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HOT
NEWS FOR SENIORS
These are very significant NEWS articles that
were published on the Home Page.
They are being archived on this page, the most
recent listed first.
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Date Moved |
Articles |
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11-14-09 |
IT'S OFFICIAL
- - NO COLA FOR 2010
**********************************************************
10-15-09 There
will be no cost of living increase for more than 50 million
Social Security recipients next year, the first year without
a raise since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975,
the government announced Thursday. COLAS are determined by a
decades-old formula based on an index called CPI-W.
(Read
much more on the COLA)
10-15-2009
The Social Security Administration has published
this official statement. |
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11-14-09 |
Obama calls for
$250 payment to Seniors in 2010
**********************************************************
October 15, 2009 The Obama
administration is pursuing a different way to boost
recipients' income. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama
called for a second round of $250 stimulus payments for
seniors, veterans, retired railroad workers and people with
disabilities.
The payments would match the ones
issued to seniors earlier this year as part of the
government's economic recovery package. The payments
would be equal to about a 2 percent increase for the average
Social Security recipient.
"Social Security is doing its job
helping Americans maintain their standard of living," said
Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue. But, he
added, "In light of the human need, we need to support
President Obama's call for us to make another $250
recovery payment for 57 million Americans."
The Labor Department reported
Thursday that consumer prices had declined 2.1 percent
since the third quarter of 2008. The cost-of-living
adjustment for Social Security, or COLA, is based on the
change in consumer prices from the third quarter of one
year to the next.
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11-14-09 |
WHY
THERE MUST BE
A GOVERNMENT OPTION WITH UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
***********************************************************
By: Robert Fassbach, editor,
www.SeniorArk.com
This morning on MSNBC I heard
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) discussing the Republican view of
universal healthcare. (Truth be known, I feel that the
Republican view is really that we don't need universal
healthcare, but the pressure for it has grown, and they can
no longer avoid addressing it.) Mr. Cantor stated that the
model for universal coverage should be patterned after
Medicare Part "D". Under that program, Seniors' prescription
drug coverage was turned over to insurance companies. The
result has been confusion, deception, extreme expense, and
ever-shrinking coverage. Part "D" needs a competing
government option to set the standard for other insurers,
and so does universal healthcare.
Read Complete Article
UNIVERSAL
HEALTHCARE----CUT THROUGH THE HYPE
***********************************************************
"...if we get a
government/insurance hybrid like the Medicare Part D
prescription plan that came out of the Bush administration ,
and passed by a Republican Congress, prepare for confusion
and higher costs."
Read Complete Article |
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11-14-09 |
Most Key Players in Senior Citizen Health Care Back House
Plan Headed to Senate
SeniorJournal.com
November 9, 2009
By Liz Halloran, NPR News AARP is pleased that the House has
passed the Affordable Health Care for American Act.
This bill meets our goals of improving ...
Experts say more women than we know
walk out of doctors' offices feeling that their symptoms
haven't been taken seriously. They are told that their
complaints are all in their heads or that everything will be
fine if they would just stop worrying.
Dallas Morning
News -
Bob Moos
Now that the shouting from
August's town hall meetings has died down and Congress
has made progress on a health care overhaul, there's
growing agreement among policy experts about how
Medicare will be affected.
New Obama Policy Angers Lobbyists
K Street (where lobbyists dwell) is awash in
anger over new regulations designed to limit influence
peddling in Washington, CQ Politics reported Monday.
The new policy,
announced Sept. 23 by President Obama's "ethics czar," Norm
Eisen, prevents federally registered lobbyists from serving
on "agency advisory boards and commissions" --
private-sector advisory panels created in the 1970s to give
input to the government on various issues. The regulations
could decimate the ranks of lobbyists who have been serving
on the panels, and who the Obama administration sees as
special-interest agents with an unhealthy proximity to
federal policy
WASHINGTON — The fountain of youth
may exist after all, as a study showed that scientists
have discovered means to extend the lifespan of mice and
primates. The key to eternal -- or at least prolonged --
youth lies in genetic manipulation that mimics ...
CHICAGO (Reuters) - High-risk
patients who took a combination of three older heart
drugs -- a generic statin, a generic blood pressure pill
and a low-dose aspirin -- cut their risk of a heart
attack or stroke by as much as 80
Woman Toasts 100th Birthday at Work
How is Astrid Thoening so well and active at the century
mark? Read her inspiring story. Astrid Thoenig got dressed,
went to work and sat at her desk smiling Thursday as she
slid her finger gently under the envelope flap of yet
another identical birthday card. They don't make that many
that say "Happy 100th."

By AP
WASHINGTON (AP) - Millions of Medicare patients would
not face increases in their monthly premiums next year
under a bill passed by the House on Thursday.
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11-03-09 |
NEW REPORT SHOWS SENIORS TO BENEFIT FROM HEALTH INSURANCE
REFORM
**********************************************************
November 03, 2009 A new report, America's Seniors and Health
Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage and Strengthening
Medicare, was issued Thursday by the Department of Health
and Human Services. The report, available at http://healthreform.gov/reports/seniors/index.html
, shines a light on what retirees have to gain from health
reform, as well as the wholly unacceptable medical and
financial consequences of inaction. According to the study,
if no action is taken, Medicare premiums and out-of-pocket
costs will soon eat up more than one-third of a retiree's
Social Security benefits. A typical older couple would need
to save $300,000 for medical bills not covered by Medicare.
Health reform is an opportunity to close the Medicare Part D
'doughnut hole,' lower prescription drug costs, help early
retirees afford health care coverage, and assist
middle-class families with the costs of long-term care. A
strong public plan option will hold insurance companies
accountable and keep their premiums and business practices
in check. The report also shows how health reform can both
expand Medicare's benefits for seniors and strengthen
Medicare's finances by eliminating wasteful taxpayer
subsidies to big insurance companies. |
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11-01-09 |
See America's best-kept autumn vacation secret
- attention leaf-peepers
Spectacular
autumn foliage will peak
in Western Pennsylvania near the end of the second to
third week in October. Combine your leaf-peeping with a stay
in Pittsburgh. See why President Obama wanted to show-off
Pittsburgh to the top 20 world leaders at the G-2- Summit
late this September. Pittsburgh has been named one of the
cleanest, most vibrant, humming cites in the world.
Unemployment is far below the national average. The green
economy is a model for clean-energy production. Don't
pass up this gem!
More
<<<<< Banks Bridge, New Wilmington,
PA. Located 45 miles north of Pittsburgh. Photographed by
www.SeniorArk.com editor.
More photos
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10-26-09 |
BEWARE THE
HEADLINE: "SENIORS' SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS TO BE CUT"
Part B Premiums will not increase for most Seniors
By Robert Fassbach, editor SeniorArk.com
I have seen at least a dozen articles
with a headline similar to the one above:
"SENIORS'
SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS TO BE CUT IN 2010". And there is just
enough fact in it to make it horribly misleading. Another one
of these attention-getting headlines designed to attract the
attention of already edgy Seniors. So what is actually about
to happen in 2010?
First, your Social
Security payment will not, and cannot be reduced. Even if the
CPI-W or cost-of-living goes down, our Social Security
payment does NOT. Statistics indicate that based on current
CPI-W there will not be a COLA (cost of living adjustment) for
2010. It "may" cost less to live this year, but fortunately
our payment does not go down. The only way a COLA could occur
for 2010 is if we have a sudden and sharp increase in
inflation in the month of September. The critical months of
July, August, and September are compared with the same months
last year to determine the COLA, and the CPI-W will show a
decrease in the cost of living year over year.
