Medicare Enrollment – What to Think About

Medicare’s open enrollment season will close on December 7th. You still have time to make several changes. You can switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage; you can shift from Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare; you can trade...

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Fraud Advisory Issued from Social Security

For immediate release... The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about an ongoing caller-ID “spoofing” scheme misusing the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) national customer service phone number. SSA has received numerous reports of...

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Social Security and Medicare

Social Security and Medicare have worked side by side for decades. Both programs have improved the quality of life for millions of older Americans. Social Security reaches almost every family and, at some point, touches the lives of nearly...

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Seniorities and guest, Emmett Schmarsow from MA Elder Affairs

“Seniorities” is a bi-monthly cable TV program discussing/highlighting issues of importance to our aging population. As Chairman of the Board, Scituate Council on Aging, I co-host with Linda Hayes, Executive Director of the Council on Aging. Our guest this week,...

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Signs that Elderly Parents Need Help

Whether you live nearby and visit often, or faraway and occasionally visit, there are signals to alert you to aging issues with elderly parents. Stay observant for any of the following: -- Out-of-character behavior. Have your elderly parents started skipping...

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Differences on Coverage between Medicare and Medicaid

How do Medicare and Medicaid differ in regards to long term care planning? Medicare, by and large, does not cover long-term nursing home care. For example, Medicare Part A will only cover up to 100 days in a skilled...

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Defining Medicare and Medicaid

Re-posting information which helps in defining differences between Medicare and Medicaid.... Many people are confused about the difference between Medicare and Medicaid (MassHealth is the label in Massachusetts) as it pertains to the challenge of paying for expensive long-term...

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Elderly Signals on Memory Loss?

According to research, as many as 10-20% of older adults above the age of 65 suffer from mild cognitive impairment. Another five million have Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive and deteriorating dementia. The process of aging will effect us all....

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Last Minute Tax Tips

We're almost done with tax season! Below some last minute tips on various real situations for consideration. -- Are social security benefits taxed and how is that determined? The answer is...sometimes. First of all, some taxation of social...

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Testing for Colorectal Cancer

How do we get tested for colorectal cancer? Currently, there are four main types of screening for colon cancer. There is no single "best test" for elders or young adults. Each type has advantages and disadvantages. It is worth...

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