Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 29, 2015

12

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 29, 2015 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS FOR 

PRE-MEDICARE SPOUSES


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, 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.

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

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

TECH TALK: TECH TALK WILL RESUME IN SEPTEMBER WHEN OUR STUDENT 
VOLUNTEERS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL. 

HAWAIIAN AND POLYNESIAN DANCE CLASS: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. 
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 canceled if less than 5 people. 

FREE BLOOD PRESSURE TESTING: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 12pm. No appt. 
is necessary. 

FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION: Wednesday, August 19th from 10:30am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. Appointment are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

CHAIR YOGA: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am, except on the third Monday of 
the month. A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

BRAIN GAMES - NEW DATE AND TIME!

Thursday, August 20th, 10:30am - 11:30am (Third Thursday of Each Month) Improve your memory 
and strengthen your brain with fun, hands-on activities. Each month brings new games and contests 
to facilitate brain stimulation. Bring your friends as you engage in friendly competition for prizes. 
Activities facilitated by Swati Puri, New Wave Home Care of Pasadena. For more information 
contact the Hart Park House office at 626-355-7394.

CASE MANAGEMENT: Meets the 2nd 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 12:45pm to 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. 
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00.

LUNCH & LEARN PRESENTATION

Thursday, August 20th, 2015 beginning at 12:00pm

Learn about French painter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. His immersion in the colorful and theatrical 
life of Paris in the late 19th century yielded a collection of exciting, elegant and provocative images 
of the modern and sometimes decadent life of those times. Tanya Mazzolini from The Kensington 
will give a talk on the painter while demonstrating a project in his style of art. If you would like to 
have lunch during the talk, please make a lunch reservation with the Senior Lunch Café at 626-355-
0256 or you may bring your own.

THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER (LOS ANGELES) 

Date: August 12, 2015 Time: 9:30am to 5:00pm
Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center Cost: $28.00 (Does 
not include lunch)

Description: The California Science Center in cooperation with the 
Israel Antiquities Authority is Proud to present the largest Dead Sea 
Scrolls exhibition ever mounted outside of Israel, featuring over 600 
ancient artifact on display. We will also see Jerusalem in the IMAX 
Theater. Through breathtaking aerial footage, eye-opening personal 
stories and remarkable historical perspective, Jerusalem takes views 
inside the heart of the ancient city in ways never seen before. Lunch will 
be on your own. There is Trimana-Grill, or Market and Coffee Bar at the 
Science Center for you to enjoy a meal or light snack during your visit. 
Participants should bring money for lunch and souvenirs. Last day to register is Wednesday, 
August 5th. Level of Walking: High

EXCURSION REFUND POLICY

Notification of the cancellation must be made at least 3 business days before the excursion. 
A refund will only be issued 1) for a medical excuse or 2) if the Department is able to fill the 
patrons spot from a waiting list. This refund will be issued in the form of a credit which will be 
applied to the patron’s account with the City, less a $11 cancellation fee. The credit will remain 
on your account for one year from the date issued and the credit may be used for any program 
or service offered by the Community Services Dept. 


Dear Savvy Senior:

My wife, who’s 60, is on my health insurance 
plan through my employer. When I retire in a few 
months at 65, and go on Medicare, what happens 
to her? Do we have to purchase private insurance, 
or is there some kind of Medicare coverage for 
dependent spouses? Nearly Retired 

Dear Nearly:

Unfortunately for you and millions of other 
couples in your position, Medicare does not 
provide family coverage to younger spouses 
or dependent children when you qualify for 
Medicare. Nobody can obtain Medicare benefits 
before age 65, unless eligible at a younger age 
because of disability. With that said, here are 
some options for your wife depending on your 
situation.

Work longer: If possible, you should consider 
working past age 65 so your wife can continue 
coverage under your employer health insurance 
until she becomes eligible for Medicare, or, if 
that’s too long, at least for a few more years.

