Next Year's Taxes Will Be Higher For Seniors

As you race to get your 2009 federal income tax return in the mail, take a moment to consider the tax landscape. It's changing, especially for senior citizens, and it's not too early to start planning for it.

No matter how you slice it, taxes are probably headed higher, if not this year then next year for certain. The income tax reductions enacted in 2001, often referred to as the "Bush tax cuts," are set to expire at the end of this year. It's possible Congress could vote to extend them for a year or two, but unless the economy slides back into a recession, few analysts expect that.

That means starting next January chances are you will move into a higher tax bracket, even if you're not making any more money. In most cases, you can expect more money to be withheld from each paycheck.

Currently, the top tax brackets are 35 percent and 33 percent. These are the rates paid on income by the wealthiest Americans. When the tax cuts expire, the top tax rate will rise to 39.6 percent.

There are bigger changes farther down the tax table. The tax cut law added two extra tax brackets; a 25 percent bracket and a 10 percent bracket. When the law expires, the 25 percent bracket reverts to 28 percent while the 10 percent bracket moves up to 15 percent - the largest increase of all.

Also set to expire are some reductions in taxes on investment income.

Deduction limits?
In addition, President Obama has floated the idea of limiting some deductions claimed by upper income tax payers. For example, the administration has suggested limiting the value of top earners' itemized deductions to 28 percent.

Even though they would be paying 39.6 cents of every taxable dollar in taxes, deductions would only save 28 percent of every taxable dollar. At the same time the Administration has also suggested limiting the value of the current mortgage interest deduction.

Should you be worried about that? Probably not, at least not right away. Those changes would require action by Congress, which is unlikely in an election year, if at all. Also, the impact falls only on those in the top tax bracket.

Are there any taxes you should plan for in the short term? Yes, if you're a high wage earner. The just-passed health-care bill contained a couple of increases in Medicare payroll taxes for higher-income taxpayers. Analysts at Deloitte say those provisions would cost about $2,250 for a family with income of $500,000.

For retirees, the Medicare Part B premium, which is deducted from Social Security checks, has gone up. The cost this year is $2,652 for a married couple, up almost 17 percent from the $2,270 cost last year. Those in the upper income brackets will pay even more.

If you retired this year, don't forget you'll be taxed on 85 percent of your Social Security benefits. You will likely need to make quarterly estimated payments to avoid owing additional taxes, and possibly penalties, at the end of the year.

Roth conversions
One of the biggest tax changes of 2010 is the ability of all income groups to have a Roth Individual Retirement Account. In the past, upper income groups could not participate.

The difference in a Roth and traditional IRA is simple. In a traditional IRA, contributions are tax deductible each year, the money grows without a yearly tax event, and the account holder then pays taxes as she withdrawals the money.

With a Roth account, the contributions are not tax deductible but withdrawals are. This is a significant advantage if you expect to remain in a high tax bracket during much of your retirement years. However, to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth, the account holder must pay taxes on the current value of the account, which can be a significant hit.

The Estate Tax was repealed for 2010, meaning there is no tax this year on any sized estate. However, the tax is scheduled to return next year, taxing any estate over $1 million in value. The tax rate would also go up significantly. Congress is expected to take action before that happens and may set the limit a bit higher.

In 2007, federal, state and local taxes claimed about $3.8 trillion, or 27 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, according to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center. That's nearly $13,000 for every American. Two-thirds of tax revenues went to the federal government.

It may sound like a lot, but taxpayers in other developed countries pay even more. In 2006, taxes in 30 of the world's richest countries averaged 36 percent of GDP; only Mexico, Turkey, South Korea and Japan had tax rates lower than the US. And taxes in many European countries exceeded 40 percent of GDP because these nations offer more extensive government services than the US does.

Americans do pay far more in individual income taxes than residents of other wealthy nations. Nearly 37 percent of U.S. tax revenue came from personal income taxes in 2006, about 10 percentage points more, on average, than in other industrialized countries. But Americans pay much less in sales taxes; 17 percent of 2006 U.S. tax receipts were from taxes on goods and services, or about half the 32 percent average for rich countries.

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

PELOSI: GOP Used Fear 2 Fight Healthcare Reform

Pelosi: GOP used fear to turn elderly against health care bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that Republicans used a ‘campaign of fear’ to get senior citizens to oppose health care reform.
(CNN) – Republicans used a "campaign of fear" based on false information to get senior citizens to oppose health care reform, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday.

In response to questions at a news conference in her home district in San Francisco, California, Pelosi accused Republicans of spreading misinformation against Democratic health care legislation backed by President Barack Obama, who made the issue his top domestic priority.

