Mountain Views News     Logo: MVNews     Saturday, May 24, 2014

MVNews this week:  Page A:11

Mountain Views News Saturday, May 24, 2014 
11THE GOOD LIFE Mountain Views News Saturday, May 24, 2014 
11THE GOOD LIFE 
HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS FOR EARLY 
RETIREES 

Dear Savvy Senior: 

At age 63, I will be retiring in a few months and need to find some health insurance coverage 
for my wife and me until Medicare kicks in. Is 
Obamacare my only option? 
About to Retire 

Dear About: 

There are actually several places early (pre-
Medicare) retirees can go to find health insurance 
cov-erage – Obamacare isn’t the only game in 
town. Here are your options depending on your in-come and health care needs. 


Government Marketplaces

 If your yearly income falls below the 400 percent poverty level, the Obamacare insurance marketplace 
is probably your best option for getting health coverage because of the federal tax cred-its 
they offer, which will reduce the amount you’ll have to pay for a policy.

 To qualify for the tax credits, your household’s modified adjusted gross income for 2013 must have 
been under $45,960 for an individual, or $62,040 for a couple. If your income will drop be-low the 
400 percent poverty level in 2014 or 2015 because of your retirement, it may still make sense to buy 
coverage through the Obamacare marketplace, even if you don’t qualify for the tax credits based on 
last year’s income.

 To help you see how much you can save, see the subsidy calculator on the Kaiser Family Foundation 
website at kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator.

 To shop for marketplace plans in your state, visit Healthcare.gov or call their toll-free helpline at 
800-318-2596. 

Outside the Marketplace 

If you aren’t eligible for the government subsidy, or you want additional policy options to what 
Obamacare offers, you can also buy health coverage outside the government marketplaces directly 
through insurance companies, brokers or agents. This option is not available if you live in 
Washington D.C. or Vermont.

 These policies do not offer the federal tax credits, but they are required to offer the same menu of 
essential benefits as Obamacare policies do, and they can’t deny you coverage or charge extra for 
pre-existing health conditions. You might even find slightly lower premiums on outside poli-cies, 
assuming that you don’t qualify for the tax credits.

 Another possible reason for shopping outside the marketplace is to find a plan that has your preferred 
doctors and hospitals in its network. Many plans offered in the Obamacare marketplaces 
provide a very limited number of health care providers.

 To shop for these policies, contact insurance companies, brokers or agents and ask them if they offer 
policies that are not available through the government marketplaces.

 To find a local broker or agent that sells insurance plans, check the National Association of Health 
Underwriters website (nahu.org) which has an online directory. But keep in mind that agents won’t 
necessarily show you all available policies, just the ones from insurers they work with. 

You can also look for these plans at insurance shopping sites like eHealthInsurance.com or 
GoHealth.com, which lists plans and providers that may not be listed on Healthcare.gov.

 COBRA 

If you only need health insurance coverage for a short period of time before becoming Medicare 
eligible, another option you may want to consider is COBRA. COBRA coverage allows you to remain 
on your former employer’s group health plan for up to 18 months, but not every employer plan is 
COBRA eligible. Contact your employer benefits administrator to find out if yours is.

 In most cases COBRA is expensive, requiring you to pay the full monthly premium yourself. But, if 
you’ve already met or nearly met your employer plan’s deductible and/or out-of-pocket maxi-mum 
for the year, and don’t want to start over with a new plan; or if you find your employer’s health plan 
to be better or more affordable that the government or off-marketplace options, it makes sense to 
keep your current coverage under COBRA. 

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. 


NOTHING GOOD IS TOO SMALL TO CELEBRATE 

May is more than half over. That means two things: 1) you’ve survived Mother’s 

Day and won’t have to brave the busiest restaurant day for another year, and 2) school 

is almost out for those who started the year way back in August! A couple of weeks 

ago I wrote about some fun ways teachers count down to the last day of school. As 

with many of my articles, I took some creative license when first hand information 

was lacking. For example, I wrote (and illustrated) throwing darts at balloons with 
the number of school days left. Not too many people know about my column, therefore, you can 
imagine my surprise when one of my teacher friends told me about a fun new idea she’s started this 
year. For the last 15 days of school, her second graders are popping a new balloon each day!

 Her idea is way better than mine. She put a little slip of paper 
in each balloon with a different fun activity the kids could do the 
next day. So far they’ve had “Listen to music all day,” “Wear jeans 
day,” “Twin day,” and “80’s day.” (The last two are examples of 
creative license.) I’m not exactly sure how the kids are popping 
the balloons. They’re probably not using darts, like my idea of 
teachers taping the balloons to a cork board in the lounge, but 
however they’re doing it, it sounds like a lot of fun!

 As usually happens when teachers start a new class tradition, 
last year’s second graders are complaining to my friend that they 
didn’t get to do that when they were in her class. (“Yeah, and you 
didn’t have to take the grueling Common Core pilot test, either!” 
Although my friend wouldn’t say that.) She jokingly asked the 
kindergarten and first grade teachers to not steal her idea, so that 
it would remain a special second grade tradition. (I suppose that 
also implies that anyone reading this shouldn’t use my friend’s 
idea without giving her credit --or at least, not claiming to have 
come up with the idea themselves.)

