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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.

Date Moved Articles

08-26-10

August 14, 2010 was the 75th Anniversary of the day that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security program into law.

75, and still working full-time!

08-26-10

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. Caregivers 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)

08-06-10

21 WAYS TO MAKE EXTRA MONEY IN RETIREMENT

July 25, 2010 - We found a great article that discusses 21 ideas on how you can add to your retirement income. Hope one or more of these will work for you. Read Article

07-31-10 HHS UNVEILS NEW PREVENTIVE CARE BENEFITS UNDER HEALTH REFORM BILL
Posted by SeniorArk July 16, 2010 - On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services released their new preventive care rules, which are included in the new health care law. The rules make it easier and more affordable for seniors on Medicare and Americans enrolled in Medicaid to access preventive screenings and services. For seniors enrolling in a new health plan on or after September 23, 2010, their plans will be required to cover recommended preventative services such as mammograms, colonoscopies, immunizations, and annual check-ups, without charging a co-pay, co-insurance, or deductible. Some of the covered preventive services for seniors include colorectal cancer screening for adults over 50, diet counseling, as well as Type 2 Diabetes and cholesterol screening. To see the full list of covered services, visit the official HHS website at http://bit.ly/asJydX [ http://bit.ly/asJydX ].

07-30-10 States are Cutting Pension Costs in a Variety of Ways, Hurting Retirees
June 25, 2010 - A New York Times story on budget cuts and pensions last Sunday stated that Illinois has raised its retirement age to 67, the highest of any state. Arizona, New York, Missouri and Mississippi will be making people work more years to earn pensions; and Virginia is requiring employees to pay into the state pension fund for the first time. Nearly all of the cuts so far apply only to workers not yet hired. An exception is Colorado, which has imposed cuts on its current workers, not just future hires, and even on people who have already retired. The retirees have sued to block the reduction. Illinois is putting less money into its pension fund now, starting with $300 million this year - raising the risk of a collapse long before the real savings start to materialize. Some other states are raising employee contributions. New Jersey officials are quietly looking into whether it, too, could reduce the benefits that current employees can expect to accumulate in the future. Read Full Story

07-30-10

Sebelius Warns Insurers Against Hiking Rates for Medicare Advantage

California Healthline - ‎June 7, 2010

Last week, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent a letter warning insurers not to increase premiums or copayments for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage programs, the Wall Street Journal reports (read article)

07-25-10

HHS Announces Benefits for Early Retirees, Those with Pre-Existing Conditions
Posted by SeniorArk 7-5-10 - The Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS') Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (OCIIO) announced that it will begin accepting applications for the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP). Many Americans who retire without employer-sponsored insurance and before they are eligible for Medicare are denied coverage or see their life savings disappear because of exorbitant rates in the individual market. Created by the Affordable Care Act as a bridge to the new health insurance marketplace established by the Exchanges in 2014, this $5 billion program will provide much needed financial assistance for employers, including businesses, unions, state and local governments, and nonprofits, so retirees can get quality, affordable insurance. Until Americans have access to affordable insurance plans through health insurance Exchanges in 2014, this program will make it easier for retirees and their families to maintain their employer-based coverage. Applications for the program, as well as fact sheets and application assistance, can be found at www.hhs.gov/ociio.

NEW HIGHER INCOME LIMITS FOR EXTRA HELP IN PAYING FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

June 23, 2010 - The "Extra Help" program subsidizes the cost of prescription drugs for low-income Medicare beneficiaries. Income and resource calculation changes made under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008 mean seniors with an annual income of less than $16,245 a year (or $21,855 for married couples) could be eligible to pay $2.50 for generic drugs and $6.30 for brand name drugs under the program. For example, life insurance policies and family assistance are no longer counted as resources or income, according to CMS.

It is estimated that 1.8 million seniors are eligible but not yet enrolled in the "Extra Help" program, according to CMS. These new eligibilities coincide with a $250 check for seniors who fall into the Medicare Part D coverage gap that is being mailed out this week. Beneficiaries who qualify for Medicare "Extra Help" do not fall into that gap. More information is available at this Social Security site.

06-23-10

Special Committee on Aging: Social Security Only Needs Modest Changes

May 22, 2010 - Social Security faces a $5.3 trillion shortfall over the next 75 years, but a new congressional report says the gap could be erased with only modest changes to payroll taxes and benefits. Many changes wouldn't affect current recipients, according to the report by the Senate Special Committee on Aging. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the committee, said small "tweaks" are all that is needed to bolster Social Security's finances for future generations of retirees. "Modest changes can be made over time that will keep the program in surplus," Kohl told The Associated Press. The report lays out options for fixing Social Security, but does not endorse any of them. Kohl said lawmakers will probably combine several options to ease their impact. The panel's analysis will be presented to President Obama's Fiscal Commission. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), who sits on the Commission, said recently that raising the Social Security retirement age would not have much of an impact on someone's "lifestyle." "He must be referring to his own lifestyle, and not that of thousands of Granite State residents who work in physically demanding construction and service sector jobs," said Charlie Balban, President of the New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans.