Check employer options: If your employer 
provides retiree health benefits, check with 
the benefits administrator to find out if they 
offer any options that would allow your wife to 
continue coverage under their plan. Or, if your 
wife works, see if she can she switch to health 
insurance provided by her own employer. 

Use COBRA: If you work for a company that has 
20 or more employees, once you make the switch 
to Medicare, your wife could stay with your 
company insurance plan for at least 18 months 
(but could last up to 36 months) under a federal 
law called COBRA. You’ll need to sign her up 
within 60 days after her last day of coverage. You 
also need to know that COBRA is not cheap. 
You’ll pay the full monthly premium yourself, 
plus a 2 percent administrative fee. 

The other benefit of using COBRA is that once 
it expires, your wife will then become eligible 
for HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and 
Accountability Act), which gives her right to 
buy an individual health insurance policy from 
a private insurer that can’t exclude or limit 
coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. To 
learn more about COBRA, visit askebsa.dol.gov 
or call 866-444-3272. 

If, however, the company you worked for had 
fewer than 20 employees, you may still be able to 
get continued coverage through your company 
if your state has “Mini-COBRA” (39 states offer 
it). Contact your state insurance department (see 
naic.org) to see if this is available where you live. 

Buy an individual policy: This is health insurance 
you buy on your own, but it too can be expensive 
depending on your wife’s health history. Any 
pre-existing condition such as heart disease, 
diabetes, cancer, etc., can drastically increase 
her premiums or can nix her chances of being 
accepted at all. To search for policy options and 
costs go to healthcare.gov. If you need help, 
contact a licensed independent insurance agent. 
See www.nahu.org/consumer/findagent.cfm to 
locate one near you.

Or, if you only need health coverage for a short 
period of time – less than 12 months – a short-
term policy is another lower-cost option to 
consider. You can get quotes and coverage details 
at ehealthinsurance.com.

Get high-risk coverage: If you can’t purchase an 
individual health policy for your wife because of 
a pre-existing medical condition, you can still 
get coverage through a state or federal high-risk 
pool. 

State pools, which are offered in 35 states (see 
naschip.org), provide health insurance to any 
resident who is uninsurable because of health 
problems. While costs vary by state, premiums 
run about 150 percent of what an individual 
policy costs. 

Or, consider the federal Pre-Existing Conditions 
Insurance Plan (see pcip.gov) which is available 
nationwide. Created in 2010 under the health 
care reform law, this program is intended to 
bridge the gap until better options become 
available in 2014 when the main provisions of 
the law go into effect. To qualify, your wife must 
be uninsured for six months before applying. 

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.


SIERRA MADRE WOMAN'S CLUB

Home of The

 BEST LITTLE THRIFT SHOP IN

THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

"THE WISTARIA THRIFT SHOP"

WILL REOPEN IT'S DOORS 

 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

10AM TO 3PM

 

The thrift shop has restocked it's shelves

and clothes racks.

The Little House will be open with

Great bargains.

 

550 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.

Sierra Madre, 91024

(626) 355-7739

(Parking Lot located on Sunnyside)

Proceeds support the clubs charities.

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS:


SENIOR CINEMA AT THE HART PARK HOUSE SENIOR CENTER


August 5th - Whiplash (2014) - Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is an 
ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in pursuit of rising to the top of his 
elite east coast music conservatory. Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), an instructor 
known for his terrifying teaching methods, discovers Andrew and transfers the 
aspiring drummer into the top jazz ensemble, forever changing the young man’s 
life But Andrew’s passion to achieve perfection quickly 
spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher pushes 
him to the brink of his ability and his sanity. Winner of 
3 Academy Awards, Start time: 1:00pm (run time 107 
minutes) 

August 19th – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) - An American romantic 
comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard, based on Truman 
capote’s novel, this is the story of a young woman in New York City who 
meets a young man when he moves into her apartment building. He is with 
an older woman who is very wealthy, but he wants to be a writer. She is 
working as an expensive escort and searching for a rich, older man to marry. 
This movie won two Academy Awards. Start time: 1:00pm (run time 115 
minutes) 


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