 It’s little things like this that help make mundane tasks more 
enjoyable. And it doesn’t have to be big or flashy. My friend didn’t 
spend a fortune on balloons or burn the midnight oil agonizing 
over what activities to write on the slips of paper. Not only has it 
helped her students look forward to coming to school these last 
few weeks, but it’s also given my friend a much needed shot in 
the arm. This is a teacher who, weeks before, sounded practically 
anemic when she bemoaned the final slog toward the finish 
line. Now she laughs as she describes her students excitement 
during the activity of the day, and their anticipation of what the 
remaining balloons hold! 

I imagine that many of my friend’s students will remember 
her lessons and use the skills she taught them. Some of them will 
probably need a few refresher courses in order for those skills to sink in. But they’ll all remember how 
they looked forward to popping the balloon for the next day closer to summer!

 
So, for parents of school children, I wish you a wonderful summer! For those of us not involved in 
the academic calendar, I wish you a wonderful summer as well! And for all you primary teachers out 
there, I wish you a good end of the school year and, of course, a wonderful summer! But remember, if 
you use my friend’s idea and then receive complements for it, please give her the credit! 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


FYI - 10 TIPS TO EASE YOUR STRESS 

Following are a few ways that you can reduce stress and fatigue on your body, and at the same time, 
make home a safer and more satisfying place to live. 

 When lining your garbage can with plastic bags, put 6 or so extra in the bottom. When you pull one 
out that is ready to take outside, you will have another at your fingertips to replace it. 
Pick the objects off the shelf with both hands. Store heavy items on center cabinet shelves, light 
objects on high or low shelves. 
Turn faucets on and off using the palm, keep fingers straight. If you replace your faucets, replace 
with levers as they reduce strain on the hands. 
Carry groceries and other bundles with your forearms. Wrists and fingers should be free and 
relaxed. 
Make one side of the bed before moving on to the other side. 
Remove clothes from the dryer with a reacher. 
Make sure your bed is not too high or low, so that it is easy to get in and out of it. You can purchase 
short bed rails to steady yourself when getting out of bed. 
All rooms and hallways in your home should be well lit. 
Have you removed scatter mats from the top of the stairs and high traffic areas? 
High traffic areas should be clear of obstacles. 
...................................................................................................................... 


HELPFUL HINT: Do not give any personal information over the phone 

or online unless you can verify the source. Telephone and online scams targeting 

seniors abound. Nobody should ask you for your passwords, code words or any other 

private information. If someone asks you to ‘confirm your credit card number’ DO 
NOT. No matter how professional it sounds or looks. Thieves can reproduce company logos or 
send e-mails that look remarkably real. On the phone, demand a number you can call them back, 
demand they send all requests in writing and then forward everything to the local attorney general’s 
office......................................................................................... 

FOR YOUR FUNNY BONE 

“A 61-year-old man told the doctor that he was no longer able to help around the house like he used 
to. After the doctor had finished examining him, the man said: ‘Now, doc, tell me in plain English 
what is wrong with me.’ 


‘In plain English,’ said the doctor, ‘you’re just lazy.’ 
‘Ok,’ said the man, ‘now give me the medical term so I can tell my wife.’”


 ~ ~ ~ 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … May Birthdays* 

Joann Serrato-Chi, Harriett Lyle, Jean Coleman, Birgitta Gerlinger, Donna Mathieson, 

Dorothy Murphy, Linda Wochnik, Marian Woodford, Debbie Sheridan, Joanne Anthony, 

Carole Axline, Kika Downey, Shirley Hall, Annie Scalzo, Janet Ten Eyck, Jane Thomas, Ray 
Burley. . *To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR 
of birth not required. 

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


Quote of the Week: ‘In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your 
years’-- Abraham Lincoln 

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



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: Third Monday of every month 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! 

Chair Yoga Update: This class has become so popular that Instructor Paul Hagen has agreed tooffer another class. Starting Monday, April 7th chair yoga will meet twice a week on Mondays and 
Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am, except on the third Monday of the month when the balance 
class is held. Due to the demand for this class and Paul Hagen’s time a suggested donation of $5 at 
one of the classes is requested, but is not required. If you have any questions please feel free to stop 
by or give us a call 626.355.7394 

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. 

LUNCH & LEARN: EXTREME HEAT RESCHEDULED 
Wednesday, June 9th • 12:00 to 1:00 pm

As you prepare for the summer season it is important to take preventative measures to avoid heat 
related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Debra Watson, LVN from Home Care 
Providers, will provide educational materials and tips to avoid these dangerous conditions. Mark 
your calendars and don’t miss this great presentation with valuable information. If you would like 
to have lunch during the talk please call the Senior Lunch Café at 626.355.0256 or bring your own.