06-23-10

Seniors---Did You Know? Twenty percent of Americans receive Medicare insurance through private insurance companies. The program is called Part "C", or Medicare Advantage. Many Seniors believe that the Part B insurance premium we all pay (now $96.40/mo), and a small premium paid to the private insurer, covers our care. NO WAY! Your private insurer is paid between $9,600 and $12,000 each year to cover your individual health expense. Is it any wonder that the health insurance stocks are soaring on the back of our Medicare trust fund? Mystery solved as to why insurers are paying big dollars for your congressman's vote on any healthcare issue. Democrats have said these payments are excessive, and propose cutting them by about 15%. Opponents have used this cut to decry a "Democratic cut in Medicare", when in fact it is intended to bring these payments more in line with the real costs of Senior healthcare. We have a lot of trouble believing the crocodile tears of conservatives who are complaining about Medicare cuts, when the base of their party proposes a total elimination of the program.

At the same time we mistrust the strident efforts of the AARP, and the Alliance for Retired Americans, both of which supported these Medicare Advantage cuts, while at the same time profiting from Medigap supplement programs that would benefit from such cuts. Both AARP and The Alliance for Retired Americans offer supplement programs, but not Medicare Advantage. Hmmm! Where is the truth?

06-12-10

04-02-10

Social Security Trust Fund Analysis: Need to Look at the Long Term

Social Security took in only $3 billion more in taxes last year than it paid out in benefits - a $60 billion decline from 2008, according to federal data. The recession is blamed in part, as it added to the hundreds of thousands of workers retiring or claiming disability. USA Today, using Congressional Budget Office numbers, reports that the impact of the recession is likely to reduce Social Security revenues again this year and next. The slide in revenues occurred sooner than Social Security actuaries had expected, for several reasons: Payroll tax revenue that was growing at a 4.5% average annual clip along with wages flattened out in 2009 because of rising unemployment and disappearing pay raises; the number of retired workers who began taking benefits increased by 20%; those taking disability jumped by 10%; and monthly Social Security benefits were raised 5.8% due to a spike in energy prices the year before. The overall surplus of the Social Security Trust Fund is still $2.5 trillion; this is not a cataclysm. We must look at the financial picture of Social Security as actuaries do, over the long-term, which would be over a 75-year timeline. We cannot allow privatizers to use temporary recessions - even deep ones - to ruin the system that has worked for millions of seniors over several decades.

Also read Alternet article: Republicans Propose to Eliminate Medicare and gut Social Security

04-02-10

MARCH IS YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO ACT UNTIL NOVEMBER

THIS IS THE SENIORARK BIG RED MEDICARE NEWS BOX

(Your source for the latest Medicare information, as you make decisions for 2010)

For more helpful information on Medicare, Parts A, B, C, and D, the Donut Hole, the

CPI-W, Current Medicare News Articles, and much more, see our Medicare Page.

Why you must look at your Medicare Advantage Plan Today

You can still make changes between January 1 and March 31, 2010

Robert Fassbach, editor, www.seniorark.com

When January 1 arrives, your worries about Medicare Advantage are not over. Not yet. And that is very good. What you do right now can determine how well you do for the rest of the year in getting the medical care and prescriptions you need. If you still have concerns about whether you are in the right Medicare Advantage Plan (20% of Seniors choose this method of receiving Medicare), you have until March 31 to make additional changes.

I turned 65 the day before Christmas 2007, Selecting a Medicare Advantage Plan that also covered my prescriptions, was a traumatic experience. My choice for 2010 was much the same. I have been studying and writing about the nuances of Medicare for over four years on SeniorArk, and in various other publications. But until I entered the scene myself, I had no idea of the extreme confusion surrounding the process. Even now, having made an "informed" decision for 2010, I am not completely sure I have made the best choice for my needs. I have a plan that will work, and it includes Prescription Drug coverage, but Pennsylvania has some 100+ plan possibilities out there, all being offered by private insurance companies interested more in my money than my health. During insurance company plan presentations I heard misrepresentation, half-truths, and outright misinformation. But a choice was needed, so one was made.

So then, if our decisions on Part "D" or Medicare Advantage were made between November 15 and December 31, what is there to do between January 1 and March 31? Well, here goes.

(1) Here is exactly what Medicare says we can do between January 1 and March 31:

"Between January 1 through March 31 of each year. Your coverage will begin the first day of the month after the plan gets your enrollment form. During this period, you can't do the following:

Join or switch to a plan with prescription drug coverage unless you already have Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D).

Drop a plan with prescription drug coverage.

Join, switch, or drop a Medicare Medical Savings Account Plan."

Here are the different coverage scenarios permitted during Medicare Advantage open enrollment:

If a person on Medicare currently has coverage in a Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription drug coverage, they can use open enrollment to select a different Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription drug coverage, Original Medicare and a stand-alone prescription drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage Private-Fee-For-Service Plan and a stand-alone prescription drug plan.
If a person on Medicare currently has coverage in a Medicare Advantage Plan with no prescription drug coverage, they can use open enrollment to select a Medicare Advantage Plan or Original Medicare without prescription drug coverage.
If a person on Medicare currently has coverage in Original Medicare with a stand-alone prescription drug plan, they can use open enrollment to select a Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription drug coverage or a Medicare Advantage Private-Fee-For-Service Plan with the same stand-alone prescription drug plan.
If a person on Medicare currently has coverage in Original Medicare without a stand-alone prescription drug plan, they can use open enrollment to select a Medicare Advantage Plan without prescription drug coverage.

