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Insurance policy’s fine print trumps 96-year-old’s good faith
On her 96th birthday earlier this month, Elaine Tollefson celebrated with a visit from out-of-town grandkids to her home, an assisted living center in central Nebraska. But there’s one birthday present she still wants from Minneapolis-based Thrivent Financial: Checks to…
Sanity-Saving Secrets For Caring For Your Aging Parents
Three questions to ask your parents right now. 1. Do you have a living will? Roughly 72 percent of seniors have advance directives specifying end-of-life medical wishes, according to a recent study funded by the National Institute on Aging. 2. Where’s…
New Medicare Advantage rules benefit seniors
Starting next year, the government will offer some seniors enrolled in private Medicare Advantage insurance an opportunity to leave those plans if they lose their doctors or other health care providers. Last year, thousands of seniors in at least 10 states…
The Biggest Problem With Social Security Isn’t Shrinking Reserves — It’s This
Social Security, the program designed to provide a financial safety net for low-income workers, the disabled, and family members of deceased workers, needs to change. Currently, the Social Security Trust Fund is on pace to burn through its remaining reserves by…
Sony hack: Obama pledges proportional response; Insider: ‘We’ve been outsmarted at every move’
President Barack Obama said Friday that Sony Pictures Entertainment “made a mistake” in shelving a satirical film about a plot to assassinate North Korea’s leader, and he vowed the United States will respond proportionally “in a place and manner and…
With Caregiver Pay Hike, States Warned About ADA Obligations
As new rules roll out mandating better pay for in-home care workers, federal officials say states must not compromise the rights of people with disabilities in the process. Starting in January, home care workers will qualify for the first time for…
Federal Judge: Obama Immigration Actions Unconstitutional
A federal judge today ruled that President Obama’s executive actions on immigration are unconstitutional—the first time a court has weighed in since the president’s Nov. 20 announcement. “President Obama’s unilateral legislative action violates the separation of powers provided for in the…
Fighting Obama’s Amnesty: Et Tu, Brute?
Most Americans don’t watch C-SPAN and I cannot blame them. More often than not, it seems as though the Senate is in a quorum call or a lone senator is debating something totally irrelevant to the issues that are important to…
Disability Champion Leaving Congress
After 40 years on Capitol Hill, a U.S. senator who shaped the Americans with Disabilities Act is leaving his post. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is retiring at the conclusion of the year, after choosing not to seek re-election. The departure will leave…
Want to win in 2016? Talk long-term care
The outcome of the midterm elections wasn’t really a surprise. Older, more conservative voters, tend to vote more than other groups during non-presidential years. Given that reality, it was disappointing how little candidates from both sides of the aisle talked about…