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Most Americans and leading presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle support the idea that the federal government should lower drug prices. But it's not likely to happen any time soon even though the Obama administration and Congress are considering some proposals and ideas moving in that direction. This is a key issue for the 55 million seniors on Medicare. A recent Stanford Center on Longevity study found that almost half (47 percent) of Americans age 75 and older took five or more prescription drugs in 2011, nearly double the 24...
Be cheerful in the merry month of May, a harbinger of Summer’s advent, and good times will soon be here. That is, if you all vote ... the right way. JOKE! Seriously, here are five reasons to vote: 1. To speak your mind, to tell elected officials how you feel about health care, Social Security, the environment, education (especially if you have children or grand children). 2. To control our future, elected officials make decisions that affect our daily lives. 3. To stop complaining and make t...
Citing low public interest and little need, Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre vetoed a resolution to create a senior task force on Feb. 23. The resolution, brought forward by senior advocate Peter Zuyus and Kenai Peninsula Borough assembly member Kelly Cooper, was intended to form the task force to serve as a resource for seniors in the Kenai Peninsula. “We wanted a pathway for seniors to ask questions and offer commentary on the borough level,” said Zuyus. “Other boroughs have similar setups, and there are no representatives from...
The budget axe continues to fall on programs affecting low income seniors as lawmakers deliberate where to cut state spending to help offset a huge budget deficit. Although the numbers can be a moving target as legislators debate and negotiate, at Senior Voice press time March 29, a few proposals seemed to be moving forward. Senior Benefits program The legislature looks set to eliminate the monthly cash assistance benefit to the top income tier of seniors in the program, those who earn up to $25,760 annually. Up until now, the program has paid...
The good news is, overall, we’re living longer. But the bad news is, many of us will live longer but only with the assistance of a nursing home or at a minimum, home health aides. What’s the likelihood you or someone you love will require long-term care? According to the government website, www.longtermcare.gov, adults who are 65 years old today have nearly a 70 percent chance of needing some type of long-term care (LTC) services and support in their remaining years. Men average 2.2 years in long-term care, while women spend an average of 3.7...
Editor's note: This is an expanded version of the story appearing in the April 2016 Senior Voice print edition. The next big health crisis is the battle over chronic care and long-term care. Patient advocates, policy experts and lawmakers call it the “silent crisis” – one that potentially will affect every American family: the inability to plan and pay for long-term care. Some modest bipartisan cooperation to find a solution is emerging, despite it being a contentious election year. A bipartisan group of senators are trying to find actua...
I know the winter sports enthusiasts will not be agreeing with me, but I am glad we have had a short winter and an early spring and (knock wood!) my roof is still intact. March 23 was the sixth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as the Obama Care Act, or ultimately as “Obama Cares,” and we know he does. For those in Congress who have tried to eradicate this bill (law) over 62 times, I would again like to inform you of the benefits it has brought to you: • since the bill...
Public Law calls for VA to provide you hospital care and outpatient care services that are defined as “needed.” VA defines “needed” as care or service that will promote, preserve, and restore health. This includes treatment, procedures, supplies, or services. This decision of need will be based on the judgment of your health care provider and in accordance with generally accepted standards of clinical practice. The following three categories contain a list of health care services that are provid...
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body is unable to control the amount of sugar, or glucose, in the blood. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases with age, and left uncontrolled, it can result in dangerous health conditions. One in five Alaskans age 65 and older has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and one in 10 has pre-diabetes, which puts them at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Many other Alaska seniors have not been tested and are unaware that they have either of these conditio...
Editor’s note: The ACOs discussed in this national story have not reached Alaska, but the emphasis on outcomes for patients and reimbursing for coordinated care will become increasingly relevant to the health care system as a whole. Big changes are coming for most seniors as the Obama administration aggressively pushes to change the way doctors are paid – moving from tying their fees for every service provided to payments based on the quality of the care patients receive. This means a big expansion in an effort by Medicare to keep seniors hea...
We are not afraid of the ides of March anymore, since the IRS beckons us now to the ides of April. For the many questions I have been asked about the differences between Medicare and Medicaid, I will explain. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs like nursing home care and personal care services, for some people with limited income and resources. You may be eligible for extra help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D), even if your income...
As the 2016 presidential primaries and the nomination fights move to the political front burner, a look at the health care and Medicare policies of the candidates raises questions of how far the candidates and their parties want to go in pushing for changes. Republican presidential candidates are sharply divided over whether to seek drastic changes to Medicare, Social Security and other entitlement funds at the same time as Congressional Republicans continue to push repealing Obamacare. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is...
You may file for your 2016 Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend today. If you choose, you can designate a portion of your PFD to support non-profit organizations in Alaska who are eligible for the Pick.Click.Give. program. This year, Older Persons Action Group is eligible and will appreciate all Pick.Click.Give. donations, which will help us continue our programs, including publication of Senior Voice and the Directory for Older Alaskans, free Medicare counseling, free educational forums and more. Visit https://pfd.alaska.gov/ to file online....