"There was a campaign of fear that was launched (at senior citizens) as soon as the president was elected," Pelosi said.

The reform plan includes cutting the costs of Medicare, the government-run health plan for seniors, by about $500 billion.


During months of debate on the health care bill signed into law last week by Obama, Republicans repeatedly said it was impossible to cut Medicare costs by such a large amount without reducing benefits.

Obama and Democrats say the Medicare cuts involve eliminating wasteful spending and fraud.

On Monday, Pelosi called the Medicare cost reductions "essential" to health care reform, and said Republican claims the bill would cut benefits for the elderly are "truly false."

Polls show the American public remains sharply divided over the health care issue. Pelosi said she believes polls in coming months will show more support for the bill as the public learns more about it.

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Five Ways to Care For Your Elderly Parents

Few people gleefully anticipate the task of caring for an aging parent — but plenty seem to deny that it's coming. Haven't you felt like that? Sooner or later, avoidance can thrust adult children into the caregiver role with a shotgun start.

A parent's slip in the bathroom or a collision caused by a mistake in the driver's seat can precipitate a deluge of anguished decisions and rapid changes you're not ready to handle. Suddenly, you could be scrambling to locate account numbers to pay Mom's bills while she's in the hospital, tangling with her insurance company to figure out why coverage for an X-ray was denied, and consulting with your brother—who lives at the other side of the country—about getting Mom into an assisted-living facility. Hasn't she taken care of us for all those years? Why can't we do the same?

You grapple with guilt because your mother never wanted to move out of her home, but now her condition leaves little choice. As the drama plays out, you're also trying to stay afloat at work and look after your other dependents, the kids.

The first step toward avoiding such baptism by fire is to acknowledge you'll most likely take on caregiving responsibilities someday. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, the number of "unpaid family caregivers" is set to reach 37 million by 2050, an 85 percent increase from the year 2000. You can help your parents stay happily independent as long as possible if you start those tough conversations now and do some thorough preparation. Here's a game plan.

The vast majority of senior citizens want to live out their days in their own homes—and without being a burden on their kids. Planning ahead greatly raises your odds of making it happen.

1. Consider hiring a pro. A knowledgeable, neutral professional can assist from the start, even when your parents are still living at home. Locate an expert through the internet to help navigate everything from finding a companion service for Dad to identifying a mediator to help settle family differences over caregiving choices. "You may think you can handle it yourself, but you can't—not when you're so [emotionally] close to the situation," says Don Terrell of Ellensburg, Wash., who got help from a geriatric care manager later in the process when his family sought a facility for his mom, who has Alzheimer's disease. According to NAPGCM, an initial assessment runs $300 to $800, and services cost $80 to $200 per hour, depending on where they're needed.

2. Keep track with technology. Helping your parents remain in their home may be realistic but typically requires at least a few adjustments to keep them comfortable and safe. Savvy families are deploying products like QuietCare, which relies on strategically placed motion sensors, to keep tabs on their elders. Phyllis Baker's 80-year-old father lives alone outside Detroit, nearly five hours away from her home. But she needs only to check her iPhone to allay worries, she says, like "Has he gotten out of bed? Is he in the bathroom and never came out?" No cameras or microphones are involved, so her dad has privacy, and a secure website updates a status report every two hours. QuietCare calls immediately if anything is out of the ordinary. Inspired by her two sons, marines regularly deployed overseas, Baker is considering another tech boost: webcams for "virtual meals" together.

3. Remove booby traps. The National Association of Home Builders has certified aging-in-place specialists who can consult and make structural changes. Extras that you or a specialist might install, says Meri-K Appy of the Home Safety Council, include antiscald devices for showers and faucets (like H2O Stop, a new product) that protect older skin, which is quick to sustain serious burns; alternatively, set water heaters to "low" or at 120 degrees. Carbon monoxide detectors are recommended since elderly people are sensitive to even low concentrations of the deadly gas. Special smoke detectors with strobe lighting or a vibrate feature can wake them up when conventional devices wouldn't—new research suggests the latter are set at frequencies that many elderly people can't hear. Grab bars in the shower and near the toilet are usually a must, but their often ugly appearance isn't. Moen's new SecureMount options are an improvement on institutional-looking models, says Appy, and they don't require tearing down tiles.

4. Visit frequently. The time together matters, plus you'll have a better sense of whether they're safe, mentally sound, and in the best living situation, says Alexis Abramson, author ofThe Caregiver's Survival Handbook. Keep an eye out for subtle changes: Are the plants watered? Is unopened mail piling up? Do they have bruises suggesting they may have fallen? Enlist your family and your parents' trusted neighbors to check in.