Read how this is determined.
Now for the ounce of
fact in the headline. In 2003 when the prescription Part D
program was passed, seniors were required to purchase a drug
policy from a private insurer. These policies had a premium,
and Seniors were given the option of making payments directly
to the insurer (as I do), or have it removed from their Social
Security check. So, if your private Part D insurer chooses to
raise your premium, and if you chose to have your Part D
payment to that insurer taken from your Social Security check,
then the amount of you check will be reduced. YOUR SOCIAL
SECURITY PAYMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT BEING REDUCED. But
your check will be reduced if your private insurer
raises your premium, and the government needs to collect it
from you in order to pay them. I have read the estimate that
these private insurer premiums should not go up more than
about $2 per month. So this is what the sensational headlines
have been all about.
You have also been
making a Part B insurance premium to the government to cover
that aspect of your healthcare. (See
the breakdown in what is covered by Parts A, B, C, D). For
most Seniors, those earning less than $85,000 per year in
2009, ($170,000 for couples), Part B has cost $96.40 per
person in 2009. In fact, that was not increased from 2008. Nor
can it be increased in 2010. The law states that our Part B
premium may not go up more than any Social Security COLA
received. If there is no adjustment in our COLA for 2010,
there will be no change in the part B premium. This may not be
true for those whose earnings exceed $85,000/$170,000.
Fortunately, that premium is NOT controlled by private
insurers.
Some have been led to
believe that our new administration in Washington has caused
there to be no COLA for 2010. The method for COLA
determination has been the same for decades. The Part D
program, which requires us to pay a premium to private
insurers, was passed in 2003 by a Republican Congress, and
signed by a Republican president. Nothing has changed this
year.
Fortunately, the COLA
for 2009 was figured based on July through September of 2008,
compared with July through September of 2007. Based on that,
our COLA for this year was increased by a record 5.8%. Then in
October through December of 2008 the economy crashed, and so
here we are today trapped in a period of deflation.
Theoretically, we have received in increase at the best moment
possible, to live though a period when prices have dropped.
That is partially true.
But the question may
well be asked as to whether the CPI-W truly reflects what
Seniors purchase. The largest drop in prices occurred in oil
and gasoline, something that Seniors use less in retirement.
Seniors spend more an health-related expenses---and those
continue to climb at record rates. Prescription drug costs
continue to outpace inflation, rising at a clip of 8 percent a
year. Fully 30 percent of the average Medicare beneficiary's
income goes to health care. Some in Congress are committed to
adjusting the index used to determine Seniors' COLA, to more
accurately reflect how Seniors spend their money. Call or
write your Senators and Representative, supporting such
action.
Several things have
happened to help us already. Each Senior received a stimulus
check this year of $250. That was nice. President Obama has
negotiated with drug manufacturers to cut in half our price
for prescriptions while in the doughnut hole. (Explain
the doughnut hole) This may be affected by the result of
healthcare reform---so stay alert. He further proposes
closing the doughnut hole entirely as a part of an overall
healthcare reform package. Also, under current law, Seniors
are entitled to ONE general, preventative, examination---and
that must be done within 6 months of signing up for Medicare.
Obama proposes changing this law to allow such exams. This is
an effort to move toward well-care and away from sick-care.
Finally, beware the
Social Security Scare and Medi-Scare stuff being thrown onto
our TV screens, and placed in our email boxes. Look back at
history to see who has supported these programs, and see who
has tried to limit or shut them down. We Seniors are pretty
savvy, and recognize spin when we hear it. Dig for the facts.
And let us hear from you.
seniorark@aol.com
Here is an official Medicare statement on the subject:
Will my Medicare Part
B premium increase in 2010?
Most Medicare beneficiaries will continue to
pay the same $96.40 Part B premium amount in 2010.
Beneficiaries who currently have the Social Security
Administration (SSA) withhold their Part B premium will not
have an increase in their Part B premium for 2010.
For all others, the standard Medicare Part B monthly premium
will be $110.50 in 2010, which is a 15% increase over the 2009
premium. The Medicare Part B premium is increasing in 2010 due
to possible increases in Part B costs. In 2010:
-
New Part B beneficiaries will pay $110.50
(because they did not have the premium withheld from their
Social Security benefit in the previous year).
-
Beneficiaries who do not currently have the
Part B premium withheld from their Social Security benefit
will pay $110.50.
-
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10-19-09 |
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How The
President's Plan for Health Reform Will Benefit Seniors
President Obama, in his speech to Congress said:
"I want to speak directly to seniors for a moment, because
Medicare is another issue that's been subjected to
demagoguery and distortion during the course of this
debate.
More than four decades ago, this nation stood up for the
principle that after a lifetime of hard work, our seniors
should not be left to struggle with a pile of medical
bills in their later years. That's how Medicare was born.
And it remains a sacred trust that must be passed down
from one generation to the next. And that is why not a
dollar of the Medicare trust fund will be used to pay for
this plan.
The only thing this plan would eliminate is the hundreds
of billions of dollars in waste and fraud, as well as
unwarranted subsidies in Medicare that go to insurance
companies -- subsidies that do everything to pad their
profits but don't improve the care of seniors. And we will
also create an independent commission of doctors and
medical experts charged with identifying more waste in the
years ahead.
Now, these steps will ensure that you -- America's seniors
-- get the benefits you've been promised. They will ensure
that Medicare is there for future generations. And we can
use some of the savings to fill the gap in coverage that
forces too many seniors to pay thousands of dollars a year
out of their own pockets for prescription drugs. That's
what this plan will do for you. So don't pay attention to
those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut,
especially since some of the same folks who are spreading
these tall tales have fought against Medicare in the past
and just this year supported a budget that would
essentially have turned Medicare into a privatized voucher
program. That will not happen on my watch. I will protect
Medicare." |
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10-17-09 |
SEN. SANDERS (I-Vermont, caucuses with
D's)) HAS MADE PROPOSAL TO SAVE COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR
SOCIAL SECURITY RECIPIENTS
**********************************************************
October 17, 2009 Due to the economic recession, Social
Security trustees have projected that there will be no cost of
living allowance (COLA) increase, which is tied to an
inflation index, for 2010 and 2011. For many recipients, the
lack of an adjustment will mean that their monthly checks will
actually go down, because Medicare prescription drug payments
deducted from Social Security are scheduled to increase next
year. "Faced with these realities, it would simply be
unacceptable for seniors on fixed incomes to not receive
additional income in the coming year, something that hasn't
happened in over three decades," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
said in a statement. On Thursday September 17, Sen. Bernie
Sanders (I-VT) introduced the "Emergency Senior Citizens
Relief Act," legislation that would provide Social Security
recipients a one-time payment of $250 next year. The
legislation Sanders introduced in the Senate and Rep. Peter
DeFazio (D-OR) offered in the House of Representatives would
apply the Social Security payroll tax on household incomes
above $250,000 and below $359,000 in 2010. Under current law,
only the first $106,800 of earned income is subject to the
payroll tax. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) also introduced a
$150 one- time payment bill last week, H.R. 3536 The last time
there was no Social Security COLA was in 1975. |
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10-15-09 |
BAUCUS' HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL
CRITICIZED BY SENIOR ADVOCATES
**********************************************************
September 18, 2009 - On Wednesday, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT),
Chairman of the Finance Committee, brought out the committee's
version of national health care reform - an $856 billion,
10-year measure that starts a bumpy journey through the Senate
without any Republican support. "The proposal's strong points
are vastly outweighed by its shortcomings," declared Edward F.
Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired
Americans. "For starters, there is no public plan." Many
senior advocates agree that the Finance Committee bill's
reliance on "health care co-ops" as an alternative to a public
option fails to put pressure on private insurers to control
health care costs, since there is no history or logic behind
the claim that health care co-ops would provide real
competition for giant private insurers. Along with dropping
the public health insurance option - which is part of the
House bill (H.R. 3200) and the Senate Health, Education Labor
and Pension (HELP) committee bill - the Baucus bill also taxes
some health plans and individuals who fail to buy private
insurance, while providing no penalties to employers who do
not provide coverage. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) attacked
Sen. Baucus' bill, questioning the chairman's decision to
conduct months of bipartisan talks that failed to win a single
Republican backer, while shutting out Democrats on the
committee. On the positive side for seniors, in order to have
their drugs covered under Medicare, manufacturers must provide
a 50% discount off the negotiated price for brand-name drugs
covered on plan
formularies beginning in 2010 when beneficiaries enter the
"doughnut hole" coverage gap. Also beginning in 2010, the bill
would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for recommended preventive
services for Medicare beneficiaries.
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10-15-09 |
The GOP's about-face on Medicare
Los Angeles Times
August 30, 2009
... mission of defending Medicare, the federal health insurance program for senior
citizens, against anyone who wants to limit its
rapidly growing spending. ...
In a despicable attempt to
scare the elderly, the Republican National
Committee is out Monday with its plan to "protect"
seniors from health care reform.
Many
of the pundits attacking government health
insurance rely on government health insurance for
their own families... All these people rely on—or
have relied on—the government to pick up the tab
for their health care and for their health
insurance. And that hasn't caused euthanasia or
the abolition of private property. Funny how you
don't hear any complaints from worthies about
taxpayer-funded health insurance when it's
covering them, their staffs, and their loved ones.
For many of these people, especially the older
ones, there literally is no affordable alternative.
Don't be fooled by scare tactics on Medicare!
The Free Lance-Star
For people in Medicare, health care reform will close the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole"; protect our choice of doctor; keep our premiums fair; ...
Health-Care Reform: The AARP Perspective
Washington Post
David Certner, legislative policy director at AARP, was online Wednesday, Aug. 19, at Noon ET to discuss health-care, the lobbying group's support of President Obama's agenda ..
To ignore health care reform is not good economic sense
Sumter Item
We ended up with the Medicare Part D bill for prescription drugs. It was flawed and the price tag was all but ignored. Nonetheless, people over 65 now have ...
Health Care Reform: How It Will Affect You
CBS NEWS
The House bill would
gradually eliminate the provision in the Medicare Part D
prescription drug law that leaves a gaping hole in coverage
for seniors who spend more than $2,700 a year on drugs
(coverage doesn't kick back in until they've spent $4,350).
The donut hole helps keep a lid on the program's overall
costs, but for the roughly 25 percent of seniors who end up
there, the financial consequences can be steep. Under the
House bill, drug companies would also have to provide a 50
percent discount on brand-name prescriptions filled within the
coverage gap.
10 Health Care Reform Myths
CBS News
"I have been told there is a clause in (the health care bill)
that everyone that's Medicare age will be visited and told to
decide how they wish to die," ...
Affordable
places to retire
Senior citizens age 65 or over can ride Port Authority buses
and trains free at all times if they have a Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania senior citizen identification card or a Medicare
card. Also, look into the low-cost activities at the two major
colleges
LONDON -- The rancorous US health-care debate has hopped
the Atlantic, with British politicians and citizens racing
to defend the honor of the country's National Health
Service against perceived attacks from
...
The caricature of
'socialized medicine' is used by corporate
interests to confuse Americans and maintain
their bottom lines instead of patients' health.
MiamiHerald.com -
Steven Thomma
It also helps explain the fact that
Americans see
health care differently based on their
incomes, while Canadians see it roughly
the same regardless of what
...
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10-01-09 |
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SCAM ARTISTS ARE HARD AT WORK
************************************************************
Seniors, be very careful with your computers.
Scam artists send a constant flow of bogus and dangerous
requests. Just today, I have received 5 overseas emails
offering me millions if I will just contact them about
something. It might be a business offer, a lottery, a long
lost relative who has left me a fortune, or some other
enticing offer. I have also received, almost on a daily basis,
notices that the IRS has a sum of money to refund to me. Don't
fall for any of it. Their ultimate goal is to take your money,
and give you nothing but an empty bank account. They use
actual company, or bank, or IRS logos that look totally real.
Never give out account numbers, Social Security numbers, or
anything else to an unsolicited request.
The same goes for mail or phone
solicitations. Give them nothing. Call their parent
organization to see if a request is real. You have not won a
prize or money. There is no inheritance. Ebay does not have a
demand for cash or clarification of an order. You do not need
to deal with
bank fraud online, or on the phone---unless
you have called your bank. Be safe.
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09-20-09 |
Uninformed
comment of the month:
Heard at a recent
town-hall:
"DON'T LET
GOVERNMENT TAKE OVER MEDICARE !!!!!"
Sorry, it has already
happened---in 1965. Medicare was
created by,
regulated by,
and
run by
our
government. It is a
single payer public system that has enhanced and saved the
lives of millions of SENIORS for 44 years. Both Social
Security and Medicare were widely opposed by some,
because "It would turn our country into
socialists." I see.
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09-19-09 |
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Which Presidents said these things?
(1) "Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a
theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who
are cold and are not clothed."
Which U.S. President said this? You might be
surprised. Click for answer
(2) "Let me tell you what else I'm worried about: I'm
worried about an opponent who uses nation building and
the military in the same sentence."
Which U.S. President said this? You might be
shocked. Click for answer
(3) "To announce that there must be no criticism of the
president, or that we are to stand by the president,
right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but
is morally treasonable to the American public."
Which U.S. President said this? You might be
shocked. Click for answer
(4) "
It took
a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are
today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest
the work of making sure that the world we leave our
children is just a little bit better than the one we
inhabit today."
Which U.S. President said this? Are you sure?.
Click for answer |
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9-14-09 |
 |
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9-11-09 |
I
AM STARTLED AT WHAT SOME SENIORS ARE SAYING ABOUT
UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
**********************************************************
By Robert Fassbach, editor,
www.SeniorArk.com
Come on now senior friends, we are
smarter than this. The CRAP that is coming to my email box is
outrageous, dangerous, and downright false. It is everywhere
on TV and talk radio. Where are all of these "rumors" about
proposed healthcare plans coming from? Two basic sources, we
think; 1) the insurance companies who feel their profits, on
the backs of seniors, may be threatened, and 2) the extreme
right wing who seeks to destroy the first black, and
Democratic, president. And so, now he is a Nazi, trying to
make us like Russia, wanting to kill seniors, grabbing power
for himself, requiring abortions, promoting euthanasia...
Read
Complete Article
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9-11-09 |
2009 REPORT FOR TOP HOSPITALS IN AMERICA
********************************************************** Institutions are ranked in 16 specialties, from cancer and
heart disease to respiratory disorders and urology. A total of
4,861 hospitals were considered; 174, or less than 0.4 percent
of the total, were ranked in even one of the 16 specialties.
Of the 174 hospitals that are ranked in one or more
specialties, 21 qualified for the Honor Roll by earning high
scores in at least six specialties. This demonstrates unusual
breadth of excellence. Johns Hopkins Hospital tops the list,
as it has every year from 1991 on. (The Mayo Clinic was No. 1
in 1990, Best Hospitals' first year.) Hospitals are listed by
total points. A hospital got 2 points if ranked at or close to
the top in a specialty and 1 point if ranked slightly lower.
