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Mountain Views-News SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 2025

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …AUGUST Birthdays*

Nancy Beckham, Karlene Englert, Juanita Fernandez, Jeanette 
Francis, Joseph Kiss, Jacquie Pergola, Pat Miranda, Margaret 
Aroyan, Phyllis Burg, Beverly Clifton, Rosemary Morabito, Susan 
Poulsen, Joy Barry, Marcia Bent, Joan Spears, Ruth Torres, Jane 
Zamanzadeh. Helen Stapenhorst, Chandy Shair, Heidi Hartman, 
Erma Gutierrez, Margaret Switzer

 * To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the 
paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required 


SENIORS ON VACATION: Preparing your home for peace of mind

Vacations are a great way for seniors to relax, recharge, and enjoy 
time with family and friends. But before you pack your bags, it’s 
important to prepare your home so you can travel worry-free.

Start by securing your home. Lock all windows and doors and 
consider using timers for indoor and outdoor lights to give the 
appearance that someone is home. If you have a trusted neighbor 
or family member nearby, ask them to pick up mail, newspapers, 
and packages. An overflowing mailbox can signal to strangers 
that the house is empty.

Next, adjust your thermostat to save energy while you’re away, but avoid turning it off completely. If you 
have pets that are staying behind with a caregiver, ensure temperatures remain comfortable. Unplug unnecessary 
electronics to reduce the risk of fire and save on utility bills.

Make sure perishable food is removed from your refrigerator and trash bins are emptied to avoid unpleasant 
odors. If you take regular medications, bring enough for the entire trip and pack them in your 
carry-on bag. It’s also wise to leave a copy of your travel itinerary with a trusted friend or relative.

Finally, double-check any security systems before leaving and let your local police department know 
you’ll be away if they offer vacation house checks.

By taking a few simple precautions, seniors can enjoy their vacation knowing their home is safe and 
secure.


DOES MEDICARE COVER AMBULANCE RIDES?


Dear Savvy Senior,

A few months ago, I took an ambulance to 
the hospital emergency room because I had 
a nasty fall at home, but just received a hefty 
$1,050 bill from the ambulance company. 
Doesn’t Medicare cover ambulance rides?

Frustrated Beneficiary 

Dear Beneficiary,

Yes, Medicare does cover emergency ambulance services and, in limited cases, nonemergency ambulance 
services too, but only when they’re deemed medically necessary and reasonable. 

So, what does that means?

First, it means that your medical condition must be serious enough that you need an ambulance to 
transport you safely to a hospital or other facility where you can receive care that Medicare covers. 

If a car or taxi could transport you without endangering your health, Medicare won’t pay. For example, 
Medicare probably won’t pay for an ambulance to take someone with an arm fracture to a hospital. But 
if the patient goes into shock, or is prone to internal bleeding, ambulance transport may be medically 
necessary to ensure their safety on the way. The details make a difference.

Second, the ambulance must take you to the nearest appropriate medical facility. If you choose to be 
transported to a facility farther away because the doctor you prefer has staff privileges there, expect to 
pay a greater share of the bill. Medicare will only cover the cost of ambulance transport to the nearest 
appropriate facility and no more. 

Medicare may also pay for an emergency flight by plane or helicopter to the nearest appropriate medical 
center if the trip would take too long on the ground and endanger your health.

Nonemergency Situations

Medicare may also cover ambulance transportation in some cases when you’re not facing a medical 
emergency. But to receive this coverage, your doctor needs to write an order stating that an ambulance 
is medically necessary because other ways to get you to an appointment could endanger your health. 

For example, if you’ve been diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, Medicare may pay if you have a 
doctor’s order stating that it is medically necessary for you to use an ambulance to take you to and from 
a dialysis center.

You also need to know that in nonemergency situations, ambulance companies are required to give you 
an Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage or ABN if they believe Medicare may not pay. This lets 
you know that you will be responsible for paying if Medicare doesn’t.

Ambulance Costs

Ambulance rides can vary from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on where you 
live and how far you’re transported. 

Medicare Part B pays 80 percent of the Medicare-approved ambulance rides after you’ve met your annual 
Part B deductible ($257 in 2025). You, or your Medicare supplemental policy (if you have one), 
are responsible for the remaining 20 percent. 