5. Anticipate expenses. To help maintain your parents' independence and health, you'll very likely need to pay for a few services. The national average for a home healthcare aide to assist with hygiene and medication, say, is $19 per hour, according to a MetLife Mature Market Institute analysis. Think Medicare will pay? Not if they need the aide for a chronic condition. "I dispel this myth all the time."Adult day care" averages $61 per day, according to MetLife. Lisa Midden got financial assistance for her 88-year-old dad through a Florida state Medicaid waiver and a local grant, but he must requalify each year. "Until we learned about these [benefits], everything was coming out of our pocket," says Midden, whose father lives with her and her husband in Orlando. A few afternoons at adult day care and several hours from a nurse's aide are covered each week, plus the Middens get 12 weekly hours of "respite care." Start with your local Area Agency on Aging

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Health Care Reform & Medicare

Health Care Reform and Medicare Recipients
Source: Saint Joseph's University

From the time presidential candidate Theodore Roosevelt first discussed health care reform in 1912, the topic has been a precedent-setting issue in the U.S. The 2010 passage of health care legislation is no different, but has many Americans in a quandary about how it will affect them. This is especially true of senior citizens.

Seniors, who generally are on fixed budgets and have increased medical needs, have a high stake in health care reform. But unfortunately, the rumors swirling about this topic are as sizeable as the 1,000 pages of legislation. George Sillup, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmaceutical marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, offers clarification on the issues most relevant to this population.

Impact on Medicare — A Mixed Bag
Beginning next year, annual wellness visits and certain preventive services such as cancer screenings, will be free of cost. Medicare beneficiaries will no longer have to pay deductibles and co-insurance for this kind of care. Eighteen months after enactment, the law says Medicare beneficiaries will have access to a comprehensive health risk assessment and a free personalized prevention plan.

Groups that advocate for seniors, including AARP and the Medicare Rights Center, say that there will be no cuts to Medicare coverage for seniors. Additionally, next year, the law provides a 10 percent bonus through Medicare to primary care doctors and general surgeons practicing where they are in short supply.

How will Medicare prescription-drug benefits change? — A Big Win for Seniors
This year, there is a $250 rebate for Medicare Part D enrollees who fall into the “doughnut hole” of drug coverage. “That’s a big improvement,” according to Sillup, “because seniors previously covered under Part D received coverage for their prescriptions up to $2,830 a year, then the participant paid 25 percent of the cost and Medicare covered the remaining 75 percent.” Once their prescriptions exceeded $2,830, they fell into the doughnut hole, or hole of no coverage, until they spent another $3,610 for their medications.

What will happen to Medicare Advantage? — Higher Premiums
Today, Medicare pays private insurers an average of 14 percent more than it spends to care for those enrolled in traditional Medicare. The overpayments help lower premiums and co-insurance costs, and provide extra benefits like vision and dental coverage, even gym memberships. The law would nearly eliminate the overpayments, saving $132 billion over the next decade.

For people currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, premiums and benefits will remain the same through the end of the year according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). But costs could increase and extras may be eliminated next year when payments to insurers are to be frozen at 2010 levels. The payments will start to drop in 2012, Premiums will likely increase next year as they did this year

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Senior Drug Costs May Decline with New Bill

The Sunlight Foundation reports on a "last minute deal" between pharmaceutical companies and health care reformers. The upshot? Old people covered by Medicare matter more than poor people covered by Medicaid.

According to the Associated Press, Senator Max Baucus stated in an interview that the pharmaceutical industry agreed to provide an additional $10 billion to cover the coverage gap in Medicare Part D known as the “donut hole” in exchange for eliminating the expansion of drug discounts at certain health facilities initially included in the Senate health care bill.

The Senate health care bill would have expanded drug discounts under a Medicaid program that serves over 14,000 covered facilities. The Medicaid 340B program provides outpatient discounts on brand name drugs to a variety of health facilities that serve low-income communities. The provision removed in the reconciliation bill would have expanded access to the discount program to cover inpatient drug purchases....

More here. Big PhRma spent about $100 million in "grassroots" activity and advertising in favor of health care reform.

The AP notes the following:

"Pharma came out of this better than anyone else," said Ramsey Baghdadi, a Washington health policy analyst who projects a $30 billion, 10-year net gain for the industry. "I don't see how they could have done much better."

Costly brand-name biotech drugs won 12 years of protection against cheaper generic competitors, a boon for products that comprise 15 percent of pharmaceutical sales. The industry will have to provide 50 percent discounts beginning next year to Medicare beneficiaries in the "doughnut hole" gap in pharmaceutical coverage, but those price cuts plus gradually rising federal subsidies will mean more elderly people will purchase more drugs.

