Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 22, 2014

Mountain Views News Saturday, March 22, 2014 
7THE GOOD LIFE Mountain Views News Saturday, March 22, 2014 
7THE GOOD LIFE 
HOW TO GET HELP WITH 
MEDICARE DECISIONS 

Dear Savvy Senior:
Where can I get help with my Medicare decisions? 
I’m approaching 65, and could use some help 
sorting through the different Medicare plan options 
that are available to me. Almost Eligible 


Dear Almost: 
The options and choices available to Medicare beneficiaries today can be overwhelming. In addition 
to original Medicare (Part A and B) that has been around for 49 years, you also have the option of 
enrolling in a Part D prescription drug plan, and a supplemental (Medigap) policy – both of which 
are sold by private insurance companies. Or, a Medicare Advantage plan which covers health care, 
prescription drugs and extra services all in one. These plans, which are also sold by private insurers, 
are generally available through HMOs and PPOs. 


To help you figure out the Medicare plans for you, there are a variety of services and tools available 
today depending on how much help you need. Here are several to get you started. 


Free Resources 
A good starting point to get familiar with Medicare is the “Medicare & You” 2014 handbook that 
overviews the program and your options. You can read it online at medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf, 
or you should receive a free copy in the mail one month before your 65th birthday. 


The Medicare website also offers a free “Plan Finder” tool at medicare.gov/find-a-plan that can help 
you find and compare health plans, supplemental policies and prescription drug plans in your area. 
Or, if you don’t have Internet access, or don’t feel confident in working through the information on 
your own, you can also call Medicare at 800-633-4227 and a customer service representative will do 
the work for you over the phone. 


Other free resources that can help include planprescriber.com or ehealthmedicare.com, two websites 
developed by eHealth Insurance that will compare Part D, Advantage and supplemental plans in your 
area and connect you to a licensed insurance agent. 


In addition, the Medicare Rights Center (medicarerights.org) staffs a hotline at 800-333-4114 to help 
answer your Medicare questions. 


And your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides free Medicare counseling 
in person or over the phone. To find a local SHIP counselor see shiptalk.org, or call the Eldercare 
Locator at 800-677-1116. 


And, for tips on choosing a top Medicare Advantage plan, see the HealthMetrix Research Cost Share 
Report at medicarenewswatch.com. This resource lists the best Advantage plans by area based on 
your health status. 


Fee-Based Services 
If the free services don’t cut the mustard and you need some additional help in making your Medicare 
decisions, there are a handful of fee-based companies that are very helpful. 


One of the best is Allsup Inc. (ama.allsup.com, 866-521-7655) which offers a Medicare Advisor 
service that takes your personal information online or over the phone, such as the prescription drugs 
you take and the doctors you use, and provides you customized advice on the best Medicare plans 
that match your needs and budget. They’ll even help you enroll in the plan(s) you select. Fees for their 
services range between $200 and $495 depending on how much help you need. 


Another option is Healthcare Navigation (healthcarenavigation.com, 877-811-8211), which charges 
$750 for a 90-minute comprehensive Medicare consultation. 


Commission-Based 
Another way to get help with your Medicare enrollment is to consult an independent insurance agent. 
Agents typically get paid a commission to sell you a policy, although they offer plans from a number 
of providers. 


The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America have a directory on their website (see 
independentagent.com/contactus) that lets you search for agents in your area. But keep in mind that 
agents typically specialize in the Medicare plans they represent, rather than all the plans in your 
market. 


Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 



KATIE Tse.....................This and That 
I <3 TECHNOLOGY!

 Ain’t technology grand! Phones, in particular, become more sophisticated by the 
second. That snazzy iPhone you got last week is going to get blown away by the new 
Android to be unveiled tomorrow. If you haven’t already caught on, I’m not much 
of a “techie,” so please excuse me when I use misuse a term. A couple years ago one 
of my husband’s friends was showing off all the cool apps on his new phone. To 

measure his pulse, he merely pressed his thumb on part of the screen --and presto! His resting pulse 
was 75! Of course that was then. The phone he has now can probably perform open heart surgery 
and text the bill to his insurer. 

