What would the average medical doctor have to do to earn $86? Well, according to Medicare, that’s the amount the doctor will be paid if he or she spends up to thirty minutes talking with a patient about their wishes for end-of-life care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved this billing code […]
‘Tis the season…
The end of another year is almost upon us, and that means that we have some celebrating to do. Regardless of how you do it or what you call it, almost every culture around the world has some type of revelry they engage in to help get them through the chill and darkness of the […]
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Changes are afoot on the Social Security and Medicare fronts for 2016. Both programs are implementing measures that will have an impact on anyone who is currently retired or those making retirement plans over the next few years. Let’s look at Medicare first. Medicare Part B, which covers services like outpatient doctor visits and preventative […]
Take (care with) Your Medicine
Prepare yourself for the paper deluge! If you are a Medicare enrollee, you will probably notice an uptick in the amount of mail you receive during the next couple of months. That’s because we are about to enter that special time of year designated to be the open enrollment period for Medicare plans. Various Medicare […]
File Under…
My mother was a neat and organized woman. Once a year she took the time to sort through “important papers”, keeping those that were still relevant and tossing those that were outdated. She would also write out an inventory of her valued possessions and their current location. These inventive hiding spots included a coffee pot, […]
Time Passages
Time is a slippery concept to talk about because it seems to distort a little more with each year you add to your lifespan. We all remember the days as kids when the eight or so weeks of summer vacation seemed to stretch out for an eternity, and each individual day seemed to hold infinite […]
Re-framed, Re-thought, Repackaged
Our story begins in September of 2012 in a large, impersonal conference room in Washington D.C. Representatives from eight of the country’s most influential organizations in the field of aging are taking their seats around the table. Thought leaders from The American Society on Aging (ASA), The National Council on Aging (NCOA), Grantmakers in Aging […]
Planted
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where I live. I’ve always considered myself to be a bit of a nomad, having moved a fair number of times. “Bloom where you’re planted” is a sappy phrase that I’ve tried to abide by. I’d like to believe that I’m pretty adaptable to whatever environment I happen […]
The Tooth and Nothing But the Tooth
“Hair is the first thing. And teeth the second. A man got those two things, he’s got it all.” Who am I to argue with the hardest working man in show business, Mr. James Brown? James knows what makes the world go around. But I might suggest that perhaps he has the order of importance […]
Carolyn at 108
One week from today, my Aunt Carolyn will begin her 109th year of adventures. Beside the cake, candles and balloons, the inevitable question always accompanies the birthday celebration; “What’s the secret to living to be 108?” When confronted with this query, Aunt Carolyn usually gives a sly smile and doesn’t say a word. On occasion, […]