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Medicare to Help Seniors Choose Health Care Providers with Five-Star Ratings on ‘Compare’ Sites
When buying a product or service, looking at ratings can often help narrow down the choices. Some websites offer “star” ratings that give information about the quality of the products and services they offer. Wouldn’t it be helpful to have…
Calling Social Security? Expect a Wait.
If you’ve had trouble reaching a Social Security representative on the phone or waited for hours for a face-to-face meeting, you won’t be surprised to learn that the Social Security Administration, whose field offices served more than 43 million people…
Social Security nominee will face questions from allies
President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the Social Security Administration will face tough questioning from lawmakers during her confirmation — and many of the hardest queries could come from members of her own party. Carolyn W. Colvin, chosen by Obama…
Biz owners’ retirement plans
Being your own boss means providing for your own retirement. It means that there isn’t an employer looking over your shoulder who will sign you up for a plan. You have to be more proactive in setting the money aside…
Senator Calls For Expansion Of Community-Based Services
A new proposal in the U.S. Senate would eliminate a government bias toward placing people with disabilities in institutional rather than community-based settings. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said Tuesday he is introducing a bill that would put an end to…
Autism Linked To Pesticide Exposure During Pregnancy
A new study is adding to evidence that prenatal exposure to pesticides may significantly increase a child’s risk of autism. Children born to mothers who lived within a mile of fields and farms where certain chemical pesticides were applied during pregnancy…
Little Progress Made in Reducing Health Disparities for People with Disabilities
Psychological distress in people with disabilities is associated with increased prevalence of other chronic conditions and reduced access to health care and preventive care services, finds a new study in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. The U.S.…
HOLT SPEAKS TO SENATE COMMITTEE ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE CLOSINGS
County commissioner Brenda Holt was one of four individuals who testified in front of a Senate Special Committee on Aging held on June 18 in Washington, D.C. The following is from testimony given by Holt at the meeting: “I am here today…
Are Medicare’s patient satisfaction surveys contributing to opioid abuse?
Could Medicare’s patient satisfaction surveys be contributing to the abuse of prescription opioid pain relievers (OPRs)? Two U.S. senators think so, and they want the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to investigate. Dianne Feinstein (D-California)In a recent letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, Senators…
Retirement Looming? Here’s A Checklist To Get Ready
With retirement not far away, you have important choices to make. Are you within a few years of retirement? Time right now to get your financial house in order and here’s what to include on your pre-retirement financial checklist. An expert on this…