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"This
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Home
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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
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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.
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Seniors, always remember, if you are
EVER in need of ANYTHING,
email:
seniorark@aol.com
We may not be
able to help, but we WILL TRY.
And we
WILL answer your email.
Email us--we
want to be bothered.
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___________________________________________
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
***********************************************************
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*
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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
|
* 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)
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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)
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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.
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
...
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.
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.
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
...
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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
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 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
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******
"flow chart"
Thanks to Don Tilley, MI
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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