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Medicare rules worry HR manager
from August of 2023. It has been revised and updated.
Hello Toni:
I am a human resources manager for an oil service company and have a question about an employee. He is turning 65 and is still working full time. His situation is unusual because next month he will begin receiving chemotherapy for lung cancer. I am not sure how to advise him ...Read more
Social Security and You: The GPO Repeal Backlash Has Begun
I predicted this was going to happen. The public outcry over the repeal of the Government Pension Offset law has begun. I am hearing from more and more people (mostly women) who want to know why retired teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees are getting Social Security spousal and survivor benefits that they can't get...Read more
David Beckham’s intense workouts ahead of the big 5-0
Iconic footballer turned People’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” David Beckham has about done it all. Retired for 12 years, the soccer star turns 50 in May. But the “Bend It Like Beckham” namesake isn’t letting age keep him from the gym. Despite his age, he’s bulking up and building his athleticism in new ways five to six days a week.
“My...Read more
Mediterranean-style diet linked to better brain health in older Hispanic and Latino adults
Adhering to a Mediterranean-style eating pattern may help Hispanic and Latino adults strengthen the tissue connections in their brains, supporting overall brain health and potentially contributing to better cognitive outcomes, new research suggests.
The largest brain health benefit came from eating whole grains and fish, according to the ...Read more
Basketball coach didn't think his symptoms were a big deal. Good thing he went to the ER anyway
When Walt Morris started experiencing a handful of symptoms in early 2022, he downplayed every one of them.
Neck pain? Must be stress.
Headaches? Nothing a little ibuprofen and ice couldn't fix.
Erratic heart rate? Probably too much caffeine.
Aching jaw? Maybe he was grinding his teeth. Or, it'd just been a long week of teaching driver's ...Read more
After working out, he went into cardiac arrest. His wife saved him with CPR
Luis and Beth Padron spent a chilly Sunday morning in January strength training in their Monroe, New Jersey, home. Afterward, Beth stretched while Luis went to shower. The rest of the day, they had errands to run. Beth was going to cook a nice family dinner.
As Beth cooled down, she heard a thud from upstairs. It sounded like something hit the ...Read more
What the dead have to say to the living: Lessons from a psychic reading
LOS ANGELES -- With shoulder-length blond hair, black dress and black knee-high boots, Jennifer Rose cuts a preacherly silhouette — less Bible-thumping, more New Age — standing on a small stage in the retirement community of Laguna Woods Village.
"There's a lot of spirit here already," she says. Her audience grows quiet. "So I hope you're ...Read more
Medicare problem began with a notice from CMS
I delayed enrolling in Part B for 5 years, after I turned 70, and retired with a Jan. 1 effective date for my Medicare Supplement Plan G and Part D prescription drug plan.
Now my Medicare stress has started, because I have received a notice from CMS saying they do not have record of me having prescription drug coverage that “met Medicare’...Read more
What the dead have to say to the living: Lessons from a psychic reading
LOS ANGELES -- With shoulder-length blond hair, black dress and black knee-high boots, Jennifer Rose cuts a preacherly silhouette — less Bible-thumping, more New Age — standing on a small stage in the retirement community of Laguna Woods Village.
"There's a lot of spirit here already," she says. Her audience grows quiet. "So I hope you're ...Read more
Social Security and You: Military Myths and Social Security
Not a week goes by when I don't get emails from veterans who have been led to believe that they are missing out on some extra Social Security benefits allegedly payable to people who served in the military.
As is often the case with these misleading internet come-ons, there is a tiny kernel of truth to the rumor. But then exaggerated claims and...Read more
Travel Trending with Kathy Witt: Margaritaville at Sea Islander is ‘heaven on earth with an onion slice’
From the 14-foot-tall flip-flop in the atrium and the orange and blue plumage of the parrot artwork adorning cabin walls, to a playlist of party-on ditties lilting across the decks and song lyrics scripted on surfaces all over the ship (“Booze in the blender,” at the 5 O’ Clock Somewhere pool, “Can’t you feel them circling, honey?” ...Read more
For seniors with hoarding disorder, a support group helps confront stigma and isolation
A dozen people seated around folding tables clap heartily for a beaming woman: She’s donated two 13-gallon garbage bags full of clothes, including several Christmas sweaters and a couple of pantsuits, to a Presbyterian church.
A closet cleanout might not seem a significant accomplishment. But as the people in this Sunday-night class can ...Read more
For seniors with hoarding disorder, a support group helps confront stigma and isolation
A dozen people seated around folding tables clap heartily for a beaming woman: She’s donated two 13-gallon garbage bags full of clothes, including several Christmas sweaters and a couple of pantsuits, to a Presbyterian church.
A closet cleanout might not seem a significant accomplishment. But as the people in this Sunday-night class can ...Read more
'Florida seniors have a lot to lose': Medicaid cuts could devastate the state's elderly in nursing homes
In nursing homes across Florida, elderly residents have much to lose from the spending cuts proposed in Washington, D.C.
Medicaid is the primary payer for nursing-home care in Florida — and the only way that two-thirds of nursing-home residents can afford help with daily tasks such as eating, bathing and dressing.
What would happen if ...Read more
Home improvements can help people age independently. But Medicare seldom picks up the bill
Chikao Tsubaki had been having a terrible time.
In his mid-80s, he had a stroke. Then lymphoma. Then prostate cancer. He was fatigued, isolated, not all that steady on his feet.
Then Tsubaki took part in an innovative care initiative that, over four months, sent an occupational therapist, a nurse and a handy worker to his home to help figure ...Read more
What does Medicare Part B NOT cover during an emergency room visit?
Dear Toni,
I have been told that Medicare does not cover drugs when you are in an emergency room. My mother went in the hospital from the ER for 2 days and because it was considered “under observation,” we are now fighting the hospital because they say her drugs were not covered during her stay. She has a Part D plan, but the hospital ...Read more
Members of the ‘club that nobody wants to join’ find the support they need
MINNEAPOLIS -- The women smiled as a musician played music that dominated the airwaves decades ago, when they were younger and their memories were sharper.
In an adjoining room at the Plymouth Community Center, their relatives gathered for a break and the chance to chat with others who understand the trials of caring for someone with dementia. ...Read more
Social Security and You: Cutting Social Security Administration Staff Has Consequences
Before I begin today's column, which questions some of President Donald Trump's planned staff reductions at the Social Security Administration, let me confess that at the end of the column, I point out that I might be dead wrong! So, let's begin.
Imagine that you owned a successful business that was gaining 10,000 new customers each day, with ...Read more
Legal documents are important to Americans at any age
I am turning 65 and retiring from my current employer and will no longer have health insurance benefits, life insurance, and dental and vision benefits. My husband will still be employed with benefits from his current employer.
I have been told that if I do not have a Power of Attorney or other legal documents in effect for both of us, we ...Read more
Social Security and You: Older People and Social Security Disability
I often feel guilty if I write a column that essentially repeats information I've given in past columns. But readers often remind me that I shouldn't worry about that. For example, today I got an email that said something like this: "I know you've covered this topic before. But I've forgotten most of what you said, and now we are at the point ...Read more
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