See list of top 21, and more statistics
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9-11-09 |
Seniors
and
Summer
Heat
***********************************************************
Seniors are especially at risk in high heat situations.
Large stretches of
the
USA are experiencing extreme temperatures at the moment. Care-
givers need to check on the elderly. If you live in another
city, call the police department, or someone you know, to
check on your loved one.
Does an elderly person live in your
neighborhood? Go knock on the door and ask how things are
going. Do NOT accept
the first answer. We all want to say, "OH, I'm ok,
don't worry." The person may not realize they are suffering
from heat exhaustion. Invite them into air conditioning, offer
to take them to an air conditioned mall or other building. Sit
in a hospital waiting room. Anything to get out of the heat
for a while. Ask a senior to become an overnight guest.
(read more)
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8-15-09 |
Approximately one-third of blacklegged ticks – also called
deer ticks – tested during recent years in Minnesota were
positive for disease-causing organisms, say state health
officials. Blacklegged ticks carry Lyme disease, human
anaplasmosis (HA), ...
Wall Street Journal
By KELLY GREENE If both the husband and wife receive
separate Social Security benefits on their own earnings,
and one dies, does the survivor receive half of the
benefit of the deceased partner?
MORE
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8-07-09 |
SENATE PANEL QUESTIONS INSURER'S
CREDIBILITY; CALLS FOR PUBLIC OPTION
**********************************************************
As the public health plan option, adamantly opposed by
insurers, is considered in the Senate, the Senate Commerce
Committee released a report last week exposing greedy and
dishonest acts by insurance companies. The report showed the
industry's obvious motives to profiteer at the expense of sick
people. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller IV
(D-WV) released the findings as part of a multi-pronged
assault on the credibility of private insurers and as evidence
of the need for a public plan. The Committee also heard
testimonials last week from three health care specialists,
including the former vice president of communications at big
insurer Cigna. Witnesses stated that insurers sell "junk"
policies that do not cover needed care. Moreover, insurers
have deliberately instilled confusion upon consumers by using
Ingenix, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, in order to
systematically underpay for out-of-network care, placing an
additional burden on many patients who pay higher premiums in
order to use doctors and hospitals outside their insurer's
network. As a result, consumers have paid billions of dollars
in medical bills that were supposed to be paid by insurers.
"We must create a public plan. Private insurers cannot be
allowed to continue turning their backs on the sick customers
who need them most desperately," said Barbara J. Easterling,
President of the Alliance for Retired Americans.
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8-07-09 |
WALMART LOWERS PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES BY PUTTING THEIR
CUSTOMERS AT RISK?
***********************************************************
In an email to members of the Alliance for Retired Americans,
the following was asserted:
"The cost of prescription drugs has
been a recurrent theme in health care reform, and Walmart has
promoted their $4 generic drugs in an attempt to address the
issue. However, the group "Wake Up Walmart" has released a
report saying that Walmart's medication comes from Ranbaxy - a
disrespected Indian drug maker - and that Walmart actually
profits off these foreign investments. The FDA and the
Department of Justice have repeatedly investigated Ranbaxy for
insufficient contamination policies and for issuing false
records, and eventually banned the importation of drugs
manufactured at two Ranbaxy facilities. According to the
Department of Justice, Walmart's supplier is responsible
for introducing potentially "subpotent, superpotent, or
adulterated" drugs into the market. Medications used by
millions of Walmart shoppers could have contained active
ingredients from unapproved sources, in unapproved blends, and
in amounts weaker than FDA-approved doses. Despite these
investigations, Walmart has given Ranbaxy the "Outstanding
Supplier Award." Stated Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of
the Alliance, "Walmart has been putting consumers at great
risk. 'Safe' and 'affordable' are not mutually exclusive."
|
|
7-17-09 |
"NEW HELP WITH THE DOUGHNUT HOLE?
***********************************************************
Monday, June 22, 2009
At noon today, President Obama will announce an $80
billion agreement with drug companies to reduce the cost of
prescriptions purchased by Seniors in the doughnut hole.
Details of the arrangement are not yet fully available, and
will be elaborated in this space as they are made clearer.
Update: June 26, 2009 - SeniorArk has chosen not to
elaborate any details on this proposal, at this time. Drug
companies have set some conditions for their participation,
which may or may not be met. When the proposal appears more
certain, watch SeniorArk for the details.
|
|
7-17-09 |
DON'T FALL FOR TELEPHONE "JURY-DUTY"
SCAM
**********************************************************
The phone rings, you pick it
up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the
court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a
warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a
notice. To clear it up, the caller says he'll need some
information for "verification purposes"-your birth date,
social security number, maybe even a credit card number.
This is when you should hang up
the phone. It's a scam.
(Read more at FBI site) Thanks to Maureen at
"theview2" Pennsylvania
|
|
7-17-09 |
SAINATO CO-SPONSORS BILL TO EXPAND PENNSYLVANIA PACENET
**********************************************************
Chris Sainato (D)-New Castle, recently co-sponsored a bill (HB
1676) introduced by Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Todd
Eachus (D-Luzerne). The bill would allow PACE/PACENET to
include many additional seniors into a program that helps them
get valuable discounts on vital medication. The expanded
program would increase the PACENET income eligibility limit
for an individual from $23,500 a year to $30,000 a year. The
income guidelines for a couple would increase from $31,000 a
year to $40,000 a year.
The PACENET program is just
one of several
Senior-friendly benefits offered by Pennsylvania. Under
the program, Seniors may purchase generic drugs for a very
small co-pay, and brand names for a slightly higher fee - -
even through the dreaded
"Doughnut Hole".
|
|
6-26-09 |
2009 "STIMULUS"
HAS
COMPLETED
PAYING SENIORS $250
***********************************************************
If you did not
receive your stimulus check by June 4, 2009, call the Social
Security Administration at:
1-800-772-1213
Senior citizens receiving Social
Security would get a bonus payment of $250 under the final
version of President Barack Obama’s economic recovery plan.
The $250 bonus for seniors and disabled people receiving
Supplemental Security Income payments would cost $15 billion.
Veterans who get disability and pension payments would also
get the $250 under the proposal. The Social Security bonus is
a one-time payment. Other provisions in the stimulus measure
generally extend for two years.
Mailing of Seniors' checks began the first week of May, and
continued until June 4. The SeniorArk editor
received his check on May 29, but his wife received hers on May 7. We
don't know how the exact timing is being determined. Chances
are that you should have received your check by now.
The
bonus for seniors is but one chapter in the Senate proposal.
There’s also a temporary two-year $400 tax cut for most
workers and $800 for couples, tax credits to help pay for
college, tax cuts for businesses and to promote renewable
energy, and over $100 billion worth of help to states
struggling with their 2009-2010 budgets for the Medicaid
health care program for the poor and disabled.
Originally,
the bill proposed a one time payment of $300 for senior
citizens and disabled persons receiving S.S.I., as well as
veterans who receive disability and pension payments. This
was reduced to $250 in final deliberations between the House
and Senate. Primarily it reflects cuts demanded by the three
Republican senators who voted for the bill, including Arlen
Specter of Pennsylvania. The $400/$800 tax
cut for workers was similarly cut from the proposed
$500/$1,000, forced by the same 3 Senators.
The
final passage of the bill was on Friday, February 13, 2009.
