Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, July 29, 2023

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Mountain View News Saturday, July 29, 2023 


SAFE PATH FOR SENIORS

Steve Sciurba, Senior Placement Specialist 

There are many reasons in working with Safe Path 

for Seniors, we will assess your loved ones and make

recommendations depending on care needs and 
budget. 

With our many years of experience, we will make an

informed recommendation. 

We work with large communities to the small 6-bed, 

board & care residential homes.

You will tour with an experienced consultant who will 

work with you through the entire process. from selecting 
the right living environment to all of the necessary 
paperwork involved.

The good news is that there is no cost for this service.

If you have any questions about placing a loved one, 
visit our web site:

www.safepathforseniors.com 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …JULY Birthdays*

Nina Bartolai, Mary Lou Caldwell, Louise Neiby, Betty Hansen, Melinda 
Rogers , Christine Durfort, Shahrzad Azrani, Jeanne Borgedahl, Janet Cox, 
Dorothy Montgomery, Bess Pancoska, Janet Swanson, Barbara Watson, Pat 
Alcorn, Karma Bell, Alice Clark, and Betty Dos Remedios, Bonnie Diener

Jan Greteman, Linda Heller

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


SENIOR CLUB Every Saturday at Noon Hart Park House

Open to all seniors 50+ Fun - Games - And More! Call Mark at 626-355-3951 

TEA AND TALK BOOK CLUB

Wednesday, 7/12 and 7/26 9:00 am Hart Park House

Tea and Talk, meets twice a month to discuss the fun, suspense, intrigue, love and so 
much more that each selection will have in store! Call Lawren 626-355-5278 for 

current selection and feel free to join at any time.

HULA AND POLYNESIAN DANCE

 BEGINNERS - Every Thursday 10-11:00 am

 INTERMEDIATE Every Friday 10-11:00 am

Bring a lei, your flower skirt or just your desire to dance! Hula in the Park is back and 
waiting for you to join in on all the fun! Memorial Park Covered Pavilion.

CHAIR YOGA

Every Monday and Wednesday 10-10:45 am

Please join us for some gentle stretching, yoga, balance exercise and overall relaxation 
with Paul. Classes are ongoing and held in the Memorial Park Covered Pavilion or the 
Hart Park House. 

HOW DOES MEDICARE COVER PREVENTATIVE 
HEALTH SERVICES


Dear Savvy Senior:

How does Medicare cover preventive health screenings? 
I’m due to get a physical and a colonoscopy this 
year, but I want to find out what I’ll have to pay for 
before I go in. Just Turned 65

 

Dear Just Turned:

You’ll be happy to know that Medicare covers a 
wide array of preventive and screening services to 
help you stay healthy, but not all services are completely 
covered. Here’s what you should know.

 

Free Preventive Benefits

Most of Medicare’s preventive services are available 
to all beneficiaries (through Part B) completely 
free with no copays or deductibles, as long as you 
meet basic eligibility standards. Mammograms; 
colonoscopies; shots against flu, pneumo-nia, COVID-
19 and hepatitis B; screenings for diabetes, 
depression, osteoporosis, HIV, various cancers and 
cardiovascular disease; and counseling to combat 
obe-sity, alcohol abuse, and smoking are just some 
of Medicare’s lengthy list of cov-ered services. But 
to get these services for free, you need to go to a 
doctor who accepts Medicare “on assignment,” 
which means he or she has agreed to accept the 
Medicare approved rate as full payment.

 

Also, the tests are free only if they’re used at specified 
intervals. For example, cardiovascular screening 
blood tests once every 5 years; or colonoscopy, 
once every 10 years, or every two years if you’re at 
high risk.

 

Medicare also offers a free “Welcome to Medicare” 
exam with your doctor in your first year, along with 
annual “Wellness” visits thereafter. But don’t confuse 
these with full physical examinations. These 
are prevention-focused visits that provide only an 
overview of your health and medical risk factors 
and serve as a baseline for future care. 

 

Cost Sharing Services

There are, however, a few Medicare preventive services 
that do require some out-of-pocket cost sharing. 
With these tests, you’ll have to pay 20 percent 
of the cost of the service after you’ve met your $226 
Part B yearly deductible. The ser-vices that fall under 
this category include glaucoma tests, diabetes 
self-management trainings, barium enemas to detect 
colon cancer, and digital rectal exams to detect 
prostate cancer.

 

For a complete list of services along with their eligibility 
requirements, vis-it Medicare.gov/coverage/
preventive-screening-services.

 

If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) 
plan, your plan is also re-quired to cover the same 
preventive services as original Medicare as long as 
you see in-network providers.

 

Hidden Costs

You also need to know that while most of the previously 
listed Medicare services are free, you can be 
charged for certain diagnostic services or additional 
tests or procedures related to the preventive service. 
For example, if your doctor finds and removes 
a polyp during your preventive care colonoscopy 
screening, you will pay 15 percent of the doctor’s 
service fee. Or, if during your annual wellness visit, 
your doctor needs to investigate or treat a new or 
existing problem, you will probably be charged 
here too.