People with Medicare can get off to a healthy start in the new year. Medicare covers a full range of preventive services to help keep you healthy and find problems early, when treatment is most effective. If you have Original Medicare, you’ll be able to get a yearly “Wellness” visit and many preventive services at no cost to you. Talk with your doctor or health care provider to find out what tests or other services you may need. Medical assistance and your taxes If you are one of the milli...
There are traditional ways to show your love on Valentine’s Day. You can buy a card that expresses your true feelings and give it to someone you care about. There are also heart-shaped boxes of assorted chocolates and bouquets of roses. A powerful and lasting way to express your love is to show that you care about a family member or friend’s future. Everyone you love probably wants to enjoy retirement once they decide to stop working. Preparing for that future takes planning and careful thought about when and how you want to do it. Social Sec...
A new law signed by President Obama will help shield some 17 million Americans from steep premium hikes. But many will continue to see changes in the amounts they pay for Medicare next year. About 30 percent of Medicare beneficiaries were facing a 52 percent increase in their Medicare Part B medical insurance premiums and deductible in 2016. But Congress and the Obama Administration worked out an agreement so beneficiaries will pay about $119 per month instead of $159.30 for Part B. The remaining 70 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will contin...
You may file your 2016 Alaska Permanent Fund Divided beginning Jan. 1, 2016. If you choose, you can designate a portion of your PFD to support non-profit organizations in Alaska who are eligible for the Pick.Click.Give. program. This year, Older Persons Action Group is eligible and will appreciate all Pick.Click.Give. donations, which will help us continue our programs, including publication of Senior Voice and the Directory for Older Alaskans, free Medicare counseling, free educational forums and more. Visit https://pfd.alaska.gov/ to file...
Dear Senator Murkowski: The Alaska Commission on Aging (ACoA) is gravely concerned about the proposed 42 percent reduction to the federal State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), from $52 million to $30 million, at a time when Alaska and our nation has witnessed unprecedented growth in our older adult populations. Alaska’s population of people age 65 and older, who number 71,080 and growing at an annual rate of 6 percent, is projected to more than double by 2030 to 152,740. Alaska’s growth rate of the 65+ population is more than 2.5...
I became President and CEO of the Foundation for Hospice and Homecare earlier this year, because I understood the home care and hospice community is committed to every person’s right to receive care in the setting of their choice. Simply put, people prefer to receive high quality care in the convenience of their own homes near family and friends. This is especially true in Alaska, where the challenges of traveling to receive hospital care can be prohibitive for many. A new study released by the Foundation for Hospice and Homecare sheds light o...
I have been asked what the difference is between a primary and secondary payer in Medicare. The insurance that pays first (primary payer) pays up to the limits of its coverage. The one that pays second (secondary payer) only pays if there are costs the primary insurer didn’t cover. The secondary payer (which may be Medicare) may not pay all the uncovered costs. Remember, Medicare usually pays only 80 percent of the cost of the medical procedure. If your employer insurance is the secondary payer,...
You’ve probably already heard that Social Security recipients will not get a raise in their benefits in 2016. One person’s bad news is often the next guy’s good news. Social Security raises are tied to inflation, and of course high inflation is bad for the economy as a whole. But high inflation means a stiff raise in Social Security benefits. This year, inflation was ultra-low, and that means no raise for Social Security. For 2015, benefits rose only slightly, by 1.7 percent. For 2016, the average monthly benefit for Social Security recipients...
Older Persons Action Group, Inc. conducted its annual membership meeting Nov. 19 in Anchorage. At the meeting, board members nominated and voted for officers. The newly-elected officers are as follows: Yvonne M. Chase, president; Pam Yeargan, vice president; Mike Dryden, treasurer; Rita Hatch, secretary. Thank you to Access Alaska, for use of their conference room for the event. Thanks also to OPAG administrative assistant Maggie Zabinko for organizing the event and arranging for the delicious food. Thanks, too, to other board members who...
I cannot believe that this year is almost over. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! It is ironic to me that although I have helped so many people in all the years that I have been working with AARP and the Older Persons Action Group this is the first year I will have been alone through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Due to my advanced age I have lost all my friends, who have either moved out of Alaska or are deceased. My small family lives a thousand miles away and will not be...
“Aging Alaskans Info” is a blog and website which I started earlier this year to be a comprehensive resource for aging Alaskans and our families. I started the website for reasons that were personal and difficult, yet familiar to most of us. I have been in Alaska since 1982, but in the last decade I was responsible for the care of my elderly mother and aunt, who were both living in New Mexico. They have since passed away, but it was a tremendous struggle to try to help them manage their lives from such a great distance. This stressful exp...
The annual window for Medicare beneficiaries to review their prescription drug, or Part D, insurance plan options for next year is open until Dec. 7, 2015. Alaskans who get both Medicaid and Medicare can enroll or change plans any time. “Consumers should always compare plans, but this year it’s more important than ever,” said Judith Bendersky of Alaska’s Medicare Information Office. “Plan premiums are trending upward for the first time in years, so are many medication costs, and most of the plans that did not have an annual deductibl...