It was signed by President Obama on Monday, February 17,
2009.
|
|
6-26-09 |
IF YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
***********************************************************
How many
times have you called a companies service phone line and
found that the rep. can barely speak English? Once with a
major mortgage company it was so bad I demanded to speak with
someone who spoke English. Right at that moment I broke the
code, the secret password for customer service.
Come to find out that every
American company
using overseas operators must transfer you to an American rep.
by saying.......
"I want to speak to a representative in America ". (Don't
take no for an answer on this)
This was confirmed by the
American rep. that they must transfer you after that request.
I've tried it on a half a dozen major companies
including cable, bank, phone and mortgage companies. It works
every time and I actually get my issues taken care of.
|
|
6-26-09 |
STUDY: DAYTIME SLEEPINESS IN SENIORS
IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF AGING
***********************************************************
A new study suggests that seniors over 65
cope better with sleep loss than adults under the age of
thirty. During the study, in which participants were kept
awake for 26 consecutive hours, seniors were less impaired by
sleep deprivation and had fewer unintentional sleep episodes.
The study, published by the American Geriatrics Society,
suggests that seniors who unintentionally fall asleep during
the day or early evening should consult their doctor. The
sleepiness may be caused by undiagnosed sleep disorders,
chronic medical conditions, or as a side effect of a
medication. (source: Alliance for Retired Americans) |
|
6-26-09 |
KAISER STUDY: PART D HAS BECOME MORE
EXPENSIVE AND LESS ACCESSIBLE
***********************************************************
Medicare's Part D prescription drug benefit has always been
wrought with loopholes, and according to a new Kaiser Family
Foundation study, this coverage has eroded over time, with
premiums and cost-sharing requirements increasing. Beginning
in 2006, Medicare has provided patients with private plan
options to receive their prescription drugs. However, since
that time, there has been an overwhelming increase in
spending. The average premium, as well as the average cost
sharing for a one-month supply of brand-name drugs, has
increased by 35%. The doughnut hole remains, and there are
fewer plans available to low-income beneficiaries who are
eligible for additional subsidies. We are seeing the
inevitable results of insurance companies having too big a
role. This system MUST BE REFORMED, and is a harbinger of what
universal healthcare might look like if Congress and the
President allow the insurance industry to control it - - as
they have controlled Part D.
|
|
6-10-09 |
**********************************************************
Web sites promising to show you how
to get your share of the $787 billion economic stimulus
package are bogus, consumer advocates warn.
Full story
Also see the article below on Seniors and the 2009 Stimulus.
|
|
5-24-09 |
OLDER ADULTS CAN PREVENT FRACTURES BY
TAKING VITAMIN "D"
**********************************************************
A new study reported that older adults can
prevent fractures by taking oral vitamin D supplements at a
dose of at least 400 international units per day, says a new
study. Researchers at the University
of Colorado,
Denver, and Harvard
University in Cambridge,
Massachusetts,
stated that Americans face “a growing epidemic of
vitamin D insufficiency,” according to their study,
published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Read more at:
Older adults
could can prevent fractures by taking oral vitamin D ...
|
|
5-23-09 |
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, AND
DRUG PLANS, FACE INCREASED SCRUTINY
**********************************************************
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) announced on March 30, 2009 that it will be taking new
steps to increase oversight of Medicare health and drug plans
to make sure beneficiaries understand the differences between
Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in 2010. Such measures will
include reviewing MA plan benefits to ensure sicker
beneficiaries are not paying discriminatory out-of-pocket
charges for services like Part B drugs, home health, and
skilled nursing services, as well as making sure different MA
plans offered by the same insurance company vary enough that
beneficiaries have the tools they need to choose prescription
drug plans will have to both explain on their own web sites
how their coverage lowers costs and provide information about
"doughnut hole" coverage on the CMS Medicare
Prescription Drug Plan Finder web site at
www.medicare.gov.
"Making this information more transparent will help
seniors make smarter, more confident decisions about their
health care," said Barbara Easterling, President of the Alliance
for Retired Americans.
Under lobbying pressure from insurance and
drug companies, the Bush administration had refused to
include such full disclosures in their program. The Bush
program also made it illegal for Medicare to negotiate with
drug companies for lower prices. Truly NOT government for the
people, but rather government for big lobbyists and big
corporate profits.
|
|
5-21-09 |
Minneapolis Star Tribune - May
8, 2009
A prominent Minneapolis cardiac center has sent a letter
to doctors throughout the state warning that patients who
have been treated with a cardiac stent and who take a
blood thinner called Plavix should "be careful" when also
taking popular heartburn medicines.
MORE
|
|
5-6-09 |
BEWARE DELL COMPUTER ADS
***********************************************************
eniorArk.com
needs a new computer for our day-to-day publishing. As you
know, we have been a not-for-profit, Senior Citizen service
site. So, when we buy, we shop----very carefully. After a week
of watching sales and offers, we decided that one offered in a
Dell ad would do the job, and it was offered with free
shipping. So we went to their web site to find our computer.
It was well hidden, and we never did find it. We did find much
more expensive versions, but not this one. So, we called them
to order it. Things went smoothly in the order, and we did
order a slight upgrade in RAM memory. All was set, we thought.
The representative began to review our order, and said, "And
we will be adding $39.99 for shipping." "No way," I said.
"Your ad reads---in a red box--- at the top of the page, "FREE
SHIPPING on all electronics and accessories over $129 before
taxes and fees." Our purchase was $475.00, so we were clearly
over the $129 threshold. "I'm sorry sir, but Dell does not
consider computers to be electronics." Never mind that the
offer was posted on a page offering ONLY computers. Never mind
that the first three pages of a four page ad contained only
computers. Dell does not consider computers to be electronics.
They must be alone in the world in thinking that computers are
not electronics.
I cancelled my order. We do not need to
put up with such bait-and-switch advertising. How many of us
would say, "Oh---OK, add the $39.99" when told that there is a
shipping charge because Dell does not consider computers to be
electronics. They are counting on us to do that. But if we say
no enough times, companies like this will provide more honest
advertising. Until then---say NO, NO, NO.
|
|
5-6-09 |
ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED
AMERICANS - - MISGUIDED
***********************************************************
Every Friday I get what is called the "ARA Friday Alert"
from the Alliance for Retired Americans. Their lead article
today is quoted fully in blue immediately below this
paragraph.
"The Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services recently established stricter rules for
private insurance companies, effectively cutting subsidies to
Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by up to 5%. Currently, the
government overpays MA plans an average 14% more per
beneficiary than for traditional fee-for-service Medicare.
However, according to The Wall Street Journal, under the new
regulations, MA plans cannot charge low-income and sick
patients more than traditional Medicare, must explain what is
covered in the Part D "doughnut hole" coverage gap, and will
face extra scrutiny if patients' annual out-of-pocket costs
are not capped at $3,400 or less. The changes are designed to
allow consumers to more easily compare options and costs.
Medicare officials said they would try to eliminate plans with
fewer than ten enrollees that are similar to other plans and
make it hard for seniors to compare. Also changing: charges
for hospitalizations, outpatient services and other services
often associated with chronic illnesses - services for which
MA plans have been particularly likely to charge patients more
than traditional Medicare would. However, many industry
experts say beneficiaries enrolled in MA plans will likely
face increased premiums or fewer benefits next year. "The
Alliance welcomes the changes," said Edward Coyle, Executive
Director of the Alliance. "Insurance companies will no longer
be able to use their government subsidies to unfairly treat
sick and disadvantaged seniors."
