Senior Voice -

Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group,...

Low-income Alaskans now qualify for discounted or free internet access, thanks to an expanded federal program announced by the White House May 16. The White House estimates the program will cover 48 million households, or 40 percent of the country....

The $41.5 million provided by the federal Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program will make fast internet more affordable so rural residents can access telehealth appointments, and provide access for economic growth and remote learning. As is usual...

The mission of the Alaska Long-Term Care Ombudsman program is to provide resident-centered advocacy designed to protect the rights, health, safety and welfare of Alaskans living in long-term care facilities. In 2021, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman prog...

“Age Smart – Let’s Talk,” the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns May 10, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using...

From May through October, AARP Tax Aide volunteers will assist people of all ages in filing their 2021 taxes. Appointments will be at available for noon, 1 and 2 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at the Alaska Literacy Program, 1345 Rudakof...

“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns April, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using...

Ride sharing and van service for older adults in Alaska has taken a terrible beating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many transportation services in much of the state were cut back or eliminated. Now, as the pandemic is winding down, ride services are...

The approaching spring is bringing changes not only to Alaskan landscapes, but also to the public benefits many elderly and disabled Alaskans receive. Some of these changes have already occurred, creating substantial impact on the benefits...

Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage and Mat-Su area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Service Providers Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group,...

Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates...

Update, March 24, 2022: The time for the teleconferences has been changed to afternoons, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Here's is the link for the March 24 legislative teleconference: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9672806987?pwd=TFFudFRpRittWTF1VDNaWDUxeDVaZz09 Keep tra...

The Social Security Administration encourages you not to carry your Social Security card with you every day. The best way to “Guard Your Card” is to keep it in a safe place and share it only when required. In fact, in most cases, just knowing...

A couple of years ago we had a normal life. Since then, we’ve had a pandemic. No matter what our life was like then, it is now more isolated, more lonely, more expensive, more fearful. When do we get back to normal? I have wishful thinking, but...

The Alaska Legislature began the second of a two-year session on January 18, 2022, hitting the ground running since members were already seated in their committees and leadership positions (unlike the 2021 delay in getting organized into majority...

“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Feb. 8, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using...

Senior Voice Staff Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for...

Dear Savvy Senior: What is the IRS standard tax deduction for 2021? I didn’t file a tax return last tax year (2020) because I lost my job and my income in March due to COVID. But I got a part-time job in 2021 and am wondering if I made enough...

The Alaska Commission on Aging met with partners December 8 for a day long summit to discuss priorities for the upcoming year. Denali Daniels facilitated the meeting with Jordan Marshall providing support as well as his expertise about the ‘lay of...

Keep track of senior-related bills, budget decisions and other issues by attending the Alaska Commission on Aging Legislative Teleconferences. Available by toll-free call-in, the teleconferences provide a convenient forum for seniors and advocates...

Editor’s note: This press release was received on Dec. 8, 2021. If the annual Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) did a better job of keeping pace with Medicare Part B premiums, benefits over the past decade would be 42 percent higher...

I grouse about how my husband loses things, but he’s also a great finder. He uncovers his keys, his glasses, and his wallet nearly every week. Recently, though, he found a 25-year-old retirement account. It wouldn’t have changed our retirement,...

“Age Smart – Let’s Talk”, the series of forums sponsored by AARP Alaska, Older Persons Action Group and the Anchorage Senior Activity Center, returns Dec. 14, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Events are currently held virtually on the internet, using...

Older Persons Action Group, Inc. (OPAG) held its annual membership meeting on Nov. 18 and the following board officers were elected: Dylan Webb, president; Gail Opalinski, vice president; Joan Haig, treasurer; Yvonne Chase, secretary. Other board...

As a primary care doctor, I believe Alaskans must understand that a critical portion of our Medicare dollars is bleeding away into privately held corporations, which inherently value profits over people. Recently, Direct Contracting Entities (DCEs)...