TODAY'S IMPORTANT NUMBERS
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Friday July 03, 2009
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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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* 100 - times per second that
lightning strikes the earth. (Weather channel June 4, 2009)
* 43rd - U.S. life expectancy - 42
nations are higher
* 28th - U.S. ranking on infant mortality
- 27 were better. (Center for Disease Control)
* 33 cents -
Portion of each U.S. health dollar spent on administrative
costs
* $3.55 TRILLION 2010 U.S. Federal
budget. Obama's first
one. 2009 budget is George W.'s
* $50 Billion - Estimated amount the
government will invest in GM this year (you own it!)
* 6 British pubs are closing every day
(now--this is serious)
* 24,892 US jobs are being lost every
day (April 2009)
* 9,133 U.S. home
foreclosures every day in May 2009
* 2,944 consumer bankruptcies filed per day
* 32 - # of consecutive months home prices
have dropped - (as of May 2009)
* 165 - Number of days Barack Obama has
been in office. Less than 6 months.
* 50-70 Million - - # of Americans who will
face today with no health insurance
* 9.2 Million U.S. households
net worth of $1 million or more, not including primary
residence
* 174 - Shopping days left
until Christmas. (as of July 3, 2009)
SAINATO CO-SPONSORS BILL TO EXTEND PENNSYLVANIA PACENET
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Friday, July 03, 2009
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".
SENATE PANEL QUESTIONS INSURER'S
CREDIBILITY; CALLS FOR PUBLIC OPTION
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Friday, July 03, 2009
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 custumers
who need them most desperately," said Barbara J. Easterling,
President of the Alliance for Retired Americans.
Alliance.DON'T FALL FOR TELEPHONE "JURY-DUTY"
SCAM
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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
2009 RECOVERY ACT: HUGE TAX CREDITS FOR BUYING ENERGY
EFFICIENT PRODUCTS
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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
Seniors
and
Summer
Heat
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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)
WALMART LOWERS PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES BY PUTTING THEIR
CUSTOMERS AT RISK?
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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."
"NEW HELP WITH THE DOUGHNUT HOLE?
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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.
WHY THERE MUST BE
A GOVERNMENT OPTION WITH UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE
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By: Robert Fassbach, editor,
www.SeniorArk.com
June 17, 2009 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.
We are hearing the tired old
question being asked again: "Who do you want to make decisions
on your health; your doctor or the government?" The question
is a lie. The true question is this: "Who do you prefer to
make decisions on your health; a for-profit company, or a
government system?" If you have health insurance today, your
doctor makes the decisions only allowed by your insurer. Your
insurer is a for-profit company with shareholders. The mandate
of executives in for-profit companies is to sell as much of
their product as possible, while spending as little as
possible. The result is higher profits for the shareholders.
If corners can be cut, or service denied--without otherwise
harming the company's image--they will do it. If a policy can
be sold that confuses the consumer, and saves money for the
company, they will do it. If you become "unprofitable" for
them, they will try to withhold treatment, or drop you
completely. So a constant tension exists between doctors and
insurers, and between patients and insurers.
A government option can temper
the abuses of for-profit insurers. If insurers know that their
customers have the freedom to choose a government
Medicare-type program to administer their healthcare, it can
make them a lot more responsive to the real needs of patients.
If the government plan is the real anti-treatment boogieman,
as insurers would have you believe, then consumers would have
the option to leave the government plan and return to a
for-profit insurer. The the truth will be told, as to which
entity you want to make decisions on your health.
Insurers, doctors, and
Republicans vehemently opposed the establishment of Medicare
the the 1960's. It passed anyway. The result has been a
quality, reliable, consistent program of healthcare for
Seniors in America. The terror of facing old age without
coverage ended. Life quality for Seniors has improved. Burdens
on their children have been reduced.
It is time for doctors in
our country to look again at their mission "First, do no
harm", and find a way to insure EVERY American. Otherwise they
turn their backs of 40-70,00,000 of our people, allowing them
to suffer great harm without coverage.
It is time for Republicans
to move past the "Our people already have insurance",
and "It's our people who sell the insurance", attitude,
and start representing ALL of the people.
It's time for insurers to
drop the fear tactics, making the government the monster who
is about to strike. Surely you can provide a service at a
reasonable price that can compete with that awful government--you
know with all of its inefficiencies, restrictions, and
bureaucracy.
It's time for Democrats to
get a spine, and stop trembling at the lobbyists who hover
outside their offices. Where are the real statesmen who are
willing to lose the next election for the benefit of their
people? We supporters are watching you.
UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE----CUT THROUGH THE
HYPE
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"...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
article)
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
Do you know there are now
NINE news sections on
www.seniorark.com?
Volunteers scour the web EVERY DAY to find the most
important articles for Seniors
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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
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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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