SeniorArk has agreed with many of the
Alliance's positions taken on behalf of retired workers. But
they have gone far astray on this one. Millions of Americans
will pay increased premiums for private Medicare Advantage
plans as a result of this move. Premiums may increase by $30
to $60 per month per participant. And the Medicare Advantage
plans that now offer coverage through the donut hole, may well
be tempted to drop it. And, if one leaves the Medicare
Advantage program and returns to "traditional Medicare",
similar coverage will require very expensive medi-gap policies,
again hitting seniors between the eyes. The Alliance for
Retired Americans, and my liberal friends---and I do mean
friends--- in Congress, didn't
think this one through, and they have failed us.
|
|
5-6-09 |
JOB
HUNT TIPS FOR OLDER WORKERS
**********************************************************
With the economic
downturn, retirees are increasingly finding themselves in
financial trouble and needing to re-enter the workforce. The
percentage of workers ages 65 and older in the labor force
climbed to 17.3 percent in 2008 from 12 percent a decade ago,
according to The San Francisco Chronicle. Retirees can begin
receiving Social Security benefits at age 62, but see
benefits rise by 8 percent each year retirement is delayed up
until age 70. Several federal bills introduced in February
are designed to make it easier for older Americans to either
re-enter or remain in the workforce and provide tax
incentives for companies that hire older workers. When
searching for employment, older job seekers are urged to
dismiss age-discrimination thoughts and instead focus on
connecting with their interviewers. Other tips include:
emphasizing capabilities rather than the duration of
experience; acquiring basic computer skills and showing
technology savvy; avoiding the placement of graduation dates
on one's resume; practicing for interviews by preparing for
questions such as, "Do you believe you are overqualified
for this job?"; seeking out age-friendly employers; and
using networking tools such as the web site
www.LinkedIn.com.
|
|
5-5-09 |
HOW ABOUT A LITTLE SPRING PROJECT?
**********************************************************
Quickly
build a habitat for your feathered neighbors. The 2 SeniorArk
Maxwell birdhouses do not yet have any residents, but
we are hopeful. We used two empty 34 ounce plastic Maxwell
house coffee containers. The spray paint is from discount
store "Ollies", $.99. Everything else was cobbled
together from the basement containers---you know, the ones
with screws, wire and such. We sprayed the container with two
coats of flat exterior deep gray/green paint. The entry hole
is 1 1/4". We also drilled 1/4 inch holes at the bottom
to drain any water that enters, and 1/4" holes high on
the back for ventilation. We placed some broken twigs on the
bottom to flatten it out. If you get a family in yours, please
let us know, and we will do the same.
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE
TURN
THIS:
INTO THIS:
See more
|
|
4-19-09 |
SeniorArk Editorial – Robert Fassbach
***********************************************************
I am bursting with pride for our new
President, Barack Obama.
For most of my 66 years I have watched the
political scene. My first presidential campaign memory was
1952. Over the years, good candidates have won and lost. They
came with high hopes and delivered, and some have not. Some
presidents entered office in quiet, good times, others in the
midst of war, recession, or inflation. But in my memory, no
chief executive has been served the buffet of challenges
faced by Mr. Obama. And few have appeared so anxious to
tackle them. This man has rolled up his sleeves, and in a
mere 78 days has plunged into deep and troubled water. We are
at war on two fronts, and nearly three if you count
drug-lords on our Mexican border. Emerging nations are
challenging us with rockets and nuclear programs. We are in
the midst of the deepest financial crisis since the great
depression of the 1930's. Stock markets and retirement funds
have lost 50% of their value. Banks are failing, and I mean
the big ones. The housing market is in crisis, and prices
have dropped 19% from January 2008 to January 2009 alone.
Businesses are closing because they can no longer get credit
for their day-to-day operations, while demands for their
products have plummeted. Unemployment is over 8% nationally,
and by momentum may be heading for 10%. An America that was
trusted and relied upon by the world for over 200 years is
now viewed with suspicion.
Enter Barack Obama, a young black man from
Illinois.
Not a man of privilege or wealth. Not one who came from
power, but with powerful hope, and powerful ideas. There is
no doubt that an electrical charge of excitement has shot
through America,
and the world. Will this man be a pivotal character in
American and world history? Will he deliver? We shall
see. But I have a hunch that we have elected the right man
for the right time. He reaches out to disparate factions in
our country, and around the world, something we have not seen
for some time. And it is time. The world is responding,
resoundingly.
The photo included in this article was
taken on April 1, 2009 at the meeting of the G-20 in London.
It is of Obama reaching out to shake the hand of a world
leader. So symbolic. I was taken by the photo, and it
inspired my article.
I am so proud of Barack Obama, and wish
him great success in what appears to be an almost impossible
task. Our well-being as Seniors will depend upon it.
|
|
4-1-09 |
LISTEN
UP! --TIME FOR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN DECISIONS - JAN 1 THRU
MAR 31 ***********************************************************
Just when
you thought you had settled your prescription drug plan, it
is time to Review Medicare Advantage Plans
(Medicare Advantage, also known as Part C,
Combines A, B, MediGap, and perhaps D)
Medicare
Advantage plans with the largest enrollments will raise their
premiums by 31% on average in 2009 -- some by more than 60%.
And generally the benefits are being drastically cut. You
MUST read the information your existing plan sends to you,
and should compare their 2009 benefits with other providers.
Click to:
Learn
about MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, or
Simple
Explanation of Parts A, B, C, and D.
Note: Even if you just signed up for a
"stand-alone" Part "D" Plan, you should
take a serious look at a Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO. You
may discover better coverage, lower deductibles, and lower
co-pays through a Medicare Advantage Plan, compared with a
Part "D" Plan added to traditional Medicare.
Learn
about MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
|
|
3-22-09 |
HOUSE
PASSES THREE BILLS TO HELP SENIORS
**********************************************************
Two bills designed to aid senior citizens were passed by voice vote
in the House on Tuesday, February 10, 2009. The first measure, H.R.
632, would create a national "Silver Alert" for missing seniors,
similar to the "Amber Alert" network used to find missing children.
Introduced by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), the bill would authorize
grants to states and public or nonprofit groups to develop the
program and maintain a national list of missing adults. The second,
H.R. 908, was introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) to reauthorize
funding for the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program. A
third bill addressing the needs of seniors passed on Wednesday by a
vote of 397-25 (Roll Call No. 62). H.R. 448, introduced by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), would create positions in local prosecutors' and
courts' offices to handle cases involving elder abuse or neglect and
establish a new national organization to aid those offices. The bill
calls for the Justice Department and the Department of Health and
Human Services to issue a report to Congress after studying state
laws regarding the exploitation of seniors, and would allow state
and local law enforcement to receive training and other support.
|
|
3-23-09 |
DID
YOU MISS GETTING AN IRS STIMULUS CHECK IN 2008 ???
***********************************************************
We were told that if our tax return for the tax year 2007 had not been filed by October 15, 2008, it was unlikely that we would be able to receive the stimulus check. After October 15, however, the following statement has appeared on the IRS site:
"If you missed the
Oct. 15 deadline for filing an income tax return for a economic
stimulus payment, don't worry. You can receive a payment in 2009 by
filing an income tax return when the filing season opens in January.
The IRS will have more information shortly."
Check
the latest IRS information here.
SeniorArk will monitor this situation,
and publish any additional information from the IRS on this subject.
