Sorted by date Results 626 - 650 of 925
Last March, the Senior Benefit program’s top tier beneficiaries – those who qualify for the program at the highest income levels allowed – saw their monthly payments drop from the program’s initial $125 to $47. As of Senior Voice press time for the April edition, March 29, legislators had voted to completely cut out the top tier funds for the program due to the state’s limited budget for the rest of FY16. However, funds were restored to the Senior Benefits program May 31, as well as other state funded programs that have been deeply impacted...
We face difficult financial and political challenges in Alaska, but our state legislature is dysfunctional. We need to do more than sit on the sidelines and complain that politicians aren’t doing their jobs. We need and can do more to fix our government. We can increase and empower our citizens so that, together, we transform our grievances into real solutions. Alaskans from across the state have started that transformation with the PFD Voter Registration ballot initiative. This is a common-sense, money-saving proposal that increases the n...
When Senior Voice ran a feature article in the June issue about my wife Wilma’s book, it brought us a gratifying response from a wide variety of Alaskan seniors. The article, by Dianne Barske, really made the connection between the book, “Four Years Below Zero,” and its intended audience. The article described Wilma’s experiences patrolling 12 hours a night, seven nights a week, on the Arctic section of the huge Trans-Alaska Pipeline construction project in the 1970s. It also told how Wilma was unable to complete her manuscript because of illn...
Alaska faces unparalleled fiscal challenges threatening the hard-won financial and personal security of our elders. In the midst of such challenges it is prudent to utilize a wide and diverse array of policy tools to limit and counteract the damage to our people and institutions. This is not the time to cut programs buttressing the social safety net, the elements of which are the guarantor of our common wealth. Unfortunately, our legislature has taken a different approach. In the course of the legislature’s past two sessions, we’ve wit...
Have you played any online games that promised to reduce cognitive decline? They may be fun to play but be aware that any health-related claims made by the companies may be unfounded. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently brought charges and settled with several companies that advertised false scientific claims that users would develop better cognitive health by playing their online games. Lumosity will pay $2 million in settling deceptive advertising charges (to be paid to customers who purchased the products) and Learning Rx will pay a...
There were a lot of moving parts to House Bill 13, says Michelle Kaelke, Finance and Licensing Supervisor at the Department of Fish and Game (DF&G). Last month, Senior Voice reported that the bill dealing with the DF&G’s senior licenses set out to raise the age requirement from 60 to 62 years of age and would require that licensees renew their license every three years. After going to print, aides from District 6 Rep. David Talerico’s office called to set the record straight. “The final draft of HB 137 decided not to raise the age from 60 to...
Have you reached the donut hole in Medicare coverage? If so then you know, it begins when you and your drug plan have spent a total of $3,310 on your medications. Then, you have to pay a higher share of medication costs till you reach the other side of the donut hole. Ouch. If you haven’t yet reached that point, there are ways Medicare advises people to slow their descent into the donut hole by keeping overall costs lower. • Ask your doctor to prescribe generic drugs if they are appropriate in your situation. • Find out if your local pharm...
The “grandparent scam” occurs in Alaska on a regular basis. It’s an impostor scam that has been around for years and has claimed many victims nationwide. The amount requested by the scammers usually runs into several thousand dollars, but one couple here in Alaska lost more than $75,000 to this scam. Here’s how it works The frantic phone call often comes late at night or early in the morning when a person may not be as cognizant. The scammer poses as the victim’s grandchild (or other family relative such as a niece or nephew) and often the...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received on May 27, 2016. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has introduced S.2989, the Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act, in honor and appreciation of the Merchant Mariners who served during World War II. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) is a co-sponsor. “Merchant Mariners were instrumental during World War II, providing valuable support transporting troops and vast quantities of war material needed to fight and win that war,” said Sen. Murkowski. “Their dedication and vital s...
Editor’s note: This press statement was received June 22, 2016. The Social Security Board of Trustees today released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined asset reserves of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds are projected to become depleted in 2034, the same as projected last year, with 79 percent of benefits payable at that time. The Disability Insurance Trust Fund will become depleted in 2023, extended from last year’s estimate of...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Interagency Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all of the above. Informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The July meeting is July 13, hosted by Long Term Care Ombudsman Office. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group for more information on these events or to be added to our e-mail reminder list,...
Alaska’s food-growing season is kicking into high gear and Alaska farmers grow some of the best produce in the country, so now’s the time to pick up your coupons for locally-grown fruits and vegetables. The coupons come from the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program and can be used at local farmer’s markets around the state through Oct. 31. Each eligible senior receives five $5 coupons for a total of $25. The program issues the coupons to senior centers and other agencies, which pass them on to seniors age 60 or older who meet the program...
After meeting on June 21 to discuss Ordinance 2014-24, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly has proposed that the borough do away with the optional $150,000 senior property tax exemption as the senior population in the Kenai Peninsula increases. The state of Alaska requires that all municipalities offer senior citizens and disabled veterans a $150,000 tax exemption. The Kenai Peninsula Borough offers senior citizens an additional $150,000 tax exemption on top of that, meaning they do not pay taxes on the first $300,000 of their home’s assessed...
