Hands to Help Seniors
Monterey, CA ViaCare Program Expanded To Mirror Eligibility For Medi-Cal Under The Affordable Care Act
by Richard Kuehn on 07/07/13
View From A Nonprofit Serving
Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey,
Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California
ViaCare,
the county's first foray into expanding health care coverage for the poor under
the Affordable Care Act, thankfully has been expanded. Unfortunately, the reason for the expansion
appears to be low demand due to many low-income residents not being aware of
the program. So far, only 1,141 people
have applied for ViaCare and 815 have been accepted. Moving from a test phase which only
benefitted a handful of people, the county has expanded the program to allow
eligibility if your income is 133% of the federal poverty level, up from 100%
under the former program. This more
closely mirrors what the new MediCal eligibility requirements will be. ViaCare is a short-term stop gap program to
provide health insurance to people who will be eligible under the health care
reform law, which won't kick in until next year. There are 27,000 Monterey county residents who
will qualify for Medi-Cal under the new rules.
I hope the county is successful in getting the word out that this
program is available. There are so many people who don't go to the doctor
because they cannot afford to.
About
Richard Kuehn & Hands to Help Seniors:
After more than a decade of caregiving, both
in a professional environment and for a 97 year old family member, it became
clear to me that there are many seniors that can't afford to pay for a private
duty caregiver, not to mention medical expenses, food and property taxes on
their home. I decided to form a non-profit to help seniors with any
service they might need to get by, should they be unable to afford this
themselves. From putting on a new roof to providing a hot meal, Hands to
Help Seniors is there to help. Please visit my blog where I talk about
important senior issues at:
http://www.h2hs.org/news-and-media.html
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 Food Stamp Program In Limbo
by Richard Kuehn on 07/06/13
View From A Nonprofit
Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina,
Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California
The
House of Representatives failed to pass an overhaul of a farm bill which would
have dramatically cut the funding of food stamps. The bill failed on a vote of 195:234, with
many Democrats voting against it because of the cuts to the food stamps program. Some Republicans voted against the legislation
because of the $500 mil. cost of the five-year bill. In addition, some Democrats pulled their
support for the bill after an amendment was added requiring food stamp
recipients to either work or be actively looking for work. It's extremely difficult to get the House to
agree on any social issues, and food stamps is certainly a hot topic. In light of the vote, the old bill will be
extended through September of this year while they bicker in Congress and try
to reach new terms for an agreement.
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 Nonprofit Benefitting Kids In Seaside Faces A Major Blow
by Richard Kuehn on 07/06/13
View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel,
Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific
Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California
This
is still an extremely difficult environment for non-profits to raise money
in. I was sad to read that a fireworks
booth in Seaside was robbed and the thieves made
off with between $4,000 and $6,000 in flammable goodies. Seaside is the only town in Monterey County
where fireworks can be sold legally, and the only vendors that are allowed to
set up booths are those which are run by a non-profit corporation benefitting
children. This is the big fundraising
event for many of them, including the Seaside Aquatics Center, which was
robbed. They coach about 150 to 160
swimmers per year and about 300 children during the summer. They also give scholarships to pay for after
school or competitive swimming. Hands to
Help Seniors is preparing for its big fundraiser at Bernardus Lodge on
September 19 and, like the Seaside Aquatics Center, we rely on this fundraiser
for a big chunk of our annual operating budget.
We hope to see you there this year.
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.
Pebble Beach, CA How Much Money Will You Need To Retire?
by Richard Kuehn on 07/05/13
It is a well known fact that women live longer than men. However, when planning for retirement, many people don't realize just how much income they will need to have saved for day-to-day bills if they live into their 90's or over 100. Medical costs alone are being shifted more and more from Medicare to the senior and many other costs for things that you buy every day are rising at a rate which is faster than inflation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the poverty rate for women over 65 is 10.7% compared to just 6.2% for men. This is due in part to the fact that many couples outlive their savings, the husband passes away before the wife, and she is left on her own with very little money. In addition, the latest issue of Kiplinger's Retirement Report notes that the Government Accountability Office put out a report last year saying that women have a harder time saving for retirement than men because they take more time off from work to care for family members. They typically have lower earnings than men when they are at work as well. Take time to sit down with a knowledgeable financial planner before you get too close to retirement to find out the real numbers on how much money you will need in order to enjoy your golden years without having to worry about money.
Corral de Tierra, CA Luncheons For Seniors Continue At Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
by Richard Kuehn on 07/05/13
View From A Nonprofit
Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina,
Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California
I was happy to read that the Good
Shepherd Episcopal Church, located at 301 Corral de Tierra Road in Salinas, is
continuing to have their monthly luncheon gatherings. Dubbed "Double Nickel Plus," the
church lines up guest speakers and has activities for those over 55 along with
a lunch. The event occurs on the second
Wednesday of each month. Last month,
Steve McShane, the owner of McShane Nursery, taught attendees how to garden in
large containers. At the next meeting,
which will be held on July 10 from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m., Royal Calkins, the
executive editor of the Monterey County Herald, will speak about the current
state of the newspaper industry and share stories from the Monterey Herald. Attendees are asked to give a $5 donation,
although it's not required. For more information, go to www.goodshepherdcorral.org.
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.