Watch for it in this section, "DID YOU MISS THIS IMPORTANT NEWS." If
you did not file, please do this, since it is like found money, and
will for most retired Seniors be at least $300.
|
|
2-17-09 |
BILL TO LET MEDICARE NEGOTIATE LOWER
DRUG PRICES INTRODUCED IN HOUSE
***********************************************************
January 31, 2009 On Monday January 26, Rep. Marion
Berry (D-AR) introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and
Choice Act of 2009 (H.R. 684), a bill to create Medicare-run
prescription drug plans to compete with the private plans offered by
Medicare Part D. The bill would also require the Secretary of Health
and Human Services to directly negotiate the price of Part D drugs
with pharmaceutical companies. In a conference call discussing the
bill on Tuesday, Berry and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) noted the
proposed plans are modeled on similar ones offered by the VA, which
has negotiated drug prices 20% to 30% lower than Medicare Part D
coverage. If half of current Part D beneficiaries switched to the
government-run plan, savings could add up to as much as $20 billion
a year for the next 10 years. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is introducing
similar legislation, S.330, in the Senate. Prescription drugs are
increasingly difficult for seniors to afford. We need a prescription
drug plan that benefits seniors, not insurance and pharmaceutical
companies. |
|
2-17-09 |
ARE YOU CHECKING ON YOUR SENIOR, AND OTHER, NEIGHBORS?
November 14, 2009
--
AND LET SENIORARK KNOW IF YOUR
LIFE IS AT RISK BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO HEAT.
***********************************************************
Man, 93, Freezes to Death in Home
BAY
CITY, Mich. - A 93-year-old man froze to death 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.
"Hypothermia shuts the whole system
down, slowly," Virani said. "It's not easy to die from hypothermia
without first realizing your fingers and toes feel like they're
burning."
A city utility worker had installed a
"limiter" device to restrict the use of electricity at Schur's home
on Jan. 13, said Bay City Manager Robert Belleman. The device limits
power reaching a home and blows out like a fuse if consumption rises
past a set level. Power is not restored until the device is reset.
There was no word Monday whether the
device had blown out or confirmation of the amount Schur owed to Bay
City Electric Light & Power; city officials did not respond to a
call seeking comment.
Belleman said he didn't know if anyone
made personal contact with Schur to explain how the device works.
The body was discovered by neighbor
George Pauwels Jr., who said Schur had almost $1,100 in unpaid
electric bills. Pauwels told the newspaper he saw cash clipped to
those bills on the kitchen table on the day he found Schur's body.
"His furnace was not running, the
insides of his windows were full of ice the morning we found him,"
Pauwels told the Bay City News.
Belleman
said city workers keep the limiter on houses for 10 days, then shut
off power entirely if the homeowner hasn't paid utility bills or
arranged to do so.
Also see:
Cold Snaps Put Seniors and Others at Risk
|
|
2-4-09 |
BILL TO LET MEDICARE NEGOTIATE LOWER
DRUG PRICES INTRODUCED IN HOUSE
***********************************************************
January 31, 2009 On Monday January 26, Rep. Marion
Berry (D-AR) introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and
Choice Act of 2009 (H.R. 684), a bill to create Medicare-run
prescription drug plans to compete with the private plans offered by
Medicare Part D. The bill would also require the Secretary of Health
and Human Services to directly negotiate the price of Part D drugs
with pharmaceutical companies. In a conference call discussing the
bill on Tuesday, Berry and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) noted the
proposed plans are modeled on similar ones offered by the VA, which
has negotiated drug prices 20% to 30% lower than Medicare Part D
coverage. If half of current Part D beneficiaries switched to the
government-run plan, savings could add up to as much as $20 billion a
year for the next 10 years. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is introducing
similar legislation, S.330, in the Senate. Prescription drugs are
increasingly difficult for seniors to afford. We need a prescription
drug plan that benefits seniors, not insurance and pharmaceutical
companies. |
|
2-4-09 |
TRANSITION
TO DIGITAL TELEVISION IN LIMBO
***********************************************************
Just a few weeks before the scheduled February 17 switch
to digital television, some members of Congress are
drafting legislation to provide more funding for the
converter box coupon program and delay the transition by
up to three months. In five weeks, broadcast television
stations will shift from analog signals to digital
programming. While consumers with digital TV sets or
cable or satellite subscriptions will not need to make
any changes, those with older analog TV sets will need a
converter box to receive the new signals. However, the
$1.34 billion federal program to offset the cost of the
converter boxes with $40 coupons has reached its funding
limit. The agency distributing the vouchers cannot hand
out new ones until the already-issued coupons expire,
and officials are worried that people on the waiting
list may not receive them in time for the transition.
The Commerce Department estimates 2 million consumers
are currently waiting for vouchers, but that the list
could grow to as many as 5 million people. Several
members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have
argued that any delay will worsen consumer confusion. |
|
2-4-09 |
WALL STREET CHAOS SHOWS DANGERS OF SOCIAL SECURITY
PRIVATIZATION
***********************************************************
The past three months'
historic turmoil on Wall Street - - massive drops in the
stock market, the collapse of the giant Lehman Brothers
and Wachovia
firms, the acquisition of Merrill Lynch by Bank of
America, the government bailout of giant AIG Insurance,
and now the throwing of a massive amount of your cash to
keep the rest of the system from imploding - -
serve as compelling reminders of the dangers of
privatizing Social Security. As advocated by President
Bush and Senator John McCain, Social Security
privatization would reduce the Social Security Trust Fund, and
allow workers to create private
accounts tied to the roulette wheel of the stock market.
"When you look at what is happening on Wall Street, is
this really where you want to put your Social Security
savings? Workers who retired in 2002 would have
lost 22% of their retirement savings under privatization
plans being considered.
According to the
Associated Press, the Wall Street turmoil has left John
McCain scrambling to explain why the fundamentals of the
U.S. economy remained, in his opinion, strong. It has also
left him "defending his support for privately
investing Social Security money in the same markets that
had tanked earlier in the month." The Republican
presidential nominee says all options must be considered
to stave off insolvency for Social Security, and top
McCain advisers say that includes so-called personal
retirement accounts like those President Bush pushed in
2005 but abandoned in the face of Democratic opposition.
"If the economy's recent struggles have proven
anything to Americans, it is that 'personal retirement
accounts' like the ones President Bush attempted and
failed to institute in 2005 are unsafe and unreliable
for our country's seniors. But John McCain has yet to
accept this reality."
|
|
2-4-09 |
AUTO COMPANIES - - WOULD BANKRUPTCY
DESTROY PENSIONS, HEALTHCARE, WAGES?
***********************************************************
SeniorArk Editorial - LATE 2008
I was watching a cable-tv business channel this afternoon. The
reporters
were speculating, with a sense of glee, that the American big-3
automakers could declare chapter 11 bankruptcy, then emerge without
the "baggage". One asked, "What do you mean, baggage?" The answer was,
the high worker salaries, bothersome health insurance, and the massive
pension arrangements. Chilling! Workers in America are sorely exposed
when business decides that they, and their needs, are "baggage". All
the more reason to protect and expand Social Security and Medicare for
ALL retired workers. And we need universal health insurance for all
Americans. As the security and wealth of the middle class continues to
shrink, it is little wonder that fewer and fewer of us are left to buy
the products of a capitalistic society.
Auto workers did not make the decision
to promote and produce "gas-guzzling trucks" for families.
And workers did not lobby against higher mileage standards.
Management is responsible for that. And all the while, foreign auto
makers with foresight were designing ever more efficient vehicles. The
American predisposition to believe that the oil tap could never slow,
drove us to unsustainable business judgments. Now the workers will
pay. Let's also fire the executives who caused the problems. If our
government gives one more bailout dollar to the auto companies, severe
restrictions must be imposed on management, including wages and
their benefits. Golden parachutes must be outlawed.
