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Elder CareTips:
Mastering The Eldercare Maze™
October 15, 2005
The First Thing You Need
For Veteran Benefits
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I recently was privileged to accompany a new
client as he made "pre-arrangements" with a local funeral
home. His wife passed away this year and he is in the
process of putting his own affairs in order. Prior to her
passing neither of them had made any provisions for
disability or death, and he has seen first hand the benefit
of planning ahead.
This wonderful gentleman served with pride in two wars,
World War II and in Korea. Although he's quiet about it, he
would really like to have a simple military funeral.
But, there's a but...isn't there always a "but."
His wife always took care of the paperwork. After her death
he had lots of help from family, who helped him clean out
his home and move to an assisted living residence.
Somewhere, somