Hands to Help Seniors
Monterey, CA Senior Luncheon In Corral de Tierra Next Wednesday
by Richard Kuehn on 08/09/13
View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez,
Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas,
Seaside And Soledad California
The Church of the Good Shepard will have their
monthly "Nickel 55" lunch next Wednesday (August 14th) at
11:30 a.m. at 301 Corral de Tierra Road.
It's free, although they would appreciate a $5 donation if you can
afford it. For more information, please contact the church at
484-2153. Thanks to the Reverend Linda
Campbell for putting this together. As
seniors age, they often get depressed and don't get out and about as often as
they should. Many of them, even in good
health, stay home and don't get the exercise and social stimulation that they
need. If you have a loved one in this situation,
please encourage them to go to activities like this.
Please note that this blog reflects my
personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help
Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.
Monterey, CA Medicare Part D Premiums Not Set To Rise Much In 2014
by Richard Kuehn on 08/05/13
View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California Seniors have suffered so much the past several years with budget cuts to social services programs and Social Security increases which haven't kept pace with inflation and thus I was glad to read that Medicare premiums aren't expected to increase much in 2014. Part D premiums are expected to average $31 next year, and they have been in the $30/month range for the past three years. In addition, the deductible will drop from $325 in 2013 to $310 in 2014. "There is continued very strong competition within the Part D plan," Jonathan Blum, deputy administrator and director for the Center of Medicare, told USA Today. Many people, including Blum himself, believed that due to the phasing out of the dreaded "doughnut hole" (when seniors have to pay prescription costs out of their own pocket) that insurance companies would jack up rates to compensate for the increased payments they will have to make. Seniors have already saved more than $7 billion ($1,061 per person on Medicare) due to the reductions in doughnut hole coverage. Thank you President Obama.
Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.
Monterey, CA Pedestrian Traffic Deaths On The Rise : Elderly At Risk
by Richard Kuehn on 07/31/13
Monterey, CA Pedestrian Traffic Deaths On The Rise : Elderly At Risk : View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California Pedestrian-vehicle fatalities have been rising in recent years after decades of decline. Be careful—the elderly are the most at risk. In 1975, pedestrians which were killed in traffic accidents were 7,500, a number which dropped to just 4,109 in 2009. However, by 2011 this number had risen to 4,432, a full 14% of all traffic deaths in that year. Pedestrians over the age of 70 have twice the risk of being hit by a car and killed than do younger victims, according to the Department of Transportation. Unfortunately, many of these accidents are preventable and are directly linked to advances in technology that we have made. Everyone has seen inattentive drivers crossing the line while babbling on the phone and teenagers on skateboards with headphones on, completely unaware of their surroundings. Authorities report that a growing problem is drivers and pedestrians not paying attention because they are on cell phones or iPads, something which is not hard to believe. Although driving while using one of these devices is illegal in California, you see people doing it all the time. Pay attention and please put your iPad down when crossing the street!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323971204578627662186656032.html
Monterey, CA Finding A Physician Who Will Take Medicare or Medi-Cal Continues To Be A Challenge
by Richard Kuehn on 07/30/13
View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California The number of people on Medi-Cal is being expanded dramatically under President Obama's health care reform under the Affordable Care Act. That's a good thing if people can find doctors which will take the insurance. Because of extremely low reimbursement rates, many doctors shun those on Medi-Cal and it's extremely difficult to find a primary physician to take on someone who is on Medi-Cal. According to a study in the journal Health Affairs which came out this month, 33% of primary-care physicians didn't accept new Medicaid patients in 2010 and 2011 (Medicaid is called Medi-Cal in California). Even finding a physician who will take Medicare can be quite a task. The Wall Street Journal reported that the number of doctors who opted out of Medicare nearly tripled from three years earlier. Almost 10,000 doctors dropped out of the Medicare program and some are even dropping taking private insurance, going to concierge type services which are more lucrative for the physician. This is sourced to data tracked by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which also noted that some doctors are limiting the number of Medicare patients they treat but haven't yet dropped out of the program completely. Currently, 20% of doctors say they won't accept new Medicare patients, up from 17% in 2010. In affluent markets like Monterey County, the problem is even worse. The Medicare Rights Center said they are getting an increase in calls from seniors living in affluent areas which can't find a doctor who will take Medicare. That’s because many living in the richer areas like Carmel and Pebble Beach can go to the concierge services and pay for the fees out of their own pocket. This leaves less doctors practicing which will take on new Medicare and Medi-Cal patients. It's a big problem here because there is such a huge variance in income and wealth levels in different parts of the county. One of our Platinum sponsors, Alliance Home Health, faces this on a daily basis as they have a majority of their clients using Medicare or Medi-Cal insurance. Thankfully, they take it. Many medical providers won't. Unfortunately, the problem may get even worse. Unless Congress steps in, automatic budget cuts will go into effect in 2014 which will slash Medicare reimbursement rates by 25%. This is just ridiculous and will likely encourage more physicians to start concierge services or go work for a hospital where they can get a decent salary. Private practices just don't make much money anymore.
Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.
Monterey, CA Ideas Floated To Deal With Homeless Population
by Richard Kuehn on 07/28/13
View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California The Monterey City Council continues to focus on ways to deal with the large homeless population here, most recently taking $40,000 which was supposed to be used for a study of various fees charged in the county and instead allocating it to services for the homeless. The city is partnering with nonprofits, faith and business groups in order to figure out what services to offer. One City Councilman (Alan Haffa) has proposed three plans:
. Parking sites where homeless people living in vehicles could stay overnight;
. Bus passes would be given to help homeless people get to service providers; and
. Having a liaison between the police and downtown businesses.
I am glad to see something is being done about this important issue. After a local merchant was killed in Santa Cruz, the police cracked down on the homeless and many of them moved here. We need more resources to deal with the problem
Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.
