St. Andrews Senior Solutions

By: Ann Bannes

Vice President, St. Andrew’s Senior Solutions

The new health care reform laws will affect many Americans, and will grant 32 million citizens access to health insurance.  Many of the details are still being worked out, but the new laws are geared towards helping Medicare remain financially solvent for the next decade, while reducing the US deficit by an estimated $143 Billion.  That sounds promising, but how will it really affect your older loved ones? 

The new law guarantees that existing benefits, whether through traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan, will not be affected.  Eligibility requirements will remain the same.  Beginning in 2011 additional coverage will be available for many preventative services that were not previously part of the plans.

Immediately some older adults will start benefiting from the new law, as those who receive drug coverage through Medicare will be issued a $250 refund if they enter the coverage gap, or “donut hole,” at any time during the year.  This excludes individuals who receive Medicare Extra Help with their part D costs.  Next year, those individuals entering the coverage gap will receive a 50% discount for Medicare-covered name brand prescriptions.  They are working towards completely eliminating the coverage gap by 2020, and over the course of the next 10 years individuals who are affected will continue to see increased savings until that goal has been reached. 

Another positive aspect of the new law is that it increases the number of Medicare providers.  There will be more primary physicians, nurses, and nurses assistants available to beneficiaries, increasing overall access to the benefits for everyone.  As an incentive, the law will include bonus opportunities, student loan forgiveness plans, and expanded training programs for health care providers accepting Medicare. 

Hopefully, over time we will see many other positive changes for older adults receiving Medicare benefits.  However, monthly premiums for both part B and part D will likely increase for some individuals.  For the first time, people with higher incomes may have to pay higher premiums for this coverage. 

There are positive changes for others affected by the new law as well.  Individuals with pre-existing conditions will be granted access to more affordable health care immediately.  Insurance companies will not be able to deny coverage to children with a pre-existing condition beginning in September, and to people of all ages with a pre-existing condition beginning in 2014. Young adults will be able to remain under their parents’ health care coverage up to the age of 26.  And the new laws should help cut down on fraudulent spending, payment errors, and system abuse. 

This information was obtained from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.  If you would like additional information please contact your ElderCare Specialist or visit the www.medicare.gov section on Health Care Reform.  

From: Age Page 

National Institute on Aging

U. S. Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

You see the ads everywhere these days – “Smart Drugs for Long Life” or “Arthritis Aches and Pains Disappear Like Magic!” or even testimonials claiming, “This treatment cured my cancer in one week.” It’s easy to understand the appeal of these promises. But there is still plenty of truth to the old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!”

Quacks – people who sell unproven remedies – have been around for years. Today they have more ways than ever to peddle their wares. In addition to TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, infomercials, mail, and even word-of-mouth, they now can use the internet – websites offer miracle cures; emails tell stories of overnight magic. Sadly, older people are often the target for such scams. In fact, a government study found that most victims of health care fraud are over age 65.

The problem is serious. Unproven remedies may be harmful. They may also waste money. And, sometimes, using these remedies keeps people from getting the medical treatment they need.

What Do Quacks Promise?

Unproven remedies promise false hope. Often they offer cures that are painless or quick. Why do people fall for these sales pitches? After all, at best these treatments are worthless. At worst, they are dangerous. One reason health care scams work is that they prey on people who are frightened or in pain. Living with a chronic health problem is hard. It’s easy to see why people might fall for a false promise of a quick and painless cure.

You may see unproven remedies in products for:

Anti-Aging. Claims for pills or treatments that lead to eternal youth play on the great value our culture places on staying young. But, aging is normal. A product may smooth your wrinkles, but no treatments have yet been proven to slow the aging process. Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and not smoking are your best bets to help prevent some of the diseases that occur more often with age. In other words, making healthy lifestyle choices can increase your chances of aging well.

Arthritis Remedies. Unproven arthritis remedies can be easy to fall for because symptoms of arthritis tend to come and go. You may believe the remedy you are using is making you feel better when, in fact, it is just the normal ebb and flow of your symptoms. You may see claims that so-called treatments with herbs, oils, chemicals, special diets, radiation, and other products cured arthritis. This is highly unlikely. Individual testimonials alone do not guarantee that a product is effective. Instead, scientific studies proving that a treatment works are needed. While these products may not hurt you, they are costly and aren’t likely to help much either. There is no cure for most forms of arthritis, but rest, exercise, heat, and drugs can help many people control their symptoms. If you are thinking about a new treatment, talk with your doctor first.

Cancer Cures. Quacks prey on people’s fear of cancer. They promote treatments with no proven value – for example, a diet dangerously low in protein or drugs such as Laetrile. By using unproven methods, people with cancer may lose valuable time and the chance to receive a proven, effective treatment. This delay may lessen the chance for controlling or curing the disease.