 

You may also have to pay a facility fee depending 
on where you receive the ser-vice. Certain hospitals, 
for example, will often charge separate facilities 
fees when you are receiving a preventive service. 
And you can also be charged for a doctor’s 
visit if you meet with a physician before or after the 
service.

 

To eliminate billing surprises, talk to your doctor 
before any preventive service procedure to find out 
if you may be subject to a charge and what it would 
be. 

 

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.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

SO THIS IS OLD AGE?

The other morning I got 
up; at least, I tried to get up, 
but the bones in every part 
of my body had organized a labor strike 
against me. I’m not quite sure what they 
were protesting.

As I lay there groaning over these bones, 
I did not realize how many bones I had in 
my body. I’m sure some bones in my body 
shouldn’t be there, and I’ll have to ask my 
mother how they got there. The only problem 
is, she’s in a nursing home with dementia.

If I thought my bones were creaking when I 
was lying in bed, the bones were screaming a 
lot louder as I rolled over and got up.

If I only knew what they wanted, I could 
help them.

As I wobbled out to the kitchen, The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage some and 
said, “Well, old man. What’s it like getting 
old?”

Even at this stage in life, my mind is active, 
and I had a very quirky response to that 
question, but fortunately for me, I did remember 
not to mention it.

I wobbled over to the table and sat down for 
breakfast.

After breakfast, I went to my office with a 
fresh cup of coffee, sat in my chair, and rambled 
through my mind.

This got me thinking about my grandfather. 
I now understand why he walked the way he 
walked. If only he were alive now, I could 
walk along with him.

I now regret all those years of making fun 
of him and my father as they get old. At the 
time, I never thought in a million years I 
would get as old as they were. But time has 
a way of changing your opinion about many 
things.

My wife came to the door of my office and 
said, “Do you remember your doctor’s appointment 
for today?”

I didn’t, so I got out my planner, and right 
there it was in plain sight, in my own handwriting, 
my doctor’s appointment for 10 
o’clock. Jotting things down in your planner 
so you don’t forget something is great, but 
my problem is I forget to look at the planner.

Maybe this is the reason my bones were 
creaking this morning. They didn’t want me 
to see the doctor because they knew I would 
tell him about my creaking bones, and he 
might do something about it.

I recently had a birthday and not sure which 
one because, throughout my life, I have had 
so many birthdays that it’s hard to keep up. 
But this year, that birthday was a landmark 
in achieving old age.

I never knew what old age was, but now I’m 
beginning to comprehend it a little bit more.

At the doctor’s, I complained to him about 
my creaking old bones and asked what I 
could do. He looked at me, smiled an old 
doctor’s smile, and said, “That’s the benefit 
of getting old and not dy-ing. Just exercise 
more, and it will all go away.”

It was easy for him to say because he’s not 
my age. I hope I live long enough to see 
him when he is my age, so I can laugh at his 
creaking bones.

As we drove home, The Gracious Mistress of 
the Parsonage looked over at me and said, 
“Well, old man, what did the doctor have to 
say?”

“He told me,” I said with a rather sour smirk, 
“that I need to eat more Apple Fritters each 
day. That will take away the pain in my 
bones.”

Looking at me and not smiling, she said, 
“For your information, we will have broccoli 
for lunch today.” Then she snickered one of 
her silly snickers.

If only I could remember to forget certain 
things, I wouldn’t get into so much trouble. 
I just put on a fake smile, hoping she was 
joking.

My creaking bones are the least of my problems, 
at least for today.

Looking at her, I sweetly said, “Why don’t 
we go out for lunch today? We can go to the 
restaurant of your choice.”

She agreed, and we both smiled, and she 
pulled up at her favorite restaurant. As for 
me, I don’t have a favorite restaurant; I just 
like a restaurant to serve food. But not so 
with The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. 
Nine out of ten restaurants that we go 
to, she doesn’t like. This is one thing that I 
have not yet forgotten, so I let her choose the 
restaurant.

We got seated, ordered our lunch, and had a 
wonderful time together. The only problem 
with eating out with her is she always orders 
broccoli.

We were finished eating, and the waitress 
brought our check. I smiled at her and 
reached into my pocket for my wallet, and 
much to my dismay, it was not there. I forgot 
my wallet.

Just when you think you’ve got a problem 
solved, it turns out quite different.

“My dear,” I said as sweetly as possible, “I 
forgot my wallet. Do you mind paying for 
lunch today?”

That was the most expensive lunch I’ve ever 
had.

As I was thinking about this I couldn’t help 
but remember what David said. “When I 
kept silence, my bones waxed old through 
my roaring all the day long” (Psalm 32:3).

