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Republican lawmakers, be careful what you wish for
Some Republican governors and U.S. senators are going to have a major Obamacare dilemma on their hands if they wake up Wednesday morning and find that their party controls Congress. Congressional Republicans repeatedly have vowed to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care…
We Have Become Bad Voters. How We Can Change.
By regularly promising the impossible, political candidates give the dangerous impression that salvation is only one bill, one policy solution away. It breeds impatience, impetuosity and ecstatic hopes in citizens. And it can make us bad voters. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton…
Forum explores the many facets of disability studies, research
Scholars from around the Northwest and the nation gathered at the UO recently to explore the growing field of disability studies, part of an effort that could ultimately help establish a formal program at the university. “I am proud to…
Special education in Stark: Parents, district officials find themselves at odds
Teresa Kaminski was convinced her son was autistic. Her school district was not. After more than six years of watching Jared struggle socially and academically and begging administrators to hold him back a grade, Kaminski took him to a local…
Filmmaker makes his life, and disability, his subject
Jason DaSilva has discovered something about making documentaries: They don’t really end. “The film doesn’t stop,” DaSilva said this week over the phone from his home in New York. “Every time I think it’s going to quiet down, it picks up…
IRS raises retirement plan contribution limits
A little inflation means a little adjustment. As the Consumer Price Index is up 1.7 percent over the last 12 months, the federal government is giving Social Security benefits a 1.7 percent boost for 2015 and lifting annual contribution limits…
60,000 Veterans Get Triple Benefits Totaling $3.5 Billion Says GAO
Until the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, military veterans were not allowed to receive both military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) disability benefits. Under a Civil War-era statute, the Pentagon docked retirement pay dollar-for-dollar up to the amount of…
Denied a Medicare claim? Don’t give up on the appeal process, persistence is key to getting covered
The good news: If your Medicare claim is denied, you have the right to appeal. The bad news: The process — which can entail as many as five layers of review — is often long and arduous, and experts say…
How can you recognize a valid Social Security card?
I run a small business and hire people. How can I recognize a valid Social Security card? There are more than 50 different versions of the Social Security card, all of which are valid. Although there are several versions of the…
A guide to finding affordable dental care
Finding affordable dental care can be challenging for seniors living on a tight budget. Most retirees lose their dental insurance after leaving the workplace, and original Medicare does not cover cleanings, fillings or dentures. Although there’s no one solution to affordable…