(2) Now let's assume that you review the details of your Medicare Advantage plan and decide that you are in the right Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage. Or you are in traditional Medicare with a stand-alone part D drug plan. Then today you need to think about the doughnut hole. The best time to begin avoiding it is right now. This week I met with my doctor to go over the salad of drugs that seem necessary to keep me going each month. I told him I wanted to find a generic for every one of them. He was willing to do that with one exception, and I may still decide to change that one. It is a statin, and I'm not convinced that Lipitor is necessarily better than several others out there. I will need to do a little research on that.

Here are some examples of the savings when switching from Brand to Generic:

Celebrex 200mg, a medication used for arthritis, costs about $100 for a one-month supply. Replace with Meloxican 15 mg (generic for Mobic) costs about $8. Cost difference,$1100/yr.
Lipitor 20mg, used for cholesterol, costs about $111 for a month's supply. Simvastatin, (generic for Zocor) cost $11. Savings, $1200/yr.
Prevacid 30mg, a medication for heartburn, costs about $144 for a one-month supply. Omeprazole 20mg (generic for Prilosec) costs about $27, or a savings of $1400/yr.
Tricor 145mg, a medication for triglicerides, costs around $100/mo. Fenofibrate (generic for Tricor) costs $37, for a savings of about $750/yr.

Remember for 2010, in the "stand-alone" Part "D" plans, you are paying the first $310 of annual drug costs, and then 25% of the next $2,520 ($630). After that, you will pay 100% of the next $3,610. This is the doughnut hole. (see chart) How fast you reach this expenditure level is determined by what your pharmacy bills your insurance company, not what the insurance company pays your pharmacy. If you are using generics, it will take much longer to reach the doughnut hole than if you are using brand name drugs.

(By the way, this is also a good time to go over your medications to determine if you still need every one of them. Over time, medications are prescribed that should be given for a limited time, but they are never stopped. Several doctors, including your specialists, may have written prescriptions that just keep refilling automatically long after their need ends. Doctors are so busy these days, that many overlook this. Make them look.)

(3-a) Go online to see if you you qualify for Federal help with your Medicare expenses.

(3-b) Go online, ( click your state on the map at this page) or call your state's agency on aging, or the equivalent department, to determine if you may actually qualify for additional state prescription help. There is a lot of it out there. My state, Pennsylvania, has 2 tremendous plans for couples earning less than $31,500, and individuals below $23,500. You may be passing up help that is staring at you. See our "Surviving the Doughnut Hole" page for 14 ideas on dealing with the doughnut hole.

(4) Let's assume that you looked over your paperwork, and decide that you may have made a Medicare Advantage mistake. Now there are two choices: live with it until next year (changing to something else between November 15 and December 31, 2008), or switching NOW to a Another Medicare Advantage Plan, occasionally called Medicare Health Plan, and also called Medicare "C". (see simple description) Open enrollment has not ended for these plans. Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans goes until March 31. This plan is not administered by the government, but is handled by private insurance companies. It combines Medicare A, B and D. There are a wide variety of plans, and types of Medicare Advantage Plans. If you take a number of prescription drugs, however, it gets more difficult to choose. Certain plans might cover some of the drugs you need but not all of them. But there are a number of resources to help you choose. Medicare's Part D, or Medicare Advantage Plan Finder enables you to enter your drugs, for your area, and determine which plan makes the most sense for you.

Be aware that if you switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must review much more than just the Part "D" portion of the policy. That insurance carrier takes over your "full care", and provides the features of Parts A, B, and D. Study which doctors, hospitals, and other types of care are included with the policy. Medicare pays the Medicare Advantage insurance provider around $650/month for every month you are in their care, whether you need them or not.

We hope all of this adds to your options, and not to your confusion, If questions remain, you can always search at www.medicare.gov, or call 1-800-MEDICARE. There may also be a state representative available to give you some help.

So what was my choice with Medicare and/or Part "D" for 2010?

I opted for a very different Medicare Advantage plan this year. My premium for last year's policy went to $76/mo., and the benefits were severely reduced. This year I have gone to Highmark-Freedom Blue PPO. There are NO monthly premiums, but I do have a $1200 annual deductible on the larger expenses. My premiums alone would have been $912 under my old plan, and co-pays would have pushed it quickly over $1200 if I needed any hospital or lab related care. We'll see how this works. I am a government-created gambler; I gamble on what I will need during the next year. What a system. I have no deductible in the drug portion of the program, and will pay $7/mo for generics and more for brand names. There is no donut hole coverage, but I found that I did not reach the donut hole last year.

A final comment. I think it is obscene that our government puts us through this traumatic, risky, confusing process. I totally support a "single-payer" system, run by the highly competent Medicare section of the Department of Health and Human Services. They can administer the program more cheaply, and would have huge negotiating power with drug and other suppliers. The only thing standing in the way has been Congressional backbone, and Presidential consent. Insurance and drug lobbyists have wielded enough power to control these programs up to this point. Until it is changed, we must sift through this program as best we can. Best wishes.