Lobbyists beat back proposals to allow importation of low-cost medicines and to have Medicare negotiate drug prices with companies. They also defeated efforts to require more industry rebates for the 9 million beneficiaries of both Medicare and Medicaid, and to bar brand-name drugmakers' payments to generic companies to delay the marketing of competitor products.


For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Baby Boomers To Re-Invent Retirement

10 Ways Baby Boomers Will Reinvent Retirement
By Emily Brandon

The baby boomers redefined each stage of life as they passed through it. This generation also will retire in a way that is distinct from their parents and will set the standard for generations to come. Baby boomers are likely to live longer, more healthful, and more active lives than any retirees have before, yet few will enjoy the generous pensions and retiree health benefits enjoyed by many of their parents. Boomers will be saddled with the headache of continuing to manage their own investments, and if they haven't saved enough, they'll likely have to work long after the previous generation dropped out of the workforce. Here are 10 ways baby boomers' retirement will be different from their parents'.

Living longer. Retirement for boomers will last longer than retirement for their parents. The number of people ages 65 and older in the United States is expected to more than double by 2050, rising from 39 million today to 89 million, according to the Census Bureau. Some seniors will be retired for more years than they spent in the workforce. "Our moms and dads were quite delighted to find themselves reaching their 65th birthday, but now we look around and see 80-year-old athletes and 70-year-old college students," says Ken Dychtwald, president of the consulting firm Age Wave and author of With Purpose: Going From Success to Significance in Work and Life. "People are waking up to the idea that living a long life has become commonplace."

No pension. Living longer means more retirement years that will need to be financed. Most private-sector workers won't get a monthly check from their former employer in retirement or retiree health benefits. While 40 percent of private-sector workers received a traditional pension in 1975, that number declined to 17 percent by 2006, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. More employers freeze their pensions every year and replace them with 401(k)'s.

Managing investments. Those without traditional pensions will have to continue managing their own nest eggs throughout retirement or will have to hire professional help. Baby boomers also will need to make decisions about how much risk to accept in order to beat inflation and still make sure they don't outlive their savings. "The burden for figuring out how to retire has shifted from the employer and government to the individual," says Jonathan Pond, a financial planner and author of Safe Money in Tough Times: Everything You Need to Know to Survive the Financial Crisis. Retirees need to decide on their own—or with the assistance of a financial adviser—how to adjust their portfolio allocations as they progress through their retirement years and how much of their nest egg to spend each year.

Required minimum distributions. If boomers' retirement money is in tax-deferred accounts, Uncle Sam will take a large share because all withdrawals are taxed as regular income. "A lot of people retire and they have put all their money aside in tax-deferred accounts. Taxes are going to exact a big toll on these people," cautions Pond. "If your 401(k) balance is $400,000, it is worth about $300,000 after taxes are taken out." Retirement account withdrawals become required after age 70½. Required minimum distributions are calculated by dividing the balance of your retirement accounts by your life expectancy as determined by the Internal Revenue Service. Seniors who fail to withdraw the correct amount must pay a 50 percent penalty and income tax on the amount that should have been withdrawn.

Part-time jobs. Many Americans will continue to work during the traditional retirement years because they need the income. Others will continue working because they enjoy the mental stimulation and social opportunities a job can provide. "The prospect of a permanent vacation just doesn't feel intellectually stimulating, physically rewarding, or financially viable," says Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures and author of Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life. "People are moving into a new life stage. They want an identity, they want a paycheck, and they want a sense that their experience is going to good use." Sometimes a second career will require retraining. "It might be smart to make an upfront investment in education or do an internship," says Freedman. "Recognize that you are investing in a career that might be 10 or 25 years in duration."

Staying active. These days, baby boomers don't see retirement as a withdrawal from activity but as a new adventure. Many seniors will travel, volunteer, consult, and remain active, in addition to leaving some afternoons free for golfing and spending time with grandchildren. "It is a generation that is far more comfortable and even addicted in some ways to change and newness and adventures," says Dychtwald. "They are going to pioneer a lifestyle where people reinvent themselves again and again and again."

Sandwich generation. Some baby boomers are facing large college tuition bills for their children at a time when they need to be ramping up their own retirement savings. Meanwhile, boomers may need to care for aging parents. "Caregiving also has a cost in terms of lost wages and stress and sometimes even creates the basis for illness in caregivers," says Eric Kingson, a professor at Syracuse University's Center for Policy Research. Baby boomers will need to find a way to balance caring for aging parents, helping their adult children, and tending to their own retirement needs.

