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Dear Savvy Senior: My brother and his wife, who are ages 60 and 56, were recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and prediabetes, and neither one had a clue. Could I have it too? - Concerned Sibling Dear Concerned: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly 115 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes today, but most of them don’t even know they have it. Here’s how to know if you’re at risk. The problem with diabetes is that most people don’t start thinking about it until they’re diagnosed, and that’s too late. Di...
The Anchorage Senior Activity Center has joined the National Council on Aging’s (NCOA) network dedicated to helping people with Medicare improve their financial outlook by enrolling in programs to help them afford health care, prescriptions, food and more. Nationally, half of all people with Medicare live on incomes less than $26,200 per year, and they often lack the resources needed to meet basic living expenses. Federal, state and local programs exist to help these individuals, but many people do not know how to apply for assistance. The Anch...
Want to secure your future? Start with AARP’s Medicare and retirement workshops around the state this spring. Free and open to the public. Attend any or all sessions offered within each workshop. April 13 and 14, Wasilla at Grand View Hotel, 2900 E. Parks Hwy. April 27 and 28, Juneau at Centennial Hall, 101 Egan Dr. May 11 and 12, Fairbanks at Westmark Fairbanks Hotel & Conference Center, 813 Noble St. Two identical Medicare workshops, “Get Ready for Medicare,” will be offered on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 to 11 a.m. at all l...
The frenetic pandemonium of Donald Trump’s first year as president has overshadowed his administration’s efforts through executive orders and regulation changes to reshape American life. Stymied by his failure to win congressional approval for most of his big-ticket campaign promises like a border wall with Mexico or the total repeal of President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare reform, Trump has turned to administrative action for his successes. As he learned with the tax cuts, working with Congress on legislation often takes time. But a...
Well, here we are, in the middle of the annual General Enrollment Period (GEP) for Medicare. Unlike the annual Part D Open Enrollment Period, for prescription drug coverage, which runs each year from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, the GEP runs from Jan. 1 to March 31 of each year. This enrollment period is your opportunity to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B if you have missed your initial enrollment period (IEP) that spans the seven-month window surrounding your birth month the year you turn 65. You...
Save the Date for Hospice of Anchorage’s 16th Annual Heroes of Healthcare Awards Black Tie Event and Auction at the Anchorage Marriott Hotel on Saturday, April 14. Heroes of Healthcare is a way to recognize significant contributions and service to the community. This event is also an annual fundraiser for Hospice of Anchorage. Individuals have the opportunity to sponsor a table and bring eight guests to attend the event as well as participate in the silent and live auction. There are different levels of sponsorship starting at partner level of...
The National Resource Center for Alaska Native Elders, in partnership with the National Indigenous Elder Justice Initiative, will be hosting a workshop to provide training, education, and national/state/tribal resources for the identification and prevention of Elder Abuse among Alaska Natives. This free two-day training event targets those working directly with Native elders either in urban and/or rural areas, with attendees including Community Health Aides, VPSOs, Ombudsman, Adult Protective Services officers, caregivers, family members and...
The advent of planes, trains and automobiles for the purpose of efficiently transporting humans around the globe has meant more than just fast travel. Clinging to our bodies, gear and found within the air we breathe are millions of viruses and infections, some mild, some not, but each harboring the potential to wreck a vacation. A perfect example is this year’s influenza outbreaks in the United States, where experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised the alert of high flu incidence to 43 states, Alaska included (...
With the tax bill signed into law, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has set his sights on reforming Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and welfare in 2018. But he will have to overcome several big barriers to be successful, including reversing President Donald Trump’s repeated campaign pledge not to touch those specific federal entitlement programs for the elderly. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Ryan are also at odds over whether to tackle entitlement reform in a mid-term election year, which traditionally favors the p...
With the new year, many Medicare beneficiaries have enrolled in a Part D, prescription drug plan, possibly for the first time. There are several ways to make the most of your Part D benefit and we will examine them. What you should expect from your Part D plan Once you have enrolled in a plan you should receive, within two weeks, a letter letting you know your enrollment information has been received. Within five weeks you should receive a welcome packet that will include several items. You...
Will Social Security be in your future? The short answer is “yes.” The other short answer is “maybe.” Let’s start at the beginning. Who cares if Social Security has a future? About 61 million people, or more than one in every six U.S. residents, currently collect Social Security benefits. They care. About 40 percent of Americans age 65 and older would have incomes below the poverty line without Social Security benefits. With Social Security benefits, 9 percent do. They certainly care. The median retirement account balance is $2,500 for all w...
In the nation’s capital, where politicians are always wearing partisan political jerseys, the nomination of Alex Azar to be the new Health and Human Services Secretary may offer the hope of a fresh start on health care issues. President Trump’s recent nominee to run HHS, the largest agency in the federal government, has steadfastly opposed President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA), which Azar often describes as “circling the drain.” So the 50-year-old Indiana native is not likely to get many Democrats on his side when the Senate votes on...
Some of the costs for Medicare will hold steady in 2018 and others will see some increase. Medicare Part A Also known as Hospital Insurance, Part A covers in-patient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, skilled home health care and hospice care. Premiums. Most people pay no monthly premium for Part A because they have 40 credits on file with Social Security by paying FICA taxes through their employment. However, some people will pay for Part A. If you have between 30 and 40 credits, you...
I consider myself an expert in the areas of retirement and personal finance, but I admit that I’ve put review of my Medicare coverage on autopilot. I am the author of the Washington Post bestseller, “AARP Roadmap for the Rest of Your Life,” and have written many other books and articles on the subject. Yet health insurance can be challenging to understand for me too. There is a new survey that was recently released called The “Cost of Complacency,” that was conducted by Kelton Global on behalf of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. The survey fo...
Diabetes is one of the most common and costly chronic diseases in the U.S. Over 30 million adults (12 percent) have diabetes, and total medical costs and lost work and wages for people with diabetes totaled $245 billion in 2012. Another 84 million adults (34 percent) have prediabetes, putting them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is a serious health condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. Diabetes progresses over time and can lead to serious health...
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Senior Center directors meet bi-annually to discuss common issues in senior services, sharing challenges and successes. Together, we create efficient and unduplicated senior services, assisting seniors in maintaining independent and quality lives. October's meeting brought three new leaders to the table, after long time directors Jan Fena (Soldotna), Rachael Craig (Kenai) and Ron Sloan (Cooper Landing) retired, taking with them an accumulation of 70 years in senior se...
The Trump administration is planning to end another Obama-era regulation involving nursing homes, which was designed to shield the elderly from unscrupulous, abusive or bad nursing home practices. At the end of the Obama administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rules that would’ve made it easier for nursing home residents or their families to take facilities to court over alleged abuse, neglect or sexual assault. Now, Trump is proposing to replace that rule with one that could make it almost impossible for n...
Have you reviewed your prescription drug coverage for 2018? The Open Enrollment Period for Part D and Medicare Advantage Plans is in full swing. Beginning Oct. 15 and continuing until Dec. 7, Medicare beneficiaries have to opportunity to review their coverage, determine the most appropriate plan for 2018 and enroll. There are no public Medicare Advantage plans being offered in Alaska however, there will be 19 Medicare prescription drug plans offered. Medicare beneficiaries are encouraged to reme...
More than 25 percent of possible sexual and physical abuse cases against nursing home patients were not reported to police, warns a new government audit. The Health and Human Services inspector general’s office issued an unusual “early alert” recently, based on preliminary findings from a large sampling of cases in 33 states. The IG’s report blamed Medicare for failing to enforce federal law, which requires that nursing homes immediately notify the police in abuse cases. Investigators issued the early warning because they found that the res...
Fall is in the air! Time for pumpkin spiced treats, watching football, getting out our winter gear, putting on our studded tires, and for Medicare beneficiaries, it is time to review our prescription drug coverage. Known by a number of titles such as the Fall Open Enrollment period, the Part D Open Enrollment, or Medicare’s Open Enrollment, each autumn between October 15 and December 7, Medicare offers the opportunity for Medicare beneficiaries to make changes to their coverage. These changes c...
Dear Savvy Senior: I’m concerned that my 80-year-old mother is taking too many medications. She currently takes 10 different drugs prescribed by three different doctors, which I think is causing her some problems. She also struggles to keep up with all the drug costs. Any suggestions? - Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned: There’s no doubt that older Americans are taking more prescription medications than ever before. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, around 40 percent of seniors, age 65 and older, take five or mor...
For now, Social Security is in the black. In 2016 the Social Security Administration (SSA) took in income of $957 billion, which includes interest income. During the same year, it had total expenditures of $922 billion, adding $35 billion to its asset reserves. The reserves together with new income that is projected, should be enough to cover SSA’s costs for another 10 years. But unless something changes, by 2022 the expenditures will start to outpace the income, gradually gobbling up the reserves. Who’s collecting Social Security benefits now?...
In a community with strong volunteers, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) hosted by the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. (APIA) can attest to the unified, strong and community-minded senior volunteer pool that drives this effort. The RSVP program at APIA is rounding its third year in the Anchorage and Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Within the first three years this program has started from scratch to build a program that offers opportunities for seniors age 55 years and...
If you thought the bitter partisan fight over the “repeal and replace” of President Obama’s health care law was ugly, ratchet up the intensity – the next fight over Trump’s budget, including sweeping changes to Medicare, is about to start, just as Congress faces a fiscal crisis. These Medicare changes would raise the eligibility age and convert the program to a voucher program affecting all 55.5 million seniors currently using the program and millions more about to become Medicare eligible. President Donald Trump wants Congress’s next move t...
Welcome to autumn! This season is when Medicare Beneficiaries are going to receive valuable and pertinent information in the mail about their benefits and upcoming changes in preparation for the Part D Open Enrollment period. The Open Enrollment Period is an important opportunity that is provided to Medicare beneficiaries annually to evaluate their prescription drug coverage and to make changes if they desire. It occurs from October 15 to December 7 annually. Medicare and You Handbook. Each Medi...