You may also want to read: Medicare Advantage open season and I'm Falling into the Doughnut Hole

For much more helpful information on Medicare, Parts A, B, C, and D, the Donut Hole, the CPI- W, Current Medicare News Articles, and much more, see our Medicare Page.

04-02-10

Insurance Premium Increase of 39% in California Adds to Health Reform Urgency
The health care problem remains on the center stage now that Anthem Blue Cross of California has unveiled rate increases of up to 39 percent for its 800,000 individual policyholders. The increases, which will take effect on March 1, far outpace the increases of 10 to 25% seen in previous years among most insurers offering individual policies. Kaiser Health News and The San Diego Union-Tribune report that as the economy slowly recovers, health insurance costs for those with individual policies continue to increase due to larger numbers of unemployed and those relying on government health care programs. As a result, "hospitals and doctors are passing on more of their uncompensated costs to patients with private insurance." The San Francisco Chronicle adds that "California physical, occupational and speech therapists are also taking issue with Anthem. The therapists said the insurer cut their reimbursement rates by 30 to 50% on February 1. In addition, the Chronicle reports that patients covered by other health insurers, including Health Net and Aetna, are reporting being hit with sky-high increases. "This is exactly the kind of news that proves we need health care reform immediately," said Barbara J. Easterling, President of the Alliance For Retired Americans.

Health Insurers Post Record Profits

ABC News - Emily Walker

In the midst of a deep economic recession, America's health insurance companies increased their profits by 56 percent in 2009, a year that saw 2.7 million people lose their private coverage.

03-23-10

FELLOW SENIORS, CONSIDER THIS **********************************************************

We seniors are in a pretty good position.
(1) We have a fixed income--something much of the population would love to have.
(2) We have government-run, single payer health insurance (Medicare), something that 50-70 million Americans would fall on their knees to get.
(3) We received a 5.8% cost-of living adjustment last year.
(4) We have a health insurance premium (part B) that cannot go up if there is no cost of living increase. (applies to most Seniors who earn less than $85,000 single/$170,000 for couples)
(5) Obama has negotiated with drug companies to reduce the cost of medications, paid by seniors, by 50% in the donut hole. (May be dependent upon the final health insurance reform bill)

Obama has no control over whether there is, or is not, a cost of living adjustment. That was established by law many years ago. The President has proposed a special $250 payment to every Senior in 2010, but its passage is still in question. (See the very next article below)

* Now, we do have another legitimate issue: does the CPI-W - - the index that determines our COLA - - truly reflect Senior expenses. We think not, and we need to let our congress people know that. (See SeniorArk article on this subject)

* And indeed another legitimate is is the difficulty of a single senior living on a single Social Security check. Since the gals usually outlive the guys, these single income folks are mostly women.

03-23-10

Pass the Health Insurance Reform Bill, Then Work to Make it Comprehensive

Opinion: March 1, 2010 - Robert Fassbach, editor: www.SeniorArk.com

On December 7, 2009 SeniorArk withdrew support for the current Health Insurance Reform effort. (See article) The bill had been so weakened by conservative Democrats, independent Joe Lieberman, and Republicans who feigned bi-partisanship, that it became little more than a jackpot for private health insurance companies. There is little "reform". We can only hope that if it passes, it will become the foundation for more sweeping reform. We have again changed our position. Today we believe that passing the bill is better for Americans over 50 than not passing. Americans over 50 who have no health insurance should have a better chance of obtaining it through this bill. And the bill will immediately begin the process of eliminating the doughnut hole in our prescription drug program. If we believed that "starting over" would lead to a more comprehensive reform of the insurance system, we would support it. But those who call for "starting over" have NO intention of developing such reform. They want to kill reform, as has happened for decades under influence from the bloated insurance industry, and those they buy. Pass this bill as a beginning. Those who vote against it will again be on the wrong side of history. Similar thinking voted against the establishment of Social Security, Medicare, and the G.I. Bill.

But - - this bill should only signal the beginning of a more serious effort to pass sweeping healthcare reform. Pass the current bill immediately, and start talking about Medicare for all in America. It should become the drumbeat of those who would seek universal healthcare. "Medicare for all" is the drumbeat. Start repeating it. This would be far simpler, and would result in high quality care for all, cradle to grave, at a much reduced price. Medicare has successfully delivered quality healthcare for nearly 50 years, and with administrative costs of only 3% (Health insurance companies have balked at being limited to 15%, and their goal is 35% for costs and profits).

"Medicare for all" is very workable. The machinery is already in place. No new 2,000 pages (or whatever the critics keep increasing this number to be). For insurers and drug manufacturers, this proposal is the ultimate heresy. But Congress is elected to serve the needs of the citizens, not the profits of companies bent on giving us as little care as possible.

We cannot sustain a further burden on the Medicare Trust Fund, so costs to the non-senior member must be determined, and assessed to the user, or the employer. But this would be a very efficient, proven, health delivery method.

