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"This SeniorArk.com Home Page  is one of the most valuable pages a Senior can read each day."

is a free, volunteer site, BY SENIORS, FOR  SENIORS.  But you may find that our Senior survival tips have considerable value for children of all ages. We are not a dead, static senior citizen site, but are updated EVERY DAY, including most holidays. SeniorARK was begun in November 2005. By September, 2010 we are only completing the foundation, but we already receive over 100,000 visits per month from inquiring, and sharing, Seniors. (165,581 in a recent month) You have created hundreds of pages, chock full of over 4,999 links, tips, and other resources to help our generation cope with the inevitable challenges that come in retirement.

We believe that surviving in retirement does not rely on one "silver bullet", but instead is the result of doing many things a little better. As we share our tips and information with each other, we can build a sturdy SeniorARK for everyone. By its nature, SeniorARK will always be under construction.  Please be one of the Senior builders of SeniorARK by your sharing. Remember:

AMATEURS  built the ARK--- PROFESSIONALS  built the TITANIC.

WE KNOW YOU HAVE THE ANSWERS. LET'S SHARE THEM WITH EACH OTHER!

YOU ARE THE PULSE OF SENIORARK. PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, TIPS, RECIPES, HOBBIES, HUMOR, AND LINKS TO: seniorark@aol.com    

 
 

 

WHEN CAN YOU COMPARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AND PART D  PLANS FOR 2011?

August 26, 2010 - General information about premiums and benefits for each Part D and Medicare Advantage (MA) plan will be announced in September on www.cms.gov, as well as the list of plans that will be available next year. More detailed information to help beneficiaries review their plan options will be posted at www.medicare.gov in October.

Based on the bids submitted by Part D plans for the 2011 plan year, CMS estimates that the average monthly premium that beneficiaries will pay for standard Part D coverage will be $30 -- a $1 increase from the current year (2010) average premium of $29.

Medicare payments to Medicare Advantage insurance companies will neither be decreased, nor will they be increased for 2011. Even so, the cost of healthcare has been increasing. Private Medicare Advantage insurers can address that situation in several ways:

(a) Be better managers of the funds they are paid by Medicare.

(b) Decrease the huge margin of profit they have been enjoying in recent years.

(c) Take a good look at the multimillion dollar salaries they have been paying their top executives.

(d) Cut services formerly offered to Seniors.

(e) Increase deductibles and/or co-pays.

(f) Hike their premium.

Prepare to hear about the "draconian" measures being imposed on private insurers by The Health Reform Act. But now you know the truth. None of their Medicare payments will be reduced, and they have many ways to adjust to the increasing cost of healthcare. In sales meetings where "representatives" (AKA commissioned sales people) discuss their programs for next year, challenge them when they tell you Medicare has cut payments to them for your care. It is a lie.

 

SIMPSON (R-WYOMING) SAYS SOCIAL SECURITY IS “a milk cow with 310 million tits.”

August 26, 2010 - Former Sen. Alan Simpson will keep his job on President Obama’s deficit panel despite pressure from advocacy groups worried about his comments comparing Social Security

to “a milk cow with 310 million tits.”

An e-mail containing the feisty former Wyoming senator's remarks surfaced Wednesday, igniting concern regarding the future of the entitlement program.

"Alan Simpson has apologized and while we regret and do not condone his comments, we accept his apology and he will continue to serve,” Jennifer Psaki, the White House deputy communications director, told The New York Times.

Simpson is known for blunt talk and confrontational, colorful language. Certain activist groups also insist he's out to balance the budget on the backs of seniors by slashing into Social Security and are trying to use the lawmaker's penchant for overstatement to get him off the influential White House fiscal commission.

The controversial e-mail, posted online by the National Older Women's League, was dated Monday and addressed to OWL director Ashley Carson. In it, Simpson was responding to an April article Carson wrote critical of Simpson's Social Security stance. Carson suggested Simpson's approach was based on "ageism and sexism."  (READ MORE)

 

SIMPLIFIED AND REDUCED NUMBER OF PART D STAND-ALONE DRUG PLANS COMING

August 25, 2010 - Medicare is expected to release its list of drug plans for 2011 late next month. Instead of 40 or more choices in each state, seniors may have around 30 plans to pick from. Besides eliminating duplicative basic coverage, insurers that offer more than one enhanced coverage plan will have to show they are clearly different.