 My husband and I recently upgraded 
our phones. The last phone I owned was 
still over my head even after I’d already 
used it for several years. Getting a new 
phone always reminds me of when I had 
to buy a graphing calculator for my high 
school math class. (These days they’re 
probably teaching the same stuff in fifth 
grade. But that’s another story…) My Texas 
Instruments calculator was a massive gray 
plastic thing with a protective sliding cover. 
Paying upwards of $90 for a calculator was 
unconscionable. My dad etched “Hopkins” 
on the back, just in case I left it somewhere 
when I was off having fun graphing things. 
Although I knew the device was capable of 
more functions than I used it for (mostly 
long division), my spiffy calculator spent 
most of its life in the back of my desk among 
faded receipts and dried rubber bands. Eventually, it either went to Good Will or the Women’s Club. 
I felt good knowing someone out there can graph to their heart’s content for a much more reasonable 
price.

 
Before I was introduced to the world of modern phones, my coworkers often made fun of my pitiful 
attempts at texting. At conferences and staff meetings they would text me, “Hey, you’re LATE!!!” 
Meanwhile, I fumbled to disable the sound. Then I laboriously punched in something like 44-2-442-
3-444-3-88-4-33-8-2-222-666-7-999-4-6-33-? Which translates “Ha ha did U get a copy 4 me?” 

 The first cell phone I owned was very primitive. It even had an antenna. It must’ve come free with 
my mom’s phone, and I never used it except to call out; no one ever called me. My ignorance about 
this phone led to a frightening experience in grad school when my phone went off during an exam. 
We all knew the rules; if you failed to silence your phone, you forfeited your test. The blood drained 
from my face and a cold sweat came over me. Horror-stricken I pawed around in my purse for my 
phone. This did little good, though, because once I found it, I didn’t know how to kill the noise. I 
could feel all my classmates’ eyes trained on me. When the ringing mercifully stopped, my professor 
nodded toward me with a sympathetic smile. She knew I was helplessly clueless about such things.

 It’s been about a decade since that scary night, and my phone skills have improved slightly. I 
learned to “swipe,” instead of punching each letter individually. That was all well and good until 
my new phone decided that “non-words” must be mistakes, and therefore it substitutes other words 
it believes are what I’m trying to type. This is one of those instances in which artificial intuitive 
intelligence backfires. (Is that an actual term? I made it up, but it sounds like it should be real, doesn’t 
it?) Instead of making life easier, this function just ticks off simple-minded people like me. 

Case in point, abbreviations such as “CPA,” “IEP,” and “NPO” become “Cops,” Oreo,” and “Boo.” It 
also has a ball with nontraditional names. “Fadwa” and “Tinh” become “Fades” and “Young.” If I just 
swipe without checking the screen, I might send a weird message like “Ask Fades if she got the inch 
tree ration” instead of “Ask Fadwa if she got the invitation.”

 Although my phone’s stubborn insistence on conforming my writing to its idea of proper English 
is annoying, it makes for some interesting reading. The stuff it comes up with reminds me of Beatnik 
poetry from the 50’s. Writing from “Free Association” came up with lines like “Tail turned to red 
sunset on a juniper crown a lone magpie cawks.” (Allen Ginsberg). I imagine a new wave of the 
Beatnik movement for our era. The hip, young people can add artsy berets to their skinny jeans 
ensemble while they sit around at Starbucks (I would say under a heavy layer of smoke like in the 50’s, 
but no one smokes these days). I can almost hear discordant bongos as each kid’s glazed eyeballs stare 
into their phones while their tireless fingers churn out poetry. “Your selfie replied to all viral 5,000 
hits flavor of Doritos.”

 Like I said, ain’t technology grand? Did it? 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


FYI: CUT COSTS AT HOME

 Millions are looking for ways to shave dollars and dimes from their daily expenses. To share your 
own tips, send us an e-mail telling us how you save. You can save money on everything, but here’s how 
you can get started around your home.

Use up to 60 percent less energy by boiling water in a microwave rather than on an electric 
stovetop. When you do use the stovetop, make sure pots and pans fully cover the heating element. A 
6-inch pan on an 8-inch element translates to an energy waste of more than 40 percent.

Improve freezer efficiency by keeping the thing as full as possible—with bags of ice, for 
instance. But keep a 1-inch open space on each side of the interior for better air exchange.

Lower your thermostat in the winter. For each degree that you drop, you cut your heating bill 
by 3 percent. To feel more comfortable at lower temperatures, place pans of water near heating outlets 
or radiators. Water-filled air retains heat better, and the added humidity reduces itching and dry skin.

Mix your own garden dirt. Those “enriched” bags of soil boost flower and vegetable growth—
at about $8 a bag. Instead, for each one part of dirt or topsoil mix in about two parts of compost—
shredded from leaves and branches and available for free at many municipal recycling centers.

Get a rain barrel. Connected to your home’s storm gutters, it will collect water for later use on 
your lawn, vegetable garden or car. Excerpts from AARP 
...................................................................................... 

HELPFUL HINT: To Help With Standing Yellow Water: Use a Magic Eraser (Sponge you 
can find in your grocery store). Cut a piece off and float it in your toilet overnight and voila! no more 
toilet ring! 

....................................................................................... 


FOR YOUR FUNNY BONE -An elderly man was having hearing problems and went 
to see a specialist. The doctor fitted him with some hearing aids that brought his hearing back to full 
strength. After a few weeks the man came back to make sure the new equipment was working properly, 
which it was. The hearing specialist said, “It all seems perfect. Your family should be delighted you can 
hear everything now.” 
“Oh no,” the man responded. “I haven’t told any of them. I just sit quietly, listening carefully. I’ve changed 
my will four times.” 

~ ~ ~ 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … March Birthdays 

Clare Marquardt, Karen Blachly, Carla Duplex, Ella Guttman, Viky Tchatlian, Mary Cooper, 

Georgina “Snooky” Greger, Sun Liu, Helen Wallis, Joan Crow, Nancy Fox, Nan Carlton, 

Martha Cassara, Rita Johnson, Mercedes Campos, Dorothy Webster,Terri Elder, Carol 

Cerrina, Amy Putnam, Sally Contreras and Lori Cooper. (Thanks Pat Birdsall for putting 
this list together.) To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 
YEAR of birth not required, however you must be 60 years old or more. 

.................................................................. 


Quote of the Week: Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the 
mind on the present moment - Buddha 
.................................................................. 


ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park 
House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 12:00 Noon 

(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.)
All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 
for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is 
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256 

Free Balance Class: Monday, January 27th 11:00 to 11:45 with Shannon Vandevelde. A variety of 
balance exercises are practiced; all ability levels are encouraged and welcomed. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: Held Second Tuesday of the month from 11:00 am-12:00 pm: No 
appointment necessary. 

Bingo: Every Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm Cards are only .25c each! 

Free Chair Yoga: 11:00 to 11:45 Every Wednesday morning. Join Paul Hagen for this free class that 
focuses on senior yoga techniques. No reservation is necessary! 

Free Legal Consultation: Pasadena attorney Lem Makupson volunteers on the 2nd Wednesday of 
the month. He focuses on estate planning, trusts, wills, probate, conservatorships and business law. 
*Appointments are a must! Please call: 626.355.7394 to make yours 

Birthday Celebrations: The 2nd Thursday of the month the Senior Center celebrates the birthdays of 
our patrons at 12:30 pm. Please join us for free cake and ice cream and “celebration.” (The cakes are 
provided due to a generous donation from the Sierra Madre Civic Club.) 

Game Day: Every Thursday at 1:00pm. Poker is usually the game of choice, or should I say chance? 
Board games and other card games are also available. 

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 1:00 pm -1:45 pm Conducted by long-time 
volunteer, Lisa Brandley. The class utilizes light weights for low-impact resistance training. Weights 
are provided by the Sierra Madre Senior Center. 

Senior Citizens Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House (Senior Center). Brown bag lunch at 
11:30am; Club meeting at Noon; Bingo 12:30- 3:30 pm. Only .25c per card. 


UPCOMING EXCURSIONS: 

Whale Watching (Long Beach, Ca.) Date: Saturday, March 22, 2014 

Time: 10:00 am-3:30 pm Meeting Location: Community Recreation Center 
Cost: $31.00 (does not include lunch)
Don’t miss the Community Services Department’s annual whale watching excursion. The 2014 
excursion will visit the same whale watching Charter Company as 2013, which features a narrated 
cruise by Aquarium of the Pacific staff and with indoor and outdoor seating. Participants can bring 
their own lunch to enjoy on the boat, or purchase snack items on board. Children 2 and under are 
free. Last day to register is Tuesday, March 11th. 
Level of Walking: Minimal 

*Registering for Excursions can be done in person at the Hart Park House Senior Center and the 
Community Recreation Center or online at www.cityofsierramadre.com Cash, checks, and credit 
cards are accepted. Make checks payable “City of Sierra Madre”. Payment must be made at the time 
of reservation.