Lower Social Security benefits. Those born before 1937 were able to collect their full Social Security benefits at age 65. But the full retirement age was gradually increased to age 66 for workers born between 1943 and 1954. After that, an even older retirement age was phased in. For example, someone born in 1956 can collect their entire due at age 66 and 4 months. The age is 67 for those born in 1960 or later. People who sign up for Social Security earlier will receive lower payouts. "When you raise the retirement age, it represents a serious cut in benefits," says Kingson. "Because the retirement age was raised, the value of benefits is less as a result."

Retiring with debt. The days of mortgage-burning parties are over. An increasing number of Americans are entering their retirement years with debt. Some 63 percent of U.S. families headed by someone 55 or older still owed money on their home, credit cards, or other debts in 2007, up nearly 10 percentage points from 1992. Carrying debt into retirement means seniors will have to cut back on discretionary expenses.

Diverse locales. Most boomers will retire in the same town where they spent their final working years, as did most previous generations. Those who move may no longer flock to seniors-only retirement communities
. "It's not the dream of the boomer generation to live in an age-segregated retirement community," says Dychtwald. Future retirees are likely to choose walkable communities with lots of amenities, recreational opportunities, and residents from all age groups. "The best and brightest of this generation are going to want to live in an area that doesn't put them on society's margin but allows they to stay fully engaged," says Dychtwald. "Boomers want to be where the action is, and they are going to want to be where the jobs are."

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Health Care in America ~ Costly Increases

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law is getting a mixed verdict in the first comprehensive look by neutral experts: More Americans will be covered, but costs are also going up.

Economic experts at the Health and Human Services Department concluded in a report issued Thursday that the health care remake will achieve Obama's aim of expanding health insurance — adding 34 million to the coverage rolls.

But the analysis also found that the law falls short of the president's twin goal of controlling runaway costs, raising projected spending by about 1 percent over 10 years. That increase could get bigger, since Medicare cuts in the law may be unrealistic and unsustainable, the report warned.

It's a worrisome assessment for Democrats.

In particular, concerns about Medicare could become a major political liability in the midterm elections. The report projected that Medicare cuts could drive about 15 percent of hospitals and other institutional providers into the red, "possibly jeopardizing access" to care for seniors.

The report from Medicare's Office of the Actuary carried a disclaimer saying it does not represent the official position of the Obama administration. White House officials have repeatedly complained that such analyses have been too pessimistic and lowball the law's potential to achieve savings.

The report acknowledged that some of the cost-control measures in the bill — Medicare cuts, a tax on high-cost insurance and a commission to seek ongoing Medicare savings — could help reduce the rate of cost increases beyond 2020. But it held out little hope for progress in the first decade.

"During 2010-2019, however, these effects would be outweighed by the increased costs associated with the expansions of health insurance coverage," wrote Richard S. Foster, Medicare's chief actuary. "Also, the longer-term viability of the Medicare ... reductions is doubtful." Foster's office is responsible for long-range costs estimates.

Republicans said the findings validate their concerns about Obama's 10-year, nearly $1 trillion plan to remake the nation's health care system.

"A trillion dollars gets spent, and it's no surprise — health care costs are going to go up," said Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., a leading Republican on health care issues. Camp added that he's concerned the Medicare cuts will undermine care for seniors.

In a statement, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sought to highlight some positive findings for seniors. For example, the report concluded that Medicare monthly premiums would be lower than otherwise expected, due to the spending reductions.

"The Affordable Care Act will improve the health care system for all Americans, and we will continue our work to quickly and carefully implement the new law," the statement said.

Passed by a divided Congress after a year of bitter partisan debate, the law would create new health insurance markets for individuals and small businesses. Starting in 2014, most Americans would be required to carry health insurance except in cases of financial hardship. Tax credits would help many middle-class households pay their premiums, while Medicaid would pick up more low-income people. Insurers would be required to accept all applicants, regardless of their health.

The U.S. spends $2.5 trillion a year on health care, far more per person than any other developed nation, and for results that aren't clearly better when compared to more frugal countries. At the outset of the health care debate last year, Obama held out the hope that by bending the cost curve down, the U.S. could cover all its citizens for about what the nation would spend absent any changes.

The report found that the president's law missed the mark, although not by much. The overhaul will increase national health care spending by $311 billion from 2010-2019, or nine-tenths of 1 percent. To put that in perspective, total health care spending during the decade is estimated to surpass $35 trillion.

Administration officials argue the increase is a bargain price for guaranteeing coverage to 95 percent of Americans. They also point out that the law will decrease the federal deficit by $143 billion over the 10-year period.