Memory Aids. Many people worry about losing their memory as they age. They may wrongly believe false promises that unproven treatments can help them keep or improve their memory. So-called smart pills, removal of amalgam dental fillings, and brain retraining exercises are all examples of untested approaches that claim to help memory.

How Can You Protect Yourself From Health Scams?

Be wary. Question what you see or hear in ads or on the internet. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV stations do not always check to make sure the claims in their ads are true. Find out about a product before you buy. Don’t let a sales person force you to make a snap decision. Check with your doctor first.

Remember stories about the old snake oil salesman who traveled from town to town making claims for his fabulous product? Well, chances are today’s quack is using the same sales tricks.

Look for red flags in ads or promotional material that:

• Promise a quick or painless cure,
• Claim to be made from a special, secret, or ancient formula – often only available by mail or from one sponsor,
• Use testimonials or undocumented case histories from satisfied patients,
• Claim to be effective for a wide range of ailments
• Claim to cure a disease (such as arthritis or cancer) that is not yet understood by medical science,
• Offer an additional “free” gift or a larger amount of the product as a “special promotion,” or
• Require advance payment and claim limited availability of the product.

Resources

If you have questions about a product, talk to your doctor or contact one of the organizations below.

Get the facts about health products and protect yourself from health care hoaxes.

Quackwatch, Inc.

Quackwatch, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation making information available to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads and fallacies.

National Institute on Aging Information Center

Phone: 1-800-222-2225

www.nia.nih.gov

By: Heather O’Brien, M.S.W.
Eldercare Specialist, St. Andrew’s Senior Solutions 

There are currently two scams targeting older adults both locally, and nationwide.  

MEDICARE PART D REBATE CHECK

The first is related to the Medicare part D rebate check.  Any Medicare part D beneficiary who enters the donut hole, or coverage gap, during 2010 will automatically receive a rebate check in the amount of $250.  Medicare has issued an alert that beneficiaries are being targeted both over the phone and door to door by persons offering to help get this rebate check for a small fee.  The rebate check will be automatically issued to beneficiaries who enter the coverage gap and checks can be expected in the mail within approximately 45 days after entering the gap.  Beneficiaries do not have to file any paperwork to receive the check and will not have to share any personal information to receive this rebate.  Medicare has the information needed and will not be requesting additional information. 

CALL FORWARDING SCAM

The second scam involves a common feature provided by most telephone companies, call forwarding.  Prison inmates have devised a scam in which they are able to make collect calls by locating persons who have multiple phone lines listed in the directory.  They will call each line in an attempt to find a fax line or computer tones.  Details are unclear but they are then able to activate the call forwarding feature on that phone line, which is often unmonitored by the resident, and forward the call to the person they wish to reach.  The fax or computer line is the line that is billed for the collect call, and the person they are trying to reach will not be charged. This is a widespread scam and so far AT&T has reimbursed over $200,000 in fraudulent charges of this nature.  To avoid being targeted, you can request a collect call block from those phone lines.  You can also request a PIN for your account so no one can activate features without entering a PIN.  And as always, pay attention to the charges on your bill and notify the phone company of any suspicious activity on your account. 

Keep yourself and your family protected. Share other known scams in our area.

By: Sharon Bryant
Geriatric Registered Nurse, St. Andrew’s Senior Solutions

Heat-related illness can be a very serious problem, especially among older adults. Health concerns – or just the normal physiological changes of aging – may make it difficult for older people to handle high temperatures. If you come across anyone whom you suspect is suffering from a heat stroke, dial 911 and blanket the victim with damp sheets.

There are a number of factors that are critical to preventing heat-related problems in older adults. The first is education, including being aware of the potential problems than can contribute to heat-related illness. Follow these tips to make sure you and any older adults you know stay safe in the heat:

• Make every effort to stay cool and get out of a hot environment, and limit outside activities to early morning or during the evening.
• Stay in the shade, limiting outdoor activities
• Use fans or seek areas that are air-conditioned, even if only for a few hours at a time.
• If possible, take a cool bath.
• Wear loose fitting clothing in lighter colors.
• Drink plenty of fluids and consume adequate nutrition, while avoiding alcohol.
• Increase salt and electrolytes intake, such as through eating salty foods or drinking sports drinks like Gatorade.
• Visit a local cooling site. Click here for a list of St. Louis locations.

Want to help Cool Down St. Louis? Visit http://www.heatupstlouis.org/News_Vatterott.html for information about donating a new or used A/C unit.

Do you know someone in need of cooling assistance? Visit http://www.heatupstlouis.org/ and scroll to the bottom for a list of social service agencies.

If you can’t find your social service or community action agency on this list, please call Heat Up St. Louis’ resource hotline for additional information, at 314-241-7668.