(478) stories found containing 'Medicare'


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  • Free brown bag educational series in Anchorage

    Senior Voice Staff|Jan 1, 2014

    The Anchorage Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is offering a free “Brown Bag” educational series, with guest presentations from various senior-related agencies. The presentations take place on the second Tuesday of each month, noon to 1 p.m., at the Anchorage Dept. of Health and Human Services Bldg., 825 L Street, in the Jewel Jones Conference Room on the fourth floor. Bring a lunch and learn something new. The presentation schedule: Jan. 14, Alaska Legal Services Feb. 11, Medicare Fraud March 11, Alzheimer’s Resource of Alask...

  • Fares increase for Anchorage bus riders

    Theda Pittman, For Senior Voice|Jan 1, 2014

    Anchorage seniors ride the People Mover buses at half the cost of others on board. But all fares have been raised effective New Year's Day. The fare schedule has also been simplified so that regardless of whether one buys a pass or pays for each trip individually, the reduced fare is half the full fare. Seniors and others who qualify need to have one dollar in exact change, instead of 50 cents, when they board for one trip. They also need to show proof of eligibility which includes a picture ID...

  • Alaskans benefit from a sound federal budget

    Leonard T. Kelley, Older Persons Action Group|Jan 1, 2014

    Prior to construction of the Alaska oil pipeline, Alaska’s economy was principally financed with federal monies. The federal government still provides substantial funding to the state in the form of federal land control, military personnel and facilities. The federal government also funds veterans health care, Indian health care, Social Security benefits, Medicaid, Medicare benefits, not to mention the Housing and Urban Development agency, environmental protection and other federal agencies. Alaska has always received more federal monies than A...

  • New column will focus on health care for veterans

    Mike Dryden, Senior Voice Correspondent|Jan 1, 2014

    Beginning with the next issue of Senior Voice, I will contribute a monthly article on veteran health care in Alaska. As a current consumer of VA, Medicare and Tricare, I am in a unique position to report from the ground on the quality of care afforded our senior veterans. Over the course of this year, I will highlight new services, funding (or the lack of) and the delivery of long-earned veteran health care benefits in the hopes of empowering this large and deserving segment of our Alaskan senior family so they may enjoy the health care they...

  • AARP Alaska outlines its legislative priorities

    Ken Helander, AARP Alaska|Jan 1, 2014

    Advocacy efforts for AARP state offices cover national, state, and local issues in accordance with AARP’s established policy guidelines. While the national office sets priorities for all state offices, each state also has flexibility to define priorities for local issues. Advocacy also goes beyond policy and lawmaking to include development of community coalitions, organized for specific purposes and shared goals. Most significantly, AARP Alaska advocates with the voices of its more than 90,000 members in the state. National priorities S...

  • Older Alaskans deserve an expanded Medicaid

    Byron Mallett, For Senior Voice|Jan 1, 2014

    Governor Sean Parnell’s refusal to expand Medicaid that would cover 41,000 Alaskans is a bitter pill for older Alaskans. Of the 41,000 people who would have gained health coverage under this opportunity, over 11,000, or nearly 30 percent, are between the ages of 45 and 64. These individuals who are aging but not yet eligible for Medicare are left in a precarious spot if they don’t have other insurance coverage. These are people we know. They are helping to raise their grandchildren or nieces and nephews. They cannot work full time because of...

  • Medicare, low-income subsidies and retiree benefits

    Rita Hatch, Senior Voice Correspondent|Jan 1, 2014

    Well, we made it through another chaotic year and I wish you all a new and happier year to come. There is some good news to report, although it is not earth-shaking. Social Security is giving all its beneficiaries a 1.5 percent COLA (cost of living adjustment) increase for 2014. And the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax will be increased to $117,000, up from last year’s $113,000. Just as a note to myself, if there was no limit on the amount of earnings that could b...

  • Medicare in 2014: What you need to know

    Ron Pollack, Families USA|Jan 1, 2014

    It’s the start of a new year, which is a time of review and reflection for many people. Now is also a good time to look at the Medicare changes that will happen this year, and a good time to talk about Medicare as an important source of health coverage for readers who’ll be turning 65. Q. What will 2014 bring for Medicare beneficiaries in terms of changes in out-of-pocket costs? While prices for everything seem to go up every year, the good news for Medicare beneficiaries is that premiums for Medicare Part B will remain the same for 2014, holdi...