What I take away from this is, when I keep 
silent about my age there other things that 
are going to give away my secret.

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.


FAMILY MATTERS

 By Marc Garlett

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BUSINESS WHEN YOU 
GET SICK OR DIE? 4 FUNDAMENTALS TO KNOW

If you dream of one 
day leaving your company 
to your family, 
but you haven’t properly included your business in 
your overall estate plan, that dream could become 
a nightmare for your heirs—and for your partners, 
team members, and clients, too. In fact, properly 
planning for what would happen to your business 
upon your death or incapacity is one of the most important 
things you can do for your company.

Without a proper estate plan, the business you 
worked so hard to build could be in serious jeopardy 
when something happens to you. Not only that, 
but since your business is likely your most valuable 
asset, proactive planning is crucial not only for your 
company’s continued survival, but for your family’s 
future well-being as well.

Fortunately, you can use a few basic estate planning 
strategies to make sure your business survives your 
incapacity or death. Although you should consult 
with a qualified attorney to determine the specific 
planning vehicles right for your particular business 
and family situation, the following estate planning 
tools are essential for nearly all business owners.

1. Living Trust

Putting your company in a customized and 
thoughtfully prepared revocable living trust is one 
of the best ways to ensure your business’ continued 
success upon your eventual death or in the event of 
your incapacity. A living trust is a separate legal entity 
that effectively owns your share of the business, 
and allows you to document what will happen to 
your business when you can no longer run it yourself 
due to incapacity or death.

Unlike a will, assets properly included in a trust are 
not required to go through the court process of probate. 
Instead, those assets are promptly transferred 
to the person, or persons, of your choice in the event 
of your death or incapacity. In this way, a trust allows 
for the smooth transition of control of your 
company, without the time, expense, and potential 
conflict associated with probate or guardianship. 

Using a trust, you choose the individual(s) you want 
to run your company in your absence, whether that 
absence is permanent (your death) or merely temporary 
(your incapacity). Plus, trusts are not open to 
the public, so your company’s affairs and its assets 
would remain private, and transfer of ownership can 
take place in your lawyer’s office, not a courtroom.

2. Buy-Sell Agreement

If you share ownership of your business with one 
or more other people, you’ll want to put in place a 
buy-sell agreement. A buy-sell agreement ensures 
that upon certain conditions—such as your death or 
permanent incapacity—the other owners are able to 
purchase your shares of the business, or it can stipulate 
that your shares will pass to your heirs.

A properly prepared buy-sell agreement can prevent 
your family members from getting stuck owning a 
business they don’t want and can’t sell. And it also 
protects your surviving partners from being forced 
to deal with new owners they never planned on. The 
key to ensuring a buy-sell agreement works is to 
properly fund it, usually with life insurance.

3. Life Insurance

Unless your business generates significant revenue—
and will continue to do so upon your death—
that income might not be enough to support the 
ongoing operation and financially provide for your 
family. By purchasing and properly structuring 
your life insurance, you can offer your family, team, 
and clients a financial safety net, while your loved 
ones finalize your affairs, and your successor assumes 
control of the company.

If your business has multiple owners, you can pair 
life insurance policies on each partner with your 
buy-sell agreement. By doing so, your remaining 
partners can buy out your shares at a previously 
agreed-upon price, and the life insurance can help 
pay for the buyout, without leaving the business 
bankrupt.

4. Succession Planning

If you hope to pass control of your company to a 
loved one or team member, you’ll need to create a 
comprehensive business succession plan to ensure 
the company doesn’t crumble when you die. Beyond 
merely naming your successor, a proper succession 
provides stability and security by allowing you to 
lay out explicit instructions for how the company 
should be run once you are no longer around.

From specifying how ownership should be transferred 
and providing rules for compensation of 
partners and team members to establishing dispute 
resolution procedures, an effective succession plan 
can provide the new owner with a detailed roadmap 
for your company’s continued success and growth.

Don’t Put Your Business & Family at Risk

Estate planning is every bit—if not more—essential 
to your company’s continued survival and success 
as any other issue facing your business. If you’ve 
yet to put your estate plan in place, you owe it to 
yourself (and your family) to take care of this vital 
responsibility immediately.

And even if you have an existing estate plan, you 
should have an attorney review it regularly to make 
sure you’ve actually covered all of your bases and 
that your plan stays properly updated over time to 
account for changes in your life, assets, and the law. 

Taking these actions now will not only help shield 
your company and family from unforeseen tragedy, 
but it will also give you the peace of mind needed to 
take your business 
to the next 
level. Best,


Marc Garlett, Esq.

Cali Law Family Legacy Matters

www.caliLaw.com

626.355.4000

This material was created for educational and informational purposes only 
and is not intended as ERISA, tax, legal, or investment advice. If you are seeking 
legal or other advice specific to your needs, such advice services must be 
obtained on your own, separate from this educational material.

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