Perhaps the American auto companies
should cease to exist. Foreign companies seem to be able
to handle the job more efficiently, and with better results. They are
building factories here at a substantial clip. Liquidate the auto
company assets, and first meet any debt owed to workers, then to
pensions. These are agreed-to costs of operation. Use what may be left
to retrain workers for other professions. If there is still money
left, give it to the creditors and shareholders. Workers and retirees
must not be asked to suffer the brunt of bad business decision after
bad business decision. It is time to stand up.
Bob Fassbach, editor, SeniorArk
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2-4-09 |

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona
Cardinals
Super Bowl XLIII
Steelers 27
-Cardinals 23
(MAY WE CELEBRATE
JUST ONE MORE DAY?)
Today's
Stories:
In Tight Spot, Steelers’ Holmes Keeps Feet Planted

New York
Times, United States - February 2, 2009
Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes
had nine catches for 131 yards, including a 6-yard
reception for the winning score against the Cardinals
on Sunday ...
What Recession? No Downsizing in
Super Bowl Ads
Washington
Post, United States - February 2, 2009
If corners were cut in the
presentation of Super Bowl XLIII, it was hard to
spot them. Maybe the commercials overall were a
little less lavish ...
..
SeniorArk is headquartered 45 miles
north of Pittsburgh. We have tried to remain impartial
all week, but today must say,
WAY TO GO STEELERS! |
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1-1-09 |
MEDICARE PART D "DOUGHNUT HOLE" REMAINS CONFUSING TO ENROLLEES
***********************************************************
LATE DEC 2008
A recent survey by Medco Health Solutions of Medicare Part D enrollees shows that most of them do not understand the "doughnut hole" coverage gap under which they must pay the full cost for their prescription drugs. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that 62% of enrollees do not fully understand the concept, and 28% do not know what it is or do not understand it at all. Two-thirds of respondents in the coverage gap are unable to identify what spending counts toward the gap. For the year 2008, once a patient's drug costs reach $2,510, they must pay full cost for their medications on their own until their out of pocket spending reaches $3,850. At that point, their coverage resumes. What many people do not understand is that the spending of both the patient and the health plan count towards the gap, causing many to fall into the hole months before they expect to. Be sure to review all of your materials during this open enrollment season for Part D, and if you are unsure, ask questions! You will find the new SeniorArk Part D Drug Plan Finder very helpful in sifting through the Part D maze. You may also want to have a look at the Medicare Part D Plan in a
chart for 2009, showing the doughnut hole, and out-of-pocket expenses you will pay.
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1-1-09 |
MARGARET AND
HELEN
***********************************************************
Margaret and Helen are two OCTOGENARIANS who have
been best friends for sixty years. They have created a
discussion type blog so like-minded folks can express
their opinion. Nearly 700,000 have. Helen says,
"My name
is Helen Philpot. I am 82 years old. My grandson taught
me how to do this so that I could “blog” with my best
friend Margaret Schmechtman who I met in college almost
60 years ago. I have three children with my husband
Harold. Margaret has three dogs with her husband
Howard. I live in Texas and Margaret lives in Maine."
Check
them out, and have a few laughs.
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12-1-09
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!
***********************************************************
November 24, 2008 - Three years ago today, we published www.SeniorArk.com on the world-wide-web for the very first time. During that time, the site has grown from no readers, to over 100,000 hits per month. Your volunteers at SeniorArk have found great joy in our daily work at the site. It has truly been a labor of love. We have heard from, and responded to hundreds of you.
We've heard your confusion over how Medicare works, how to make ends meet on a limited income, how to care for a very ill spouse, what to do about low cost housing, when to retire, why there is a donut hole, how to find hope when you have lost everything, how to get health care when traveling abroad, how to find a nice town to retire in, tax implications of almost everything,
The list of concerns, fears, and hopes we have heard from Seniors and their families seems endless, and real. We have been moved, amused, concerned, and encouraged by youR emails. Your situations often seem only exceeded by your ingenuity. You've show how your strengths have overcome impossible obstacles, and how your faith has defeated despair.
Our desire is to be blessed with at least another 3 years serving our Senior community with tips, links, encouragement, information, and humor. Please let us know when you have found something here, that has helped you. And if you have something that will have meaning for us, or other Seniors, send it to us. If you want us to investigate an issue for you, send that on as well. You have, and will continue to build this site with your sharing. We know you have the answers---let's share them with each other.
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12-1-09
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LATE AUTUMN MIRACLES - Bob Fassbach, editor, www.seniorark.com
***********************************************************
November 14, 2008 There is not a cloud in the deep blue sky today. Sixty four degrees on November 14 is a treat in Western Pennsylvania. I enjoyed mulching some leaves that have given up on the growing season, removing some dead morning glory vines from the lamp beside our front steps, and doing a little trimming. I was grateful that my arms move, my legs hold me up, and I have eyes to see a glorious day. The geraniums in our front flower box have not frozen, and are blooming bright red, better than at any time since they were planted in May. We have not seen a freeze hard enough to snuff out their beauty.
I sit between tasks more often these days. Time for more reflection than was possible during those working years. Some of my thoughts are not earth-shattering, but interesting. Most of the garden plants have retreated for the season. Reds and yellows in the leaves were hidden all summer by the overpowering green chlorophyll. Now that has receded, and the leaves burst out in regal tones. Seeds are drying where butterflies once sat, preparing for another effort in the spring. I understand the leaves, but not the seeds. They are beyond dormant, yet come to life. I have read that some seeds found after centuries have germinated. A miracle---in MY backyard! So many miracles in such a little space. Bulbs have divided, and prepare to dazzle me. Lilacs and azaleas have already initiated some kind of bud that will miraculously bloom in April. And where are the bugs? Are they underground? Did they lay eggs that open like bulbs in the spring?
All of nature has learned to survive by adapting to the seasons. We mostly change our environment with heat and shelter and thicker clothing. We can't grow thicker fur for the winter, and we haven't learned to curl up like bears in dens, waiting for our lunch to appear in the spring. No, we order pizza in, at any time of the year.
Find a reasonably hospitable day to go out quietly into your yard. Look for the miracles. Don't poke at any bears, or dig up any insects. Just look around. The miracles are everywhere.
"In the rustling grass, I hear him pass. He speaks to me everywhere."
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12-1-09
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MEDICARE PART "B" PREMIUM
WILL NOT GO UP IN 2009,
COLA
WILL GO UP.
***********************************************************
For the first time since 2000, the
standard monthly premium for Medicare will not increase next year, the
federal government announced Friday.
Premiums for Part B coverage, which
pays for physician and outpatient care, some home health services
and medical equipment, will remain $96.40 a month, the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said. Medicare insures the
nation's elderly and disabled.
The decision to hold premiums steady
results in part from increased reserves in the Medicare trust fund.
The Part B trust fund was reimbursed $9.3 billion earlier this year
after officials discovered money had been inadvertently drawn to
cover hospice benefits that should have come from the separate Part
A hospital fund.
"In the future, we're going to have to
go back to raising the premiums to match the increase in
expenditures," warned Richard Foster, chief actuary at CMS.
The standard rate applies to
individuals with income below $85,000 a year.
More details
More on
COLA.
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12-1-09
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SIGNS OF
PROGRESS SEEN LONG AFTER STROKE OCCURS
***********************************************************
New York Times
Doctors have commonly agreed that after a few
months of therapy, stroke patients have made about as much progress as
they are going to.
But
researchers have found that even years after suffering a stroke, some
patients may see significant improvement in their ability to walk if
they are given a form of physical therapy that uses a treadmill.
Read
entire article
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