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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…
How Natalie Cole Copes With Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is killing more Americans than HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the millions infected is singer Natalie Cole. In this Lifescript exclusive, she reveals how she’s living with and managing her chronic…
It’s open season for Medicare scams
Medicare scams occur all the time, but the open-enrollment period is prime time for thieves to unleash their attempts to scam seniors. One of the most common tricks is for crooks to pose as employees from the Centers for Medicare &…
Vital Signs: Overhauling waiver program will help get services to people with disabilities
The ripple effect of the U.S. Department of Justice vs. Commonwealth of Virginia settlement continues with the work of the Commonwealth’s Waiver Design Advisory Committee (WDAC) The committee is made up of a variety of stakeholders and professionals tasked with…
Tradeoffs Many Would Make to Expand Social Security
A new survey finds broad support across party lines and age generations for the value of Social Security, even when it comes to paying a little more to expand benefits. The survey of Americans 21 and older finds three out…