOR
CHANGES to Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug
(D) plans this year. If you do not review these changes, you
could be in for a nasty surprise when you need benefits in
2010. The main period for open enrollment is between November
15 and December 31. Between January 1 and March 31 you may
still make a change in your Medicare Advantage Plan (MA),
provided it is considered a "like kind" change. That means
that if your MA plan covers drugs, you may only switch to
another one that covers drugs during this period. Click the
proper links in the red box above to access the Medicare Plan
Comparison sites.

ARE YOU FALLING INTO THE DOUGHNUT HOLE?
*************************************
15
ways to survive a fall into that dreaded abyss -
February 08, 2010
Yes, Part "D"
is a bizarre system, crafted by a slight-of-hand
Congress, mostly written by the drug
and insurance companies. Yes it can be
overwhelming to the Senior who needs more than a minimal
amount of medication each year. But do not despair. There are
specific things you can do today to survive this
convoluted program, and the doughnut hole at its center.
Read
Complete Article, and another important article,
Surviving
with Medicare Part "D".
MANY ELIGIBLE LOW-INCOME SENIORS NOT
APPLYING FOR PART D SUBSIDY
************************************************************
The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the
Congressional Budget Office have estimated, respectively,
that about 2.6 million to over 4 million individuals who may
qualify for the Medicare prescription drug low-income subsidy
are not receiving it. Various barriers, such as reluctance to
disclose personal financial information or lack of knowledge
of the subsidy, may prevent potentially eligible Medicare
beneficiaries from applying for the subsidy. To view the
highlights of the report, go to:
http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d08812thigh.pdf.
To see if you qualify, or to apply, go to:
https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps6z/i1020/main.html
Also see:
Latest
Health News ,
Latest Medicare News ,
Latest Social Security
News
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SeniorArk
FunSpot
Updated:
02/08/2010
Also, enjoy our massive: "just for fun" , "humor",
and "photo"
sections
And
click here to see some humor that was formerly on this
FunSpot
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Found this beautiful winter poem and thought it
might be a comfort to you. It was to me, and it's very
well written. I hope that you enjoy it too.
Submitted by Carol Gottron, Gibsonia, PA
'WINTER'
by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre

Here is the poem:
V
V
V
V
Crap....It's Cold
The End
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Those Amazing
Animals
"mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"

best friends pray together

"I'm not amused"

"In your dreams!"

For more, go to:
Fun
Pages, or
Humor Pages, or
Funny Images
, or
Funny
Videos
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