  • Survey contrasts attitudes of centenarians vs. baby boomers

    Tait Trussell, Senior Wire|Dec 1, 2013

    Only six percent of centenarians say they wished they had more money. This is indeed surprising because most people don’t expect to live to age 100, so many have run short of retirement savings before reaching this advanced age. This small proportion who indicated they were okay financially was among the findings in a survey conducted last spring by the GFK Roper firm for UnitedHealthcare insurance company. Having a longer life doesn’t mean having a longer list of regrets either. When asked what these centenarians would have done differently if...

  • Subtle symptoms may indicate male menopause

    Tait Trussell, Senior Wire|Dec 1, 2013

    Menopause, or change of life – as women become too old to bear children – can frequently be an agonizing and stressful time. But did you know there is male menopause? It’s one of the “most under-diagnosed” ailments among older men, according to Dr. Charles Cartwright of Urology Associates of Lake County, Florida. Cartwright is part of a group of central Florida urologists who have been trying to find new and better treatments for male menopause. He has diagnosed and treated hundreds of cases in his practice. As men age, their productio...

  • News about Medicare, poverty guidelines and more

    Rita Hatch, Senior Voice Correspondent|Dec 1, 2013

    Time is running short December 7 is the last day you can change your plan for the Medicare drug program Part D, unless you are also on Medicaid or new to Medicare or need financial help. Some good news regarding Medicare costs The good news is that the 2014 Medicare premium, for those whose annual income is under $85,001, will be the same $104.90 and the Part B deductible will be the same $147 as in 2013. More about the insurance ‘Marketplace’ If you are on Medicare, Medicaid, TriCare, Ind...

  • 'Last chance' help with Medicare prescription drug plan enrollment

    Judith Bendersky, Alaska Medicare Information Office|Dec 1, 2013

    If you need to sit down face-to-face with a certified Medicare counselor, there will be a “Last Chance Medicare Prescription Enrollment Clinic” at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, December 2 and 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The address is 3200 Providence Drive (Elevator A to HIM training room near the Subway sandwich shop). There also will be a clinic at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, December 5, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If those times don’t work for you, call the Medicare Information Office at 269-3680 in Anchorage or toll-free from anywh...

  • Scammers targeting Alaskans' Medicare and banking info

    Nov 1, 2013

    The Alaska State Medicare Information Office is spreading this alert about a prevalent scam: Scammers pretending to be Medicare representatives have been calling Alaska seniors recently looking for their Medicare numbers and banking information. They say they need the information so that the senior can get a new Medicare card. (Frequently they say it is needed under the Affordable Care Act.) Medicare will never contact beneficiaries by phone, email, or at their door seeking personal information. Neither Medicare nor Social Security needs...

  • Tools for creating and for living

    Dianne Barske, For Senior Voice|Nov 1, 2013

    "Our objective is helping people to live as independently as they would like. Confidence is our goal." Lowell Zercher, Manual Skills Instructor for the Alaska Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, chooses these words to explain the mission of the center. "We want our clients to be involved in life, to meet their life and work goals and contribute their talents to others, to the community." Lowell has worked at the center in Anchorage for 14 years. He is often found in the shop at the...

  • Seniors, watch out: Scammers are targeting you

    Leonard T. Kelley, Older Persons Action Group|Nov 1, 2013

    We seniors are natural scam targets and very susceptible to fraud. As we get older we are less likely to consider the downside of the financial risks – we are more apt to look at the upside. We are less critical in our decision making, which makes us vulnerable. The scammers are perceived as trustworthy helpers. They may be a family member, financial advisor or another senior. The National Council on Aging, AARP and OPAG suggest you watch out for the following scams: Prescription drug scams. Seniors often take a myriad of prescription medicatio...

  • Hospice: care with comfort and dignity

    Vanessa Salinas, For Senior Voice|Nov 1, 2013

    “It was hard to see him go, he could hardly speak. I was so glad to have him here at home. One night I watched the kitty jump up on the bed near his head and Dick said very clearly ‘Hi Zackie.’ I knew then Dick knew he was home”. – June Juelson, widow of Richard Juelson, Anchorage. At any age, we must all face the possibility of a serious illness that we or our family and friends will not survive. Hospice helps patients and families focus on living by offering a family-centered team of trained professionals who provide care in the home, hos...