Remember, it's "Medicare for all"!!!

03-16-10

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR???

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Winter, 2010 - Check on your neighbors during cold weather to make sure they are OK. Watch for the exposed homeless, and call authorities to alert them--and make sure it is dealt with. Many have been rendered homeless by our sagging economy.

In Medford, Oregon , in December 2009, a 70-year-old man was pronounced dead. Officials said it appeared he had gone to sleep on the ground near railroad tracks with only a light blanket around himself. Homeless at 70, in the winter, is a recipe for death.

But one need not be homeless to freeze to death. A 93-year-old Michigan man froze to death this past year inside his home just days after the municipal power company restricted his use of electricity because of unpaid bills, officials said. Marvin E. Schur died "a slow, painful death," said Kanu Virani, Oakland County's deputy chief medical examiner, who performed the autopsy. Neighbors discovered Schur's body on Jan. 17. They said the indoor temperature was below 32 degrees at the time, The Bay City Times reported Monday.

Across the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic region, family members, neighbors and volunteers have stepped in to help older people cope with cold homes, snowdrifts and empty cupboards during the recent February blizzards. According to The Washington Post, one family waded through deep snow on an unplowed street in Maryland to get a man to a car that could take him to a hospital for dialysis. Many older people were thankful for conveniences unavailable in previous storms: assisted-living communities where some staff members stayed, sleeping on air mattresses, to keep services going; pharmacies and grocery stores with delivery programs; and neighborhood e-mail lists that made it easier to ask for help
with shoveling or running errands. But individual concern for neighbors must be our first line of defense.

Who is my neighbor?

Perhaps the better question is "Who isn't my neighbor?".

02-01-10

5 WAYS TO INSURE A BETTER YEAR IN 2010

www.SeniorArk.com

Do these 5 things, and 2010 will amaze you - -In fact, you will amaze yourself. Do you want it? If you really do, then go for it!!!

(1) Forgive yourself for last year. We all fall short. God is waiting to forgive, so who are we to hold onto whatever it is? If you first need to ask someone else to forgive you, do it. Your slate is clean no matter how they respond.

(2) Develop an attitude of gratitude. No matter what is going on in your life. Make a list every day of things for which you are grateful: warm water from the faucet, the next breath, legs, eyes, white snow - - do you get it? This may help.

(3) Stop all negative talk. Mood follows action. Take the action of positive talk, and you will find a positive mood develops. I once heard this:

"I can reveal the way that I feel, by what I say and do.

But if I change the things I say and do,

I can change my feelings too!"

---BELIEVE IT - - IT WORKS!!!

(4) Find someone to love. With some nurturing, they may come to love you. I mean, really search if you have no one. The world is full of people who want to be connected, and don't know how. They are at the senior center, at your church, next door, down the street, and even online. You make the connection. Talk. Laugh. Keep in touch. Don't wimp out.

(5) Begin a new hobby. Something you can really get excited about. It may help with #'s 2 and 3 and 4 above. It will give you renewed energy, and is known to be a life-extender

print these 5 tips

02-01-10

Medicare provisions likely to be in a final bill:

Fills in the Part D Donut Hole: Addresses one of seniors’ top concerns by immediately beginning to fill in the Medicare Part D donut hole which will make prescription drugs more affordable. In 2010, seniors will see the donut hole reduced by $500 and will have access to 50 percent discounts on brand-name drugs in the donut hole until it is completely phased out by 2019.
Enhances Preventive Coverage: Eliminates co-payments for preventive services in Medicare.
Helps Low-Income Seniors: Improves low-income subsidy programs to ensure Medicare is affordable for seniors with low and modest incomes.
Combats Waste, Fraud & Abuse: Ensures the program operates in the best interests of its beneficiaries and all taxpayers by expanding authority to fight waste, fraud and abuse.
Ends Medicare Advantage Overpayments: Phases out overpayments to insurance companies offering private health plans in Medicare (“Medicare Advantage” plans) and adds additional consumer protections to ensure that these plans do not charge higher out-of-pocket expenses than traditional Medicare. Ensures that Medicare Advantage plans provide adequate value to their enrollees by guaranteeing minimum medical loss ratios.
Protects the Doctor-Patient Relationship and Improves Quality: Companion legislation resolves a longstanding problem with the physician payment formula to promote primary care and advance innovation.
Investments in health delivery system reform will improve coordinated care, promote efficiency, and enhance quality.
Extends the Medicare Trust Fund: Following the advice of non-partisan experts at the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the proposal makes numerous changes in provider payments that extend the life of the Trust Fund for five years and put the program on stronger financial footing for the future.

02-01-10

WHAT THE NEW HEALTH BILL WOULD MEAN FOR MEDICARE

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Thursday August 26, 2010

Medicare has been a stable, reliable program for senior citizens, people with disabilities and those with end-stage renal disease for more than four decades, and has provided coverage for more than 45 million individuals this year. Health reform is needed to rein in rising health costs for private and public programs alike. Improving and strengthening Medicare is a critical component of reform.