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, it must cover the same services as original Medicare, and may 
offer some additional transportation services. You’ll need to check with your plan for details.

How to Appeal

If an ambulance company bills you for services after Medicare denies payment, but you think the ride 
was medically necessary, you can appeal – see Medicare.gov, click on “Providers & Services” followed 
by “Claims, Appeals, and Complaints.” To help your case, ask the doctor who treated you for documentation 
that you needed an ambulance.

If you need some help, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), who can help 
you file an appeal. Go to ShipHelp.org or call 877-839-2675 for contact information.

Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, 
Norman, OK 73070.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

I HAD A THOUGHT BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER IT

I just celebrated another birthday. I never imagined I would get this old, 
but here I am, old and still breathing.

Reflecting on my birthday celebration, I looked back on my life and realized 
I've been so busy, I've not had much chance to think. I know most people believe 
thinking is an essential part of life. I guess it is, but it has never been an essential part of 
my life.

Instead of thinking, I have just responded to life issues spontaneously. I'm a rather spontaneous 
type of person, just ask The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Life gets so busy 
for me that I cannot take a day off to have a thought.

In high school, I wasn't a very good thinker. I cannot remember one test I passed with 
an A, even though I studied for those tests. While I was taking them, I couldn't turn on 
my Thinking Machine.

The fact that I graduated from high school is as close to a miracle as I've ever seen. And 
the truth is, I didn't do so by thinking at all.

I'm sure back then I had some kind of a thought, but I just can't remember any now.

It wasn't until I met The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage that I began to understand 
what thinking was all about. If I've ever known anybody to think, it certainly was her. She 
could think about everything.

There are times when together she would look at me and say, "So, what are you thinking?"

When she first asked me that, I didn't quite understand what the question was; therefore, 
I did not know how to respond. I eventually figured it out and would respond by saying, 
"I was just thinking about how nice you look today."

That always got a giggle from her and saved me from trying to figure out what I was really 
thinking.

I suppose most people would believe that thinking is a major part of their lives. I'm not 
sure why, because it has never been a major part of my life. Once I got out of high school, 
thinking was never part of my agenda.

Life has its ups and downs, and looking back, I'm not sure which were up and which 
were down. The only thing important is that I survived, and here I am today, no thought 
about it.

I got into a little bit of trouble the other day. We were sitting in the living room, and The 
Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage said, "You know, I've been thinking…"

Being the advanced knucklehead that I am, I responded before she could finish her sentence 
by saying, "… with what?"

I don't have to explain that I was in trouble. That's just the way my life tumbles down the 
cowboy trail. Believe me, I try not to respond like that anymore. At least I try.

Now that I'm retired, I do not have to think. Thinking is just a waste of time because 
I know what I want to do every day. My pleasure is not based on my ability to think 
through something. I have discovered that thinking causes a great deal of trouble and 
pain. So, I leave the thinking to those who aren't too bright.

Years ago, I was informed that I need to think about my retirement. What's there to 
think? It comes automatically whether you keep track of your age or not. Just let life flow 
as God intended it to.

I have some family members, who shall remain anonymous, who spend a lot of time 
thinking. As I watched them over the years, I noticed that their thinking has not produced 
anything worth thinking about. But still, they think, and think, and think until 
they are completely worn out.

Maybe that's why I'm not "wore out." I just live every day as it should be lived.

Someone once asked me, "If you could change anything in your past what would it be?"

That's a rather silly question if you ask me. To do that, I would have to spend quality time 
thinking which I don't have the time to do these days. I don't want to change yesterday; 
I just want to live today.

Of course, if I could change anything in the past, it might be the year of my birth. I've 
never forgiven my parents for the year I was born. They could've waited another 20 years, 
but they didn't. I guess they weren’t thinking.

I suppose if I were to give it any thought, and I'm not going to, I could make a list of all 
the things I would change. But what good would that do? I don't want to change my past; 
I just want to live for today.

I remembered what the Apostle Paul said along this line.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever 
things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever 
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these 
things” (Philippians 4:8).

Thinking is good, but only if thinking on the right things. That is the challenge set before 
me. If I think on the wrong things it will effect my life as Christian. The world would 
have me think on the wrong things which in effect, pulls me away from God.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 
1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website www.jamessnyderministries.
com

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