  • More news about Medicare -- and then some more

    Rita Hatch, Senior Voice Correspondent|Nov 1, 2013

    I bring you some details about the Medicare Part D drug program for 2014. Enrollment started October 15th and will continue until Dec. 7, 2014. The lowest premium is $12.50 per month but there is a deductible of $310 with that plan, which you must pay before the insurance kicks in. There are 25 different plans with the prices for the monthly premium running from the aforementioned $12.50 up to $136. You can see a chart of the Alaska Medicare Part D plans for 2014 on page 10 of the November...

  • Be alert for Medicare and Marketplace fraud

    Judith Bendersky, Alaska Medicare Information Office|Oct 1, 2013

    While people in Alaska such as Navigators, Assistors and staff in many departments are preparing for people to enroll in the Affordable Care Act’s (Obamacare) Health Insurance Marketplace, scam artists and crooks are licking their chops, too. Fraudsters look for a period of transition where there is consumer confusion and prey on fear and misinformation. There will be con artists calling and sending literature that looks like the real deal and there will be scams of products offering what looks like a real insurance product but isn’t. And the...

  • Medicare shopping season is here

    Rita Hatch, Senior Voice Correspondent|Oct 1, 2013

    This month, October, is going to be a busy month for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries. October 15 through December 7, 2013, is the timeline to check out the Medicare Part D prescription drug program to see how the insurance companies are going to be treating us for the next year. By Sept. 30, you should hear from the company whose plan you are on with information about what changes they are planning in the cost of your monthly premium, deductible and formulary, as these may change from...

  • Meet OPAG's newest information assistant

    Toney Bischoff, For Senior Voice|Oct 1, 2013

    My name is Charles Bischoff but I prefer to be known as “Toney.” I am a senior at University of Alaska Anchorage in human services and have been an intern at Older Persons Action Group for seven months. I received my Medicare Certification in August of this year and will be working with Rita Hatch in the Medicare Counseling and Assistance program at OPAG for another 10 months. I will continue my education with UAA until I receive my Master’s Certificate and plan to work within the Medic...

  • Medicare Information Office is ready to help

    Judith Bendersky, Alaska Medicare Information Office|Oct 1, 2013

    The Medicare Information Office and its satellite offices around the state will be available for consultation during the annual enrollment period, October 15 through December 7. If your prescription insurance coverage is a Medicare Part D Plan, this is the ideal time to get out your red, white and blue Medicare card and a list of your prescriptions and have a counselor do a plan comparison to advise you of your choices for 2014. We’ll also check on whether you might qualify for the “extra help” program which greatly reduces your out of pocke...

  • Free training and support for family caregivers

    Senior Voice Staff|Oct 1, 2013

    A special all-day “Savvy Caregiver Workshop” will be offered by the Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska this month for caregivers in Soldotna and Homer. The dates and locations are: Oct. 17, Soldotna Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 22, Homer Senior Center, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about the workshops or to register, call 1-800-478-1080. Training and support meetings The Kenai Peninsula Family Caregiver Support Program will hold the following meetings and trainings in October: Oct. 1, Caregiver training at Sterling Senior Center, 1 to 2...

  • Avoid the flood of health care scams

    Teresa Ambord, Senior Wire|Sep 1, 2013

    Confusion is common when laws change. And that may be even more true with health care reform, since nobody – including those in Congress who created the law – seems to understand it. One thing is certain, scam artists are out there taking advantage of the lack of knowledge to steal from trusting victims across the country. “There’s been a rapid increase in scams exploiting the confusion over health care reform,” confirmed Jim Quiggle, the spokesman for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. “People are uncertain what it means to them and sw...

  • Home health coverage, shingles vaccines and more

    Rita Hatch, Senior Voice Correspondent|Sep 1, 2013

    I just thought you might want to know that on Wednesday, August 14, Social Security celebrated 78 years of providing retirement security to older Americans. In this time of financial uncertainty, when other sources of retirement income such as pensions and savings are increasingly out of reach for many Americans, Social Security is more important than ever, especially for those who do not have any other retirement income. July 30 marked the 48th anniversary of the establishment of Medicare and...

  • FAQs about the Marketplace and your Medicare

    U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services|Sep 1, 2013

    How will the health insurance Marketplace that starts in 2014 affect my Medicare coverage? The Health Insurance Marketplace is designed to help people who don’t have any health insurance. You have health insurance through Medicare. The Marketplace won’t have any effect on your Medicare coverage. Your Medicare benefits aren’t changing. No matter how you get Medicare, whether through Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan, you’ll still have the same benefits and security you have now, and you won’t have to make any changes. The Marketpla...

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