01-13-01

---HUGE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE (PART C) INCREASES FOR 2010

PREMIUM UP 40.7%

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

By, Robert Fassbach, editor, www.SeniorArk.com

What you are about to read has NOTHING to do with any of the current health insurance reform legislation. Nothing has been passed, and if it had been, would not affect Medicare Advantage in 2010. What you will read has been the act of a private insurer, and makes the case for strong government intervention in our healthcare insurance delivery system.

October 6, 2009 - - My wife and I received a little gem in the morning mail today: the terms of our Medicare Advantage plan (also known as part C) for the coming year. COVENTRY ADVANTRA GOLD, a private insurer providing Medicare Advantage, HAS MADE HUGE INCREASES IN PREMIUMS AND CO-PAYS FOR 2010. And it has the potential to change our financial life as we have known it. We bet your insurer will do the same. There will be an expanded discussion of this in coming days, but here are some of the immediate highlights that pop out:

* The basic monthly premium has increased by 40.7%. Yes you have read it correctly, 40.7%. But hold on - - there is much more - - and it gets much worse.

* In 2009 the first 8 days of hospitalization was fully covered. In 2010 we will each be liable for $170.00 for each of those days.

*The co-pay for seeing a specialist has increased by 40%, from $25 to $35 per visit.

* Occupational or physical therapy co-pays have increased by 75%, from $20 to $35 per visit.

* Diagnostic or therapeutic radiology services co-pays have increased 385%, from $25 to $90 for each event

Since my policy also includes my Part D drug plan, I must still investigate that aspect. But I am certain that my drug benefits under their policy will not have increased. Last year they simply decided that an important drug I needed would no longer be covered in any way. So I have done without. (A little tidbit on my prescriptions: In September I tried to refill Lipitor for 90 days. The druggist called for approval, and was told it was $45. But for the prior quarter I paid $10. I called Coventry today, and was told I should be paying $4.95 for 30 days, and about $10 for 90 days, but they needed to connect me with Medco, who manages their prescriptions. Medco told me that my price is somewhere over $200--and she emphasized that Lipitor is an expensive drug, and I should consider something cheaper. Understand, I paid $45 for a 3 month supply for the first quarter of the year and received a refund for overpayment. As I am typing this, I am on hold and they are investigating. Grrrrrrrrr!) Do we need efficient health insurance reform?

The total compensation for the CEO of Coventry in 2008 was $20,860,000.

(Source: Forbes.com)

01-02-10

JOE LIEBERMAN HAS SOLD OUT HIS CONSTITUENTS

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Just as we hear that health insurance reform could come to a vote in the Senate, Joe Lieberman, the whining-nasal-talking Senator from Connecticut again shows the influence of big money. He announced that he would join reform opponents, and will work to prevent the Senate's ability to even consider the reform bill, or bring it up for a vote.

In 2006 Lieberman campaigned for his Connecticut Senate seat on the platform that he would see to it that we got universal health insurance--with a public option. But in the 3 years since 2006, the little darling accepted $2,395,369 in donations from the health sector and $1,033,402 from the insurance industry, and he has undergone a conversion. Halleluiah - say amen, brother. And his conversion was a smack in the face of his constituents, 68% of whom support, and 21% of whom oppose reform--with a public option. I suppose 3 million dollars will trump the people every time.

Oh, and Lieberman's wife Hadassah has worked for the lobbying company, APCO Associates, that had many pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations among its clients, as well as four major drug companies such as Pfizer. In March 2005, Hadassah was hired by Hill & Knowlton as "senior counselor" in the firm's "health care and pharmaceuticals practice." Hadassah's close relationship with pharmaceutical and healthcare corporations while her husband introduced legislation benefiting these exact companies has raised questions about improprieties and conflict of interest. And while all of this financial harvesting by the Liebermans was happening, 45,000 Americans died this year because they had no health insurance - - nearly the number of deaths in the entire Vietnam War. And the CEO of my Medicare Advantage company earned $20,800,000 last year. By the way, after Lieberman's announcement on October 27 that he would utterly reject the public option--no matter how weak or limited it might be, stock prices of health insurers soared. Mission accomplished!!

How much longer are we Americans going to allow the bribery of public officials by corporate, union, or special interest group money? Democracy becomes a farce in the face of purchased votes. The masses have no voice, because they are not united to offer money.

A few weeks ago, we heard talk of taxing the "Cadillac" health plans out there. The thinking was this: If the average employer-based annual family premium is $13,375, then those gold-lined policies that cost $19,000 to who knows how much, should be taxed so they will be discouraged. Policies like that encourage unlimited, unneeded, open-ended, expensive "care". And in the process, they drive up health care costs in general for everyone. But then the unions took a good look at it. Turns out that their members have "Cadillac" policies. And they donate big money, primarily to Democrats. Have you heard anyone talking seriously about taxing these policies in the last two weeks? I haven't. Silence is being bought by the unions, and others with such high-octane plans. The common good was sold again.

Until we find a way to finance elections in a way prevents bribery, the public will always lose to financial influence. Efforts have been made. At times, lawmakers like John McCain and others, with enough personal money or popularity to campaign for office without accepting dirty money, have spoken up. But they are quickly talked down.