The report's most sober assessments concerned Medicare.

In addition to flagging provider cuts as potentially unsustainable, the report projected that reductions in payments to private Medicare Advantage plans would trigger an exodus from the popular alternative. Enrollment would plummet by about 50 percent. Seniors leaving the private plans would still have health insurance under traditional Medicare, but many might face higher out-of-pocket costs.

In another flashing yellow light, the report warned that a new voluntary long-term care insurance program created under the law faces "a very serious risk" of insolvency.

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Texas Healthcare Problems

HOUSTON - While President Obama presses for a health care vote, some senior citizens here in Houston are finding it tough to get into a doctor’s office.

Already, about one-third of doctors won’t take Medicaid patients, who are generally too poor to afford private insurance.

Now, some are also saying “no” to Medicare, the safety net for older Americans.

“I've never felt like I wouldn't get care, ever in my life,” says Sandy Vise, who has been on Medicare for 2 years. “This is just devastating for me.”

As a benefits administrator, Vise spent two decades giving advice on health insurance.

Now, she’s the one asking questions.

After her long-time primary care physician left Texas, Vise got two recommendations from friends.

“I called,” she says. “Neither one of them will take me because I'm a Medicare patient.”

Vise and her employer paid Medicare taxes her whole career.

So she was stunned to learn how Dr. Mina Sinacori views the government health program for senior citizens.

“Medicare is charity care,” says Sinacori. “We love our Medicare patients, we want to provide for our older patients, but physicians simply cannot afford to.”

Sinacori, an OB/GYN, says Medicare’s current reimbursement doesn’t even cover her costs.

And unless Congress acts by April 1, those reimbursements will be cut by 21.2-percent.

“With further reductions in payment,” says Sinacori, “we're going to see fewer and fewer physicians taking Medicare patients.”

This, as 78-million baby boomers hit retirement age starting next year.

Maybe that’s why President Barack Obama mentioned Medicare by name, in his full-court press to pass a health care bill by next Thursday.

“Reining in waste and inefficiencies,” says Obama, “we are going to be able to help ensure Medicare’s solvency for an additional decade.”

Mina Sinacori sees universal coverage as a noble goal but says Uncle Sam’s Medicare is not what the doctor ordered.

“If you think of it as a pilot program for national health care, it has failed, failed miserably.”

Congress keeps postponing that 21.2-percent Medicare pay cut; the latest proposal would put it off until October.

To doctors, that’s a bunch of Bandaids on a policy that requires surgery

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Making Cell Phones for Seniors

Among cell phone users in developed countries, IBM is betting the market with the biggest growth potential is...people over the age of 65?

It makes more sense than you'd think. According to recent findings, most of them already own cell phones, so it's not as if they're adverse to the technology. But unlike younger generations, who are seemingly targeted with a new cell phone gimmick every week, they're largely ignored on the marketing front--excepting a few efforts from Nokia and Samsung, which makes the senior-friendly Jitterbug

IBM's two-year research program, which also involves the National Institute of Design of India and Tokyo University, will explicitly focus on making cell phones easier to use, for both the elderly and the illiterate. Moreover, the software it develops will be open-source, so all governments and businesses can take advantage.

"As the population in Europe and North America ages, the need for specialized mobile devices will become acute," Ben Wood, research director at British consultancy CCS Insight, told Reuters. "Phone makers will have to adapt if they want to appeal to a generation that has grown up with mobile devices, but can't use them in the ways they used to."

In other words: MAKE THE BUTTONS BIGGER AND THE RINGTONES LOUDER, duh.


For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Common Scams Against Senior Citizens

Missouri Attorney General educating residents about consumer fraud

JOPLIN, MO. - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster talks about National Consumer Protection Week. Koster says seniors are often targeted for scams concerning everything from telemarketing to life insurance.

He says one of the most common schemes involves a company offering to improve your credit score for a fee.

"One of the important jobs of the Attorney General's office is to educate people and let them to know about consumer's scans that are effecting hundreds of thousands of Missourians every year," Koster says.

Koster says consumers with credit problems can get help free of charge or at a low cost through local consumer credit counseling services.

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Combating Dementia Through ART

OXFORD, OHIO — For a person with dementia, coloring inside the lines of a picture can be difficult and overwhelming. But painting in watercolor offers that same person a chance to freely express themselves.

Elizabeth Lokon has developed an art program around this idea.

Lokon’s Opening Minds Through Art program pairs a dementia patient with a Miami University student each week for activities like watercolor, collage and printmaking.

“I found that, often times, people with dementia are underserved and misunderstood,” she said .

