Hands to Help Seniors
Alliance On Aging Offers Free One-On-One Computer Training For Seniors
by Richard Kuehn on 10/21/22
The Alliance on Aging has a wide array of services,
including sessions on Medicare options, a market day where you can mingle with
other seniors and get affordable farmer’s market quality produce. In addition, they provide one-on-one computer
training for seniors. For more
information, visit their offices called “The HUB” on 236 Monterey Street in
Salinas, call 646-5050 or go to www.allianceonaging.org/hb/
Medicare Open Enrollment From October 15 To December 7 : Check Your Options!
by Richard Kuehn on 10/15/22
Medicare
Open Enrollment arrives, with their Annual Election Period (AEP) running from
October 15 to December 7. Those who are
in a standalone Part D drug plan should check and make sure that they have the
best coverage possible for the prescription medication that they are on. Coverage and plans change every year so
getting the right plan could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars per
year. Similarly, if you are looking at a
Medicare Advantage Plan should look at your likely health needs, including
hospitals, doctors, durable equipment, as well as prescription costs. Alliance on Aging has a number of free
presentations on this topic. Click here
for the dates and locations.
Medicare Part B Bills To Decline 3% Next Year
by Richard Kuehn on 10/06/22
For the first time in a decade, Americans will be paying less
next year for Medicare Part B. The 3%
decrease in premiums (a savings of $5.20 per month for most people) comes after
a tough year with extremely high inflation.
“To millions of seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare, that
means more money in their pockets while still getting the care they need,”
President Biden said.
Social Security Checks Projected To Go Up Up 8.7% In January
by Richard Kuehn on 09/18/22
According to an estimate by Mary Johnson, a policy analyst
for the Senior Citizen League, an advocacy group, Social Security Payments
could see the largest increase since 1982 in 2023. That’s the good news. The bad news is that inflation is still very
high so the 8.7% increase may not mean much as far as purchasing power
goes. For the average retiree who
currently gets a check for $1,656, the cost-of-living hike would bring them an
additional $144.10 a month in 2023, making the average payment $1,800.
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-commercial-appeal/20220915/281578064511689
New Cancer Drug Beats Chemotherapy In New Study
by Richard Kuehn on 09/16/22
A new study found that Amgen’s new lung cancer pill called
Lumakras beat out a common chemotherapy in a late stage study, helping patients
survive without their tumors getting worse.
However, it failed to prove that it reduced overall deaths, so more
studies may be needed. Lumakras is the
first approved drug in an emerging class of treatments that target a genetic
mutation called KRAS that is among the most common found in cancers. The study, which found that those taking
Lumakras went 5.6 months without their cancer getting worse, compared with 4.5
months for patients taking the chemotherapy docetaxel, was presented at the
European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Paris. It was conducted by researchers at the Sarah
Cannon Research Institute at Tennessee Oncology.