Are there any statesmen left who will say, "I stand for the public good, and will support it even if I must lose the next election."? If they exist, they are well-hidden.

12-24-09

I HAVE MEDICARE: THE FACTS

I have Medicare. I receive terrific care under Medicare. The government does not stand between me and my doctor. I have never been denied any treatment my doctor requested. Therefore: Let's pass "MEDICARE FOR ALL AMERICANS". Cost can be determined. Premiums can be established and deducted from payroll checks or contributed by employers. "Cadillac plans" can be established for those who want some kind of extra care, and are willing and able to pay for it. Case closed. Simple, fast, clean. No 2,000-page bill to establish it.

12-24-09

GET A PNEUMONIA VACCINATION

We all know about our need to be vaccinated against the flu. But have you gotten your pneumonia shot? It is good for 5 years. This vaccination is a method of preventing a specific type of lung infection that is caused by Pneumococcus bacterium. Ask your doctor about this. And consider a shingles vaccination.

12-24-09

SENIORARK WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE BILL

By Bob Fassbach, editor, www.SeniorArk.com December 7, 2009

--We have steadfastly supported President Obama's efforts to reform healthcare insurance. His vision was noble His caring for millions of working Americans was bold. The outline of his proposals was audacious. But now, in our opinion, the bill is not worth passing.

--We heard that workers who have no insurance could enroll in a public plan at a reduced cost. The $8 an hour clerk could finally get valuable insurance. But the notion of a public option was anathema to many in Congress, and the insurance and drug companies who dump money into the feeding trough of congressmen. Like hogs in a farmyard, congressmen sucked up the swill, and killed the public option.

--We heard that the anti-trust exemption enjoyed by health insurers - - -the only other industry in America besides major league baseball to have one---would be eliminated. This exemption has allowed insurers to huddle in back rooms to fix prices and terms. Notice how similar many of the Medicare Advantage plans look? They were "set" by agreement of insurance executives to prevent competition. Most American executives would be sent to prison for such behavior, but not health insurers. Over a week ago, Democrats moved the health bill forward by agreeing to continue the "steal from the public" anti-trust exemption for health insurers. Insurers didn't want a change, and like hogs in a barnyard, congressmen sucked up the swill, and gave insurers permission to continue their public theft. The CEO of my Medicare Advantage company, Advantra, made $20,800,000 in 2008. Who would want to give up any of that? We see it as robbery without the gun---aided and abetted by Congress sucking from a cash-filled trough..

--We were told that Medicare would be given permission (denied by the Bush bill in 2003) to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers. Canada does it. Why do you think their prices on drugs imported from America are cheaper than in America? They buy huge quantities, and negotiate. So does our Veterans Administration. But the drug companies have gotten used to huge profits. So they poured cash into the trough, and like hogs in a barnyard, congressmen sucked up the swill and decided not to negotiate. Robbery without the gun, aided and abetted by Congress.

--With these three provisions removed from any final bill, it is hard for us to see how any savings can be realized, without bankrupting the country on behalf of the insurers and drug companies. We will no longer support the bill. We will not aid and abet the ability of these American companies to steal from the American people. We refuse to drink the swill that our Congress seems so to intoxicated by.

--Kill this bill immediately, and start talking about Medicare for all in America. This would be far simpler, and would result in high quality care for all, cradle to grave, at a much reduced, negotiated price. Medicare has successfully delivered quality healthcare for nearly 50 years, and with administrative costs of only 3% . It is very workable for all, and the machinery is already in place. For insurers and drug manufacturers, this proposal is the ultimate heresy. But Congress is elected to serve our needs, not the profits of companies bent on giving us as little care as possible.

--UPDATE: On December 8, 2009 we have heard that Senate Democrats have agreed on a final version of the health insurance bill. It has been sent to the C.B.O. to determine its effect on the budget. We will be amazed if it contains enough meat to be worth passing, but we refuse to exhibit "contempt before investigation".

12-10-09

AARP received $772,000,000 from insurance companies in 2008

Did you know this? Per AARP's 2008 Consolidated Financials, it was paid $652,000,000 in royalties from insurance companies that sold products referred by AARP. Per those same financials AARP received an additional $120,000,000 for the ads placed in its publications. That is a total one-year payment to AARP from health insurance companies of $772 Million. So when reading about AARP'S opinions on healthcare, remember these numbers.

2.2 million refinanced mortgages saving homes, economy
Examiner.com
If you haven't looked into refinancing your mortgage under federal programs, you could be missing an opportunity to save money, keep your home and give the ...

Poll: Doctors Among Public Option's Biggest Fans

NPR

A new poll shows that doctors are among the biggest supporters in the United States of a public option in the health care overhaul.

Medicare premium payment assistance available for some

NewsOK.com

Q: Is it true that if you have low income, you can get help paying Medicare premiums? A: Yes. If your income and resources are limited, your state may be able to help with your Medicare Part B premium, deductibles and co-insurance amounts. ...

How Pittsburgh got its green back >>>>>>>>

Toronto Star - Mitch Potter

Home to the Andy Warhol Museum, above, Pittsburgh has a thriving arts community and was named "America's most livable city" by The Economist. ...