 

HEALTH CARE LAW STRENGTHENS MEDICARE, TRUSTEES REPORT FINDS
August 6, 2010 - The Medicare and Social Security trust fund report came out on Thursday and found that the health care reform law has strengthened Medicare's financial condition, with the program expected to remain solvent for an additional 12 years. Specifically, the new report says that Medicare will be able to fully pay its bills until 2029, compared with last year's forecast of 2017. Also due to the impact of health reform, beneficiaries' Medicare premiums and cost sharing will be reduced. In addition, the trustees say that Medicare's shortfall over the next 75 years - a time frame that the trustees are required under law to consider - has decreased substantially, from nearly 4 percent of taxable payroll in last year's report to less than 1 percent. The new health care law includes a groundbreaking number of reforms that will modernize the Medicare delivery system, making the program a smarter purchaser of health care that rewards value over volume. Trustees reported that Social Security will remain solvent through 2037, the same year as was forecast in 2009.

 

SOCIAL SECURITY JITTERS? BETTER PREPARE NOW

The program, (Social Security) which has its own dedicated stream of income, is projected to pay out more this year than it is taking in, but that is a function of the weak economy. Social Security will, according to the last annual report from its trustees, be able to pay full benefits through 2037. Then, if there are no changes in the program in the meantime, the taxes collected will be enough to pay out only about 75 percent of benefits through 2083. (Read entire article)

 

ANDY GRIFFITH SPEAKS UP ON HOW THE HEALTHCARE BILL AFFECTS SENIORS

Watch this very short video on the implications for Seniors in the healthcare reform  act. Turn on your sound to hear this. See the video.

 

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT CHANGES

July 26, 2010 - Medicare Advantage members will have only one chance to change their Advantage plan later this year, between November 15th and December 31st. After January 1, they will be locked into their Advantage plan for 2011-  unless they decide to dis-enroll from their Advantage plan and go back to Medicare.  From January 1st to February 15th,  seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans will be allowed to dis-enroll from their plan. And if their Advantage plan included a drug plan, they will be allowed to sign up for a stand-alone Part D plan to replace the drug coverage that was in their Medicare Advantage plan.

For many years (and in 2010), people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans were able to switch from one plan to another during the months of January, February, and March.  This “Open Enrollment Period” will not be available in 2011.

In November this year (2010), it will be very important for seniors to review the materials they receive from their Medicare Advantage plan – in case their plan makes some big changes.  If they want to shop around for another Advantage plan, they will only have November 15th to December 31st to do so.  If they discover in January that their plan no longer works for them, they will be unable to change to another Advantage plan. Their only recourse will be to dis-enroll from their Advantage plan and go back to Medicare (and pick up a Part D plan).

 

 

2009-2010  RECOVERY ACT: HUGE TAX CREDITS FOR 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

 

 (Read more Senior news in third section below, or on one of our 9 news pages)

 

 

News Picture(s) of the Day

 

 

HATTERAS ISLAND, N.C. — September 2, 2010 - Hurricane Earl was barreling toward the Eastern Seaboard Thursday with winds swirling at around 145 mph, as forecasters issued a new warning for New York's Long Island and tried to work out how badly North Carolina would be hit.

 

 

9-2-10 - Good morning. President Obama's quest for Mideast peace gets underway in earnest today when the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority meet face-to-face for the first direct negotiations in nearly two years.

 

Posted by SeniorArk 9-1-10 - A week-old Mount Apo lorikeet is fed by a keeper at Chester Zoo in northern England. The chick is one of a pair of the rare birds being hand-reared on a mix of nectar and water.

 

 

 

  

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.

 

 

SOME SENIORARK FEATURES

 

Senior Tips Links -  Fun - Humor

 Videos  -  Adventure

 

20 TOP Weekly Travel Deals

Over 4,999  Senior Citizens Links

 Links to 33 Major News Sources, plus

Today's Senior  Health and World News 

The most complete current news on Medicare and

Social Security that you will find---ANYWHERE!

Huge Caregiver Resource

 

57 Hobby Tips and Ideas for Seniors

Senior Inspirational Messages 

This Week: "Is Nothing a Miracle?  Is Everything a Miracle?" 

  Hundreds of pages, growing daily.

       Chock full of information for Senior survival and fun in retirement.

  SELECTED   PAGES

       H: humor  U: updated  P: Pictures

06-18-10     Seniors and Summer Heat  U
06-15-10     Funny Double-Takes- WHAT was THAT?  H, U, P
06-09-10     Get Huge Energy Tax Credit
06-08-10     SeniorArk needs your advice  U
06-07-10     Stretch you Prescription Drug Benefit
06-05-10     Four free printable 2010 calendars
06-05-10     Save Your Life - - Get a Carbon Monoxide Alarm
06-05-10     The New Retirement Mecca. WHY?  U
06-05-10     U.S. # 41 in Life Expectancy U
06-04-10     Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit
06-02-10     Top 10 health mistakes made by Seniors
06-01-10     Change those smoke detector batteries NOW
06-01-10     Is it the FLU or a COMMON COLD?
05-23-10     Save $$ with "Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit"
05-20-10     Pittsburgh reinvented by GREEN TECHNOLOGY
05-20-10    

Wholesale Natural Gas at multi-year low.

 Why are you not benefiting???  U

05-19-10     Retire to great town for less than $50,000

05-19-10

    Effect of a Zero Social Security COLA on Part B Premiums in Medicare

05-18-10

    10 Social Security Facts You Need to Know

05-18-10

 

 

Mental Acuity Test  HUMOR

05-17-10

 

 

15 Ways to Survive the Doughnut Hole  U

05-16-10

 

 

Kid's' Homework Assignment   H

05-15-10

 

 

How many product images do you recognize?

05-15-10

 

 

You may be able to monitor electric usage

05-14-10

 

 

What do you call a bunch of butterflies?

 Eastern Daylight Time>>

MiamiPittsburghAtlanta,

BangorNew York, Quebec, Toronto, HavanaColumbia, Peru, Jamaica, Boston Detroit, Louisville, Washington, D.C. 

New Castle, PA

____

See Your sunrise/sunset and average daily  temps

  Clock requires  free

  Adobe Flash Player

 Click -  Accuweather

Click - Today's high temps

Click - Today's low temps

 Click - Today's Air Quality

Click - Current Radar Loop

 

  

   At 92 she beat final stage cancer

Her Oncologist gave her little hope for recovery, but  the cancer vanished. Was it God, the doctor, resveratrol or carboplatin? You tell me.

 A story of great hope for all who are fighting this terrible affliction.

 

    94 Ways to Save Money on Utilities TODAY

     LATEST Medicare and  part "D" NEWS

     Major Health News Section

    Our daily search on the web for the

           latest news of value to seniors

     Avoid medication errors

     Housing on Less than a Shoestring

     15 Bohemian Bargain Cities - Forbes

    Survive a fall into the "doughnut hole"      

    Senior Citizen Help with utilities

     PART D - total 2010 information

    10 ways to get a reduction on your real

           estate tax

    Seniors need a decent COMPUTER 

     Read why you will want to print a free:

           **Personal Medical Organizer

           **Prescription Organizer  

              and also:

           **2010 Printable Calendars

               (year-at-a-glance, or 12 monthly pages)     

   

     LIHEAP Home Energy Saving Tips  and for more

       savings see  Senior Utilities Tips

 

     Fighting Cancer: Is this a Miracle Substance?

 

 

 

___________________________________________

 Updated: Thursday September 02, 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.

 

 

TODAY'S IMPORTANT NUMBERS  -   Thursday September 02, 2010 ***********************************************************

*

 The Gross National Debt

     January 2001 the national debt was  $5,728,195,796,181

     January 2009 the national debt was  $10,656,877,048,913

 

* 40 - American billionaires who have agreed to donate half their fortunes to charity

* 85% - Seniors who already receive Social Security benefits electronically

* 232 Billion $$ - Amount taxes were cut for 95% of Americans by last year's "economic stimulus package"- R votes>0

* 12 million $$ - Amount Sarah Palin has "cashed in on" since her 15 minutes of fame. So much for so little.

* 10,000 - Number of boomers who begin collecting Social Security every day

* 0 - Number of Republican Representatives who voted to expand healthcare in America on 03-21-10

* 211 - Average days from layoff to finding a new job in the current economy

* 3,000,000 - Soft drink vending machines in the U.S. One for every 100 people.

* 237 - Miles the average European walks per year

* 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

* 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!

* 45 - years Medicare has served the needs of America's Seniors - July 30, 2010 > 45th birthday

* 43rd - U.S. life expectancy - 42 nations are higher


 

Do you know there are now 9 news sections on www.seniorark.com?

Volunteers scour the web EVERY DAY to find the most important and interesting 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 1: 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.

Update 2:  SeniorArk.com March 5, 2010

The U.S. Senate has rejected a proposal on March 3 to give a $250 bonus payment to people on Social Security.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, proposed the idea to make up for a lack of a cost of living increase in the program this year. This was proposed as an amendment to the jobs bill.

"I do know that in Vermont, a lot of citizens -- seniors, veterans, disabled veterans are wondering why this year they are not receiving a COLA. They've written my office. And they are saying to me: 'Hey, I don't know what you're talking about, because my costs have increased over the last year'," Sanders said on the senate floor.

Sanders amendment had the support of President Obama, but it failed on a vote of 50-to-47. Opponents say it would add 14 billion dollars to the deficit.

SeniorArk adds: The purchasing needs of seniors are unique, and often include medications needed to stay alive. We insist that the Senate realize the importance of this $250 payment to struggling retirees. Sen. Sanders also said that the fight for the measure, which President Obama included in his budget, would continue.
 

Every Republican voted no (37), except for (3) who did not vote at all. (11) Democrats voted no, and Indep. Leiberman.

Here are the Senators who voted against the $250 bonus:
 

Alexander (R-TN)

Barrasso (R-WY)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Brown (R-MA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Carper (D-DE)
 

Chambliss (R-GA)

Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
 

Feingold (D-WI)

Feinstein (D-CA)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
 

LeMieux (R-FL)

Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McCaskill (D-MO)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Risch (R-ID)
 

Roberts (R-KS)

Sessions (R-AL)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Udall (D-CO)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (D-VA)
Wicker (R-MS)

 The following three did not vote:   Bond (R-MO)      Hutchison (R-TX)      Isakson (R-GA)

 

Can you guess what the average Senior receives monthly in Social Security benefits?

Click for Answer

 SOME SIGNIFICANT RECENT NEWS HEADLINES - from the web:

(Green indicates a health article)

***********************************************************

For today's news headlines, go to "NEWS" page.

 

More older Americans discover new world in learning to use, rely on the Internet
Columbus Dispatch - August 28, 2010
... Center for Senior Health near Riverside Methodist Hospital operates a weekly cybercafe, where people 50 and older can receive one-on-one tech tutorials. ...

Medicare Part D Premiums Going Up by only $1 in 2011

MedPage Today - Emily P. Walker - August 19, 2010

WASHINGTON -- Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the Part D will pay an average of $30 per month for their prescription drug benefit premiums in 2011, a $1 increase over what they paid this ...

 

Attacking Social Security

New York Times - Paul Krugman - August 16, 2010

Social Security turned 75 last week. It should have been a joyous occasion, a time to celebrate a program that has brought dignity and decency to the lives of older Americans.

 

Alcohol Use May Be A Problem For Older Adults

Medical News Today - ‎Posted by SeniorArk August 14, 2010‎

Some people whose drinking habits do not change over the years and decades may find that they develop problems with alcohol when they get older - aging ...  SeniorArk Editor's Comment: You have nothing to be ashamed of if alcohol or prescription drug use has become a problem for you. You can overcome these problems. The rest of your retirement lies ahead, and you deserve to enjoy it with freedom from alcohol or drugs. You may feel totally free to write to the SeniorArk editor at seniorark@aol.com . Put "EDITOR" in the subject line. Let's talk about what is happening in your life, and I may share with you what has happened in mine. This is totally confidential, and is in no way any effort to sell anything. It is just a personal interaction on the subject between you and Bob Fassbach, edito

r.

Medicare, Social Security to stay afloat longer

USA Today - Richard Wolf - ‎August 5, 2010

WASHINGTON - Medicare and Social Security won't run short of money to pay beneficiaries for about two decades or more, but the inexorable aging of the Baby Boom generation will drain the trust funds unless Congress intervenes ...

 

 

 

ARE YOU FALLING INTO THE DOUGHNUT HOLE?

*************************************

15 ways to survive a fall into that dreaded abyss - September 02, 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: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp/

     Also see: Latest Health News , Latest Medicare News , Latest Social Security News 

 

 

SeniorArk FunSpot  

Updated:  09/02/2010   Also, enjoy our massive: "just for fun" , "humor", and "photo" sections

And click here to see some humor that was formerly on this FunSpot

 

 

 

******

"flow chart"

Thanks to Don Tilley, MI

******

One Word or Two

An elderly couple, who were both widowed, had been going out with each other for a long time.
Urged on by their friends, they decided it was finally time to get married.
Before the wedding they went out to dinner and had a long conversation regarding how their marriage might work. They discussed finances, living arrangements, and so on.
Finally, the old gentleman decided it was time to broach the subject of their physical relationship. 'How do you feel about sex?' he asked, rather tentatively.
'I would like it infrequently' she replied.
The old gentleman sat quietly for a moment, adjusted his glasses, leaned
over towards her and whispered 'Is that one word or two?'

 

******

AH, THE MEMORY!!

Two elderly people living in Ft. Myers , he was a widower and she a widow, had known each other for a number of years. One evening there was a community supper in the big arena in the Clubhouse.

The two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he took a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered the courage to ask her, 'Will you marry me?'

After about six seconds of 'careful consideration,' she answered 'Yes. Yes, I will!'

The meal ended and, with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective places. Next morning, he was troubled. 'Did she say 'yes' or did she say 'no'?'

He couldn't remember. Try as he might, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory. With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her..

First, he explained that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past.. As he gained a little more courage, he inquired, 'When I asked if you would marry me, did you say ' Yes' or did you say 'No'?'

He was delighted to hear her say, 'Why, I said, 'Yes, yes I will' and I meant it with all my heart.' Then she continued, 'And I am so glad that you called, because I couldn't remember who had asked me.'

******

******

Biker and His  Babe......

 

Are you my Mamma?

Killing a virus???

Don't think I can't see you!!!

 

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

 

 

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