“I think people are caring and they want to do good work, good activities for people with dementia, but it seems to me they give up too soon,” she said. “They figure, ‘Oh they don’t make sense, they cant remember things,’ so they try to make things simple and when they think simple, they think of children.”

Opening Minds Through Art not only provides activities appropriate for adults, but it also promotes confidence and social relationships.

Opening Minds Through Art, which is offered weekly at the Knolls of Oxford and Adult Day Services in Oxford, will expand to seven locations by fall 2010 in Oxford, Hamilton and the Cincinnati area.

Lokon, a research associate at the Scripps Gerontology Center, originally developed the program as a thesis for her graduate studies at Miami University

After studying dementia residents in nursing homes, Lokon said the problem with many activities offered is they are “simple to the point of boring and inappropriate for people who are 80 and 90 years old.” OMA addresses a common problem in patients of being distracted and easily disoriented.

OMA seeks to increase the creative self-expression of people with dementia through a highly structured 15-step process centered on strong one-on-one relationships, which also increases the participant’s health and psychological wellbeing.

The program, which receives support from the Oxford Community Foundation, is carried out in a number of art sessions with each participant, referred to as the artist, donning an apron for an hour every Friday afternoon for the chance to create an original piece of artwork.

Because the degree of dementia ranges significantly among the participants, they are split into two groups.

Each participant is matched with a Miami student who is trained in both the basics of dementia and effective communication strategies and who serves as not only a guide throughout each session, but also as a recognizable face eager to chat or to provide moral support for the artist.

The process begins with the “huddle,” where the day’s project leaders and the students meet to discuss the art project and each resident’s wellbeing on that particular day, along with any possible concerns.

After the students partner with the artists, they are given a short amount of time to socialize and to put on nametags — which give a sense of security — and aprons.

They start by singing a song and then get a brief introduction of the day’s project and a demonstration.

“The purpose of the demonstration is to show people how easy it is,” said Lokon .

Packages of the needed materials, called gifts, are then handed out to the artists for both simplicity and as a way to entice them into the project.

“Everything is about pulling them along” Lokon said. The process is also designed to keep patients from becoming overwhelmed and shutting down.

The artists are then free to create their pieces.

Some choose to work in silence, focusing intently on their art, while others chat back and forth with their assigned student and with the group leader.

Once the pieces are finished and signed, titles are given to each piece of work, which is then shown around the rest of the room amid ample compliments and the occasional “just wait until you see mine.”

The student fills out a form gauging both their feedback on the day’s activity and how they felt their partner reacted to the activity.

Finally, a 30-minute debriefing session is held between Lokon and a few of the leaders, while the students take this time to journal about the session.

This process is essential to meeting the goals of the OMA program which, aside from promoting confidence and social interaction among those with dementia through creative self-expression, include building strong relationships between those with dementia and the staff and students, educating the public about the creative abilities of people with dementia, and contributing to scholarly literature about dementia and dementia treatment.

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

State of Massachusetts against use of RISPERDAL

Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office joined a federal lawsuit yesterday that contends that Johnson & Johnson paid tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks to get its drugs, especially the powerful antipsychotic Risperdal, prescribed in nursing homes.

The action was taken as Coakley’s office disclosed that it is also scrutinizing companies that market antipsychotics to Massachusetts nursing homes. These drugs are widely used in some homes for residents suffering from dementia, a condition that puts them at greater risk of death when given antipsychotics.

Antipsychotics were approved to treat people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, but it is legal for physicians to prescribe them “off label’’ to treat people with dementia. Pharmaceutical companies are prohibited from marketing or promoting off-label uses of their products.

“The inappropriate off-label marketing of antipsychotic drugs to nursing homes is a significant health and safety issue for our seniors,’’ Coakley said in a statement released by her office. “We have taken strong action on this issue in the past and are continuing to monitor it very closely moving forward.’’

Coakley’s office declined further comment, citing the pending litigation.

The Globe reported Monday that 28 percent of Massachusetts nursing home residents were given antipsychotics last year.

Of that group, 22 percent, or 2,483, did not have a medical condition that calls for such treatment. That rate was 12th highest in the nation, according to federal data.

The lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson — filed in January by the US attorney in Boston, Carmen M. Ortiz — alleges that the drug company paid millions to Omnicare, the nation’s largest provider of drugs to nursing homes, to get the company to intensively push the antipsychotic Risperdal between 1999 and 2004, using rebate programs and other incentives.

That campaign nearly tripled sales of J&J products to Omnicare, from approximately $100 million to over $280 million, with annual purchases of Risperdal alone rising to over $100 million, the suit contends.