Also Read:

"Why So Many Folks Are Retiring to Pennsylvania"

These Ten U.S. Cities are Primed for Real Estate Recovery

A stutter-step economic recovery seems to be underway, with signs that the housing bust and employment wipeout may finally be moderating. But economists still have a lot of major worries. U.S. News & World Report compiled a list of cities likely to escape the commercial real estate scourge and transition soon to a bona fide recovery. Find out where they are.

12-10-09 Reid Presents Health Care Bill That Cuts $130 Billion from the Federal Deficit
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Thursday August 26, 2010 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) presented an $848 billion health-care overhaul package that would help Americans of all ages better afford to see a doctor and get a prescription filled. An analysis of the Senate bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office determined that it would cut federal deficits by $130 billion over the next decade. "Our nation's retirees need lower prescription drug prices, the ability to get life-saving preventive screenings and tests, and an end to the Medicare Trust Fund-draining subsidies to the private insurance companies who run Medicare Advantage programs. Senator Reid's bill offers solid progress in these important areas," said Edward F. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans. "We are also pleased to see bill include a public option." On Saturday, November 21, 2009, the Senate voted 60 for, 38 against allowing the bill to move forward for debate. No Republicans voted yes.

11-23-09

11-14-09

IT'S OFFICIAL - - NO COLA FOR 2010

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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.

11-14-09

Obama calls for $250 payment to Seniors in 2010

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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.

11-14-09

WHY THERE MUST BE A GOVERNMENT OPTION WITH UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE

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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

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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 Complete Article

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 ...

Seven Women's Autoimmune Problems Doctors Miss

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.

Medicare changes coming into focus

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

Scientists find path to fountain of youth

AFP

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 ...

Cheap three-drug combination helps cut heart risks

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."

House Votes to Block Increase in Medicare Part B Premiums

New York Times

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.

11-03-09 NEW REPORT SHOWS SENIORS TO BENEFIT FROM HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM
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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.

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

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.
Higher-income beneficiaries pay $110.50 plus an additional amount, based on the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA).

10-19-09

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."

10-17-09

SEN. SANDERS (I-Vermont, caucuses with D's)) HAS MADE PROPOSAL TO SAVE COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY RECIPIENTS
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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.

10-15-09

BAUCUS' HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL CRITICIZED BY SENIOR ADVOCATES
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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.

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. ...

GOP pushes charade to 'protect' seniors' health

Kansas City Star

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.

Health Care Hypocrisy

Newsweek

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

U.K. Health System, Maligned in U.S., Draws Praise at Home

Wall Street Journal - Alistair Macdonald

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 ...

A Canadian doctor diagnoses US healthcare

Los Angeles Times

The caricature of 'socialized medicine' is used by corporate interests to confuse Americans and maintain their bottom lines instead of patients' health.

Poll: Canadians like their health care despite grumbles

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 ...

10-01-09

09-20-09

09-19-09

9-14-09

9-11-09

8-15-09

8-07-09

In an email to members of the Alliance for Retired Americans, the following was asserted:

7-17-09

"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.

7-17-09

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

7-17-09

SAINATO CO-SPONSORS BILL TO EXPAND PENNSYLVANIA PACENET

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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

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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

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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
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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
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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

FREE STIMULUS CASH? DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE.

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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"

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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.

5-23-09

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE, AND DRUG PLANS, FACE INCREASED SCRUTINY
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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

Warning about mixing cardiac drugs with heartburn medications

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

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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
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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?

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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

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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
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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 ???

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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
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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? August 26, 2010 -- AND LET SENIORARK KNOW IF YOUR LIFE IS AT RISK BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO HEAT.

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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
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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
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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
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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

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 ...

Big Play by Steelers’ Harrison Took His (and Others’) Breath Away
New York Times - February 2, 2009
James Harrison was exhausted after intercepting a Kurt Warner pass and rumbling 100 yards for a touchdown. It was the longest play in Super Bowl history.

Dungy: Rooney Rule opened up pipeline for minorities
USA Today - February 2, 2009
The progressive impact of the Rooney Rule was overshadowed by the improbable Super Bowl ...

Tomlin becomes youngest coach to win Super Bowl
USA Today - February 2, 2009
Tomlin, 36, became the youngest coach ever to win the Super Bowl. But his youth belies his confidence. He had seen the Steelers come back in the final ...

SeniorArk is headquartered 45 miles north of Pittsburgh. We have tried to remain impartial all week, but today must say, WAY TO GO STEELERS!

1-1-09

MEDICARE PART D "DOUGHNUT HOLE" REMAINS CONFUSING TO ENROLLEES

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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.

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.

12-1-09

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!

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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.

12-1-09

LATE AUTUMN MIRACLES - Bob Fassbach, editor, www.seniorark.com

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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."

12-1-09

MEDICARE PART "B" PREMIUM WILL NOT GO UP IN 2009, COLA WILL GO UP.
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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

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We cannot sustain a further burden on the Medicare Trust Fund, so costs to the non-senior member must be determined, and assessed to the user, or the employer. But this would be a very efficient, proven, health delivery method.

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Uninformed comment of the month:

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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. ...

WARNING: