Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 13, 2016

THE GOOD LIFE

9

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 13, 2016 

MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR NON-WORKING SPOUSES

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


Dear Savvy Senior,

Does Medicare cover spouses who have not worked? 
I have worked all my life, but my spouse worked 
only for a few years when we first got married but 
then quit to take care of our children fulltime. Will 
she be eligible for Medicare? 

Inquiring Husband

Dear Inquiring,

There are plenty of couples in your situation 
when it comes to applying for Medicare. The 
answer generally is yes, your spouse can qualify 
for Medicare on your work record. Here’s how it 
works. 

Eligibility Rules

Medicare, the government health insurance 
program for older adults, covers more than 55 
million Americans age 65 and older, as well as 
those younger that have a qualifying disability or 
have End-Stage Renal Disease.

 To be eligible, you must have worked and paid 
Medicare taxes for at least 10 years to qualify for 
premium-free Medicare Part A hospital coverage 
when you turn 65. If you qualify, then your non-
working spouse will qualify too, based on your 
work record when she turns 65. 

 Divorced spouses are also eligible if they were 
married at least 10 years and are single, as are 
surviving spouses who are single and who were 
married for at least nine months before their 
spouse died. 

 In addition to Part A, both you and your 
spouse would also qualify for Medicare Part B, 
which covers doctor’s visits and other outpatient 
services, but requires a monthly premium, not 
a work history. The premium for most Part B 
beneficiaries in 2016 is $104.90 per month, while 
new beneficiaries pay $121.80/month and higher 
earning couples – those with incomes over 
$170,000 per year – pay even more. 

 There are also a number of other caveats you 
should know about depending on your wife’s age.

Older Spouse 

If your wife is older than you, she can qualify for 
Medicare on your work record at age 65, even if 
you’re not getting Medicare yourself, but you 
must be at least 62 years old. You also must have 
been married for at least one year for your wife to 
apply for Medicare on your work record.

 If you are still working and your wife is covered 
by your employer’s health insurance, she may 
want to enroll only in the premium-free Medicare 
Part A until you retire or your employer coverage 
ends. Part B – along with its premium – can 
be added later without penalty as long as your 
employer’s group health plan is your “primary 
coverage.” Check with your employers’ human 
resources department to find out about this.

 If your wife is more than three years older 
than you and has no health coverage, you can 
buy her Medicare Part A until you turn 62 and 
the premium-free benefit kicks in. The Part A 
monthly premium is $411 in 2016.

Younger Spouse 

If your wife is younger than you, she will 
need health insurance until she turns 65 and 
becomes eligible for Medicare. This may be 
through your employer if you are still working, 
through COBRA (see dol.gov/ebsa/publications/
cobraemployee.html), or through the Health 
Insurance Marketplace (see healthcare.gov) 
or outside the marketplace through a private 
insurance company. 

Other Medicare Options

In addition to Medicare Part A and B, when 
you and your wife become Medicare eligible, 
each of you will also need to enroll in a Part D 
prescription drug plan if you don’t have credible 
drug coverage from your employer or union. 
And, you may want to purchase a Medicare 
supplemental (Medigap) policy too, to help pay 
for things that aren’t covered by Medicare like 
copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. Or, 
you may want to consider an all-in-one Medicare 
Advantage plan.

 For more information on Medicare choices and 
enrollment rules visit Medicare.gov or call 800-
633-4227. You can also get help through your 
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (see 
shiptacenter.org), which provides free Medicare 
counseling.

 

 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.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ….August Birthdays

Bill Nelson, Karlene Englert, Juanita Fernandez, Jeanette Francis, Joseph Kiss, 
John Luke, Jacquie Pergola, Maury Whitaker, Pat Miranda, Phyllis Chapman, Jerry 
Burnett, Margaret Aroyan, Phyllis Burg, Beverly Clifton, Rosemary Morabito, Susan 
Poulsen, Dorothy Quentmeyer, Genevieve Stubbs, Miep Tulleners, Joy Barry, Ellie 
Baudino, Marcia Bent, Daryls Brechwald, Joan Spears, Ruth Torres, Jane Zamanzadeh and Harry 
Enmark. * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR 
of birth not required but you must be over 60.

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

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

 

 

 YWCA San Gabriel Valley - Intervale Senior Cafe 

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA Intervale daily lunch program held 
at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Meals are served Monday through Friday at 12:00 pm 
and participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 am. Meals are a suggested donation of $3.00 
for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary, space is 
limited. Please reserve your lunch by calling 626-355-0256.

Tech Talk: Will resume in the fall. 

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10:00 - 11:00am. Join 
instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula. 

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to 
join. May be cancelled if less than 5 people. 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:00am - 12:00pm. No appt. 
necessary. 

Brain Games: Thursday, August 18, 10:30 - 11:30am. Improve your memory and strengthen your 
brain. Activities facilitated by senior volunteers. 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, August 17 from 10:30am - 12:00pm. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in family law, wills, trusts, estates, 
and injury. Appointments are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

Sing-A-Long: Music brings joy to the soul. Come join us Thursday, August 11, 10:30 - 11:30am. No 
music skills needed! This month: “Silly Folk Songs”. 

Balance Class: Monday, August 15, 11:00 - 11:45am with Paul Hagen. A variety of balance exercises 
are practiced; all ability levels are encouraged and welcomed. 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 - 11:45am. A suggested donation of $5 at one of 
the classes is requested, but is not required. 

Case Management: Meets the second Thursday of the month. Case Management services are 
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required 
and can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394. 

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House. The free 
birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 

 Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group 
of seniors play poker. Other games available for use. 

 Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45 - 1:30pm with Lisa Brandley. The class 
utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the class are provided. 

Senior Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am. 

 LUNCH AND LEARN - Wednesday, August 24, 2016 12:15 - 12:45pm 

 The Grossman Burn Center and the Grossman Burn Foundation is offering a short 
presentation on burn prevention for seniors. Older adults are at particularly high 
risk of scalds, burn injury and accidental fires. Changes in vision, comprehension 
and mobility that accompany aging put seniors at higher risk. If you are interested in 
having lunch with the Senior Café during the presentation please call 626-355-0256 to make a 
reservation. 
..................................................................

SENIOR CINEMA August 17 at 1:00pm

Big Eyes (2014)

In the late 1950s and early 60s, artist Walter Keane achieves unbelievable fame 
and success with portraits of saucer-eyed waifs. However, no one realizes that 
his wife, Margaret , is the real painter behind the brush. It isn’t until the Keanes’ 
marriage comes to an end and a lawsuit follows that the truth finally comes to 
light. (Runtime 1h 46m)


KATIE Tse..........This and That

THE NEVER-ENDING MOVIES


What do the titles, “The Big Leaguer,” “His 
Kind of Woman,” and “The Wrong Man” have 
in common? If you answered that they were all 
produced between 1945 and 1955, you’re right, 
but there’s an even bigger similarity. That’s right 
--you’ve never heard of them! 

 These are just three of an infinite number of 
obscure films made in that small window of time. 
And I wouldn’t know about them either, were it not 
for a seemingly unlimited supply of these oldies 
to download. Growing up 
without network television, 
my family and I watched 
a lot of old movies. In 
elementary school, my 
lack of TV knowledge 
posed somewhat of a social 
barrier. When all my 
classmates were talking 
about the Smurfs and Pee 
Wee Herman, I could tell 
them about Laurel & Hardy 
or the Road Movies, but 
I was clueless about what 
was shown on Nickelodeon 
the previous night, or 
anything made after 1959 
for that matter. 

 Even as an adult, my 
TV-less past occasionally 
comes back to haunt 
me. Every so often my 
colleagues make references 
to some popular show or 
movie, and everyone will 
get the joke except me. I’ve 
given up trying to fake it 
by laughing along with them. Now I just smile 
and wait until they eventually say, “Oh, right. 
You don’t know about that...” Needless to say, I 
thought I was pretty well versed regarding all 
the old films. But the age of downloading has 
shown me that what I thought was a “well of film 
knowledge” is barely a drop in the cinematic 
bucket!

 Granted, you’ve probably never heard of these 
films, and there’s a reason for that --they stink! 
“The Big Leaguer” is a perfect example. It has 
Vera Ellen wasting her singing and dancing talent 
in a straight role, and Edward G. Robinson is not 
very believable as a fun-loving baseball club scout. 
Hmm... Someone in the casting department must 
have been out sick when they put this together. 
Robinson doesn’t look natural unless he’s 
clenching a sausage-size cigar between his teeth 
and toting a tommy gun. The ball cap and wad of 
chewing gum just doesn’t fit.

 Then there are the flicks with dialogue that’s so 
bad, it’s hilarious! You can tell that all the writers 
were on strike that week. My favorite example 
of this is Barbara Stanwyck in “Blowing Wild.” 
The title itself is ripe with 
possibilities for ridicule! 
During a particularly 
dramatic scene, she pleads 
with Gary Cooper, “I’d 
give you my teeth for a 
watch fob!” You’d do what? 
Even Barbara knew it was a 
dumb line, and tried to not 
draw attention to herself 
by saying it really fast. 
But think about it, would 
the dashing Coop be seen 
with a toothless girlfriend 
gumming her food, not 
to mention sacrificing his 
favorite watch fob?

 Beyond the bad 
casting and bad writing, 
these movies are amazing 
if only for the fact that 
there appears to be a never-
ending supply of them! 
Just when I thought I’d 
heard of all the good, bad, 
and ugly films from the 
40’s and 50’s, my dad gives 
me the titles for 20 I’ve never heard of. How can 
a finite period of time have produced a seemingly 
infinite number of films? It reminds me of the 
Energizer Bunny --it keeps going, and going, and 
going.

 Although these films haven’t added much to our 
appreciation of cinematography, there is one silver 
lining to Dad’s gleanings. While other people need 
to worry about the cops coming to take them away 
for pirating Lady Gaga’s latest album, one can 
rest assured that no studio cares about someone 
downloading a “B” movie that has played on The 
Late Show for the last 60 years. I’m sure Bela 
Lugosi’s estate isn’t living off the royalties! 


Senior Excursion: Queen Mary (Long Beach)

 

Date: Thursday, August 25, 2016

Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm

Meeting location: Hart Park House

Cost: $55 (includes lunch)

Level of walking: High

 

Limted space available! You’ve heard the stories, the myths and legends, now get the straight scoop 
on the Queen Mary. The Glory Days Tour is full of interesting anecdotes, fun facts and compelling 
true stories. Participants will enjoy lunch at the Promenade Café. Entrée choices are: Queen Burger, 
grilled chicken ciabatta sandwich, Queen Mary Club Sandwich, and Caesar salad with chicken. 
Dessert and beverage are also included. Please call the Hart Park House to make you meal selection.

 

Participants should bring money for souvenirs. For more information call the Hart Park House at 
626-355-7394.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com