Omnicare then filed for reimbursement for these purchases, seeking payment from Medicaid, the joint federal and state health program for the poor, which pays for nursing home care for many seniors.

The attorney general’s office is joining the suit against Johnson & Johnson to ensure that the state shares in any financial settlement for the Medicaid payments.

Omnicare agreed in November to pay $98 million to settle federal charges it took kickbacks.

Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said in a statement yesterday that “airing the facts will confirm that our conduct, including rebating programs like those the government now challenges, was lawful and appropriate.’’

“We look forward to the opportunity to present our evidence in court,’’ Goodrich said.

The federal lawsuit details an elaborate program by Johnson & Johnson and Omnicare to allegedly convince nursing home physicians to prescribe Risperdal. The suit contains internal company documents and e-mails, including one from 1999 in which Omnicare offered J & J’s sales team a list of nursing home physicians who had been resistant to prescribing the antipsychotic.


For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Stay Active & Alert to Fight Dementia/Alzheimer's

Laura Kennedy from WDIO.com tells us:

"2011 is the year the first baby boomers hit age 65, which is entering the age of increasing risk of dementias of any kind," said Esther Gieschen, Regional Director of the Alzheimer's Association.

Gieschen says more cases are also popping up because of new treatments and cures for other illnesses. "The irony is the treatments we have for other diseases are helping us live long enough to get this one," she said.

The seminar also addressed a common misconception that our brains simply deteriorate as we get older. Neuroscientist Janet Fitzakerley says new research proves aging brains are more than capable of staying strong and sharp.

"Your brain is all about connections between the cells," she said. "The more connections you make and the more different ways they have to function, the more circuits you make. If you lose one circuit, you have another to back you up."

There's no cure for Alzheimer's or dementia. But studies show folks who are "brain healthy" have a reduced risk for developing these diseases.

"Staying mentally active, doing different things, learning new things, keeping a lot of social interactions, not becoming isolated," said Gieschen. "Those things are believed to help."

"Going to art museums, going to theater productions, anything that keeps your brain busy can strengthen those connections," Fitzakerley said. Early detection is critical in Alzheimer's and dementia cases. It won't prevent the disease, but it can make treatment more effective.

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

Are Medicare Cuts in OUR Best Interest?

The California Medical Association said Friday it’s calling on Congress to “act immediately” to prevent deep Medicare cuts that are slated to take effect Monday, saying the 21 percent cuts to doctors’ reimbursement in the federal program “would hamper senior citizens’ access to care and force physicians to contemplate turning away patients or dropping out of the program altogether.”

However, Congress has adjourned for the weekend, so an immediate reprieve is unlikely. (The House of Representatives has passed a bill blocking the Medicare pay cut for doctors, but the U.S. Senate has not.)

The dance involving Medicare cuts and national and state medical associations’ anguished concerns over them is one that takes place every year in Washington, D.C. But this year, the debate over President Obama’s health reform package and Thursday’s Health Care Summit resulted in the issue getting shunted aside, at least for the moment.

The Sacramento-based CMA said the looming 21 percent cuts to doctors’ Medicare reimbursement -- meant to keep the overall system solvent over the long term -- are “unconscionable.” It joined the American Medical Association, AARP and other groups representing seniors and physicians to attack the pending cuts, and is encouraging its 35,000 physician members in the Golden State to contact U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and their congressional representatives about the issue.

“It’s unconscionable that Congress has not intervened to prevent this coming train wreck,” said Dr. Brennan Cassidy, the state medical association’s president. “Sadly, if these cuts take effect, senior citizens will have a tougher time getting access to a doctor because many physicians will not be able to afford to deliver care under Medicare.”

Proponents of the cuts argue that unless programs like Medicare and Medicaid are limited, they will consume ever-greater portions of the federal budget, threatening its overall solvency.


For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524

The AARP Helps Seniors with their Tax Returns !!

Senior Solutions presents Tax Aide a free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service. It is available to taxpayers with low and moderate incomes and gives special attention to people age 60 and older. Trained in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, volunteers help more than 2.6 million taxpayers file federal, state and local tax returns each year. The program is offered nationwide in senior centers, libraries, community centers and other convenient locations.

Volunteers are trained to assist with filing the 1040 Form and standard schedules, including Schedules A and B. Taxpayers with complex tax returns are advised to seek paid tax assistance. Electronic filing (e-filing) is offered at most sites, with no charge to the taxpayer. E-filing ensures more accurate tax returns and faster processing of tax refunds.

Tax Aide also allows taxpayers to pose questions online, year-round, 24 hours a day, seven days aweek, from the comfort of home. To learn more, just click HERE or visit the general AARP site HERE

For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524