Update: Last minute changes in the legislation changed these particulars. As the bill reads now, the new rules are: - 65 year age limit - no three-year renewal is required. Please stay tuned, as there is confusion among sponsors and the above details may change again. Senior Voice will publish a follow-up article in July. The state’s fiscal troubles have touched multiple aspects of state-funded programs, and the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game is no exception. For the past two years, District 6 Rep. David Talerico and Alaska Outdoor Council E...
Ordinary medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the United States, reports a terrifying new study in the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal). Patient safety researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine estimate 251,000 Americans die each year from common mistakes in hospitals and other health-care facilities. That’s about 700 people a day. Let’s set this number in context. The number one and number two annual killers are heart disease with 614,348, and cancer, with 591,699 deaths, according to the Natio...
April 15 is long gone, but that doesn’t mean tax worries are over, thanks to fraudulent phone callers posing as IRS agents. Better Business Bureau, the Alaska Medicare Information Office and others are reporting a surge in the calls, in which the caller claims to be from the Internal Revenue Service. “Reportedly, the tax scammers are pretending to be case workers from the IRS telling people there is a warrant out for their arrest,” Alaska Commission on Aging Executive Director Denise Daniello warns in a May 16 alert. “The scammers are targeti...
Normally, in a presidential election year, Congress doesn’t get much done. This year is no exception. But with a few months before July’s political nominating conventions, a brief window of productivity exists and some lawmakers are pushing bipartisan proposals to help change Congress’ gridlock image. Let’s look at what’s on the agenda (with the exception of the seemingly never-ending attitudes and activities surrounding Obamacare) over the next couple of months before politics overwhelms all congressional activity. Congress left town for...
Interested in learning more about businesses and agencies providing senior services in the Anchorage area? Want to get the word out about your own service? The monthly Interagency Breakfast, sponsored by Older Persons Action Group, is an opportunity for all of the above. They're informal, early and free, with breakfast provided. The June meeting is June 8, hosted by the office of Mayor Berkowitz. Begins at 8 a.m. RSVP by calling Older Persons Action Group for more information on these events or to be added to our e-mail reminder list,...
Recent data show that, across the board, fewer American retirees say they are “very satisfied” with their retirements, while a growing number of retirees report that they are “not at all satisfied” with their retirements. Based on a 15-year period of research from 1998 to 2012 using data from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the most comprehensive national survey of older Americans, results show that a shift is occurring from “very satisfied” retirees to “moderately satisfied” and “not at all satisfied” retirees...
The Alaska legislature is no longer pushing to remove the mandate for the Senior and Disabled Property Tax Exemption, which exempts Alaskan seniors and disabled veterans from having to pay property taxes on the first $150,000 of the assessed value of their home. Although many municipalities protest the program as an expensive, unfunded mandate and have lobbied for its removal, the proposal floated during this session to make it optional, rather than mandatory as it is now, received too much pushback and has been abandoned for now, according to...
This letter, abbreviated here, was sent by the Alaska Commission on Aging to the Alaska Senate and House chairs on April 6, 2016, in regard to SB 139 and HB 256, which impose a $100 annual fee to be placed on the Pioneer Homes wait list. The letter is available in its entirety on the commission’s website at www.alaskaaging.org. Dear Sen. Pete Micciche and Representative Dan Sadler: The Alaska Commission on Aging is a Governor-appointed body within the Dept. of Health and Social Services that serves to ensure the dignity and independence of a...
Editor’s Note: This press statement was received on April 21, 2016. The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — is congratulating both President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress for reauthorizing the Older Americans Act (OAA), a vital piece of legislation that supports programs and services for approximately 11 million individuals and their families. GSA is also calling for Congress to fund, at a minimum, OAA programs at their authorized levels for Fiscal...
Most Americans and leading presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle support the idea that the federal government should lower drug prices. But it's not likely to happen any time soon even though the Obama administration and Congress are considering some proposals and ideas moving in that direction. This is a key issue for the 55 million seniors on Medicare. A recent Stanford Center on Longevity study found that almost half (47 percent) of Americans age 75 and older took five or more prescription drugs in 2011, nearly double the 24...
The Alaska Commission on Aging will conduct its quarterly meeting May 5 in Palmer at Mat-Su Senior Services, 1132 S. Chugach Street. The commission advocates for state policy, public and private partnerships, state/federal projects and citizen involvement on senior issues. Commissioners will hear presentations from and about senior service programs and agencies, including the Alaska Senior Hunger Awareness Campaign; Mat-Su Council on Aging; Division of Senior and Disabilities Services; Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority; Long Term Care...
Citing low public interest and little need, Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre vetoed a resolution to create a senior task force on Feb. 23. The resolution, brought forward by senior advocate Peter Zuyus and Kenai Peninsula Borough assembly member Kelly Cooper, was intended to form the task force to serve as a resource for seniors in the Kenai Peninsula. “We wanted a pathway for seniors to ask questions and offer commentary on the borough level,” said Zuyus. “Other boroughs have similar setups, and there are no representatives from...
