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“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Sept. 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center. This month, learn how United States Senators and Representatives offer Constituent Services for the people they represent in Congress. Casework staff located at home district offices of Congress members provide services such as contacting federal agencies for problems with a wide range of issues including health care; consume...
A new initiative from AARP contends the American Health Care Act, better known as the AHCA, will be bad for seniors, and cites specific impacts to Alaskans. The Act is headed to the U.S. Senate after passage May 4 by the House of Representatives, as a replacement to the Affordable Care Act, known also as Obamacare. “Tens of thousands of Alaskans will be adversely affected if the AHCA passes,” headlines a May 22 AARP press statement, forwarded to Senior Voice by AARP’s Alaska office. The statement was attached to a letter from AARP Execu...
Editor’s note: This analysis piece was submitted while Tom Price was in Congressional hearings for HHS Secretary confirmation. All eyes on Capitol Hill are focused on the fight over the “repeal and replacement” of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, by the new Republican-controlled Congress and the Trump administration. But don’t get confused. That’s only the warmup card. The championship round could be the battles over the future of Medicare and Medicaid. While Donald J. Trump and his administration settle in to their new j...
Health care issues are certain to be at the top of president-elect Donald Trump’s agenda when he takes office January 20. But how he handles the controversies sure to erupt around repealing and replacing Obamacare, efforts to turn Medicare into a voucher program, and the nomination of conservative Rep. Tom Price to head the Health and Human Services Department are still to play out over the next few months. Trump and congressional Republicans have made no secret of their united desire to repeal and replace President Obama’s signature hea...
With the nation sharply focusing on the Nov. 8 presidential election, the choice between Republican candidate Donald J. Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton has been all about personalities, not about policy differences. Facts have taken a back seat to flamboyance. To many, the election choice seems to be between an ethically-challenged, calculating lawyer/politician versus a drunk-uncle-style egomaniac. No surprise then, that both Trump and Clinton have unfavorable ratings above 50 percent in most polls, leaving many voters to hold...
Put the president’s health care law aside, at least for now. Temporarily forget that the nation just went through the government shutdown ordeal. Get ready for the next crisis. It’s already on its way. Democratic and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill have until December 13 to reach an agreement to fix the nation’s budget woes. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., are coordinating a 29-member panel to reach consensus by that time. In short, the outlines of the probl...
Sign-up for the Affordable Care Act starts in October with the bulk of the law, known as Obamacare, taking effect starting in January 2014. For most seniors, no action is necessary as Medicare will cover most of their needs. But for those between 50 and 65 years old, and for wealthy seniors, all the talk about the Affordable Care Act is extremely confusing. So let’s try and answer some of the important questions you and your family may have here. Some of the details will be different in each state – specifically the prices of the different hea...
The Medicaid Expansion bill, which our Governor is opposing, would be a great benefit to the state for one simple reason. The Affordable Care Act is now a fact of life. It is not going away and not participating in it means that indigent patients enter the health care system through emergency rooms, which is far more expensive, and not through doctor’s offices. If these people were allowed to be on Medicaid, they could see a doctor and have access to preventive care and not become a high cost p...
If you are a Medicare beneficiary or someone who helps people access medical equipment or supplies such as oxygen equipment, diabetic supplies or wheelchairs, you should know about a Medicare program called Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding program, that saves money for taxpayers and people with Medicare. Under this program, providers of certain medical equipment and supplies submit bids which Medicare uses to set payments that are lower than the price that is currently paid for these...
The world is an economic mess. People with means are doing fine but they are a small portion of the population. We here in Alaska have not been hit as hard as parts of Europe but some of our older residents have changed their expectations. The March copy of the state Dept. of Labor Economic Trends show that Alaskans in the 55 to 65-plus age bracket are increasingly participating in the overall labor force. The percentage of increased participation is up about 6 percent for 2011 compared to previous years. It is more likely than not that the inc...
President Barack Obama took a political gamble at the beginning of April by proposing to curb the growth of Medicare and Social Security. In upsetting his liberal political base, Obama hopes his concessions will draw rank and file Senate Republicans into a budget deal that, so far, has proven elusive. Obama released his proposed $3.778 trillion budget recently, for the fiscal year beginning in October – the first salvo in a long process full of political gamesmanship, partisan rhetoric and hopefully, ultimately, an agreement on a broad d...
Tax time has just passed. For many people, that’s a time to take stock of finances and to start planning for the future. That should include plans in case you or a family member need long-term care. It’s a tough topic. But if you plan ahead, you’re more likely to get the kind of care you want. Here are some questions and answers to help you jump-start the process. If you need long-term care, what are your preferences? Once, long-term care meant staying in a nursing home. Not anymore. Today, there are assisted living facilities, retir...
Just as many retiring baby boomers are seeking to buy long-term care insurance, the companies that provide it are making it more difficult to purchase by raising premiums, weakening coverage and charging women higher rates than men. According to data from the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, premiums have risen dramatically in just the last year, by an average of 10 percent for couples and 20 percent for singles. Alternatively, more companies are giving customers the option to...
Understanding your benefits and knowing your hospital status (whether you are an “inpatient” or “outpatient”) can help determine what you pay out-of-pocket or if your services will be covered by Medicare. Medicare Part A (hospital) provides coverage for services as an inpatient when a doctor formally orders your admission to the hospital. Medicare Part B (medical) covers outpatient services such as emergency room services, outpatient surgery, lab tests, x-rays and observation services, and the doctor has not admitted you as an inpatie...
Healing wounds in Anchorage I would like to tell you about a wonderful service I discovered in Anchorage. It is called the Wound Center and is run by registered nurses, who work under a physician’s orders. The center provides care services for a variety of wounds such as those caused by diabetes and related complications; leg wounds caused by impaired circulation; non-healing surgical wounds; burns and frostbite and wounds caused by infection or pressure and mobility deficits. Staff assist with...
Changing drug plans allowed only in some situations I hope that everyone who is on the Medicare Part D drug program has gotten into the best plan they could find because they will not be able to change into another plan until next October, unless they are also either on Medicaid or an Extra Help Program from Social Security. When the new low-income guidelines are published in February (or March) you may find that you might become eligible and then you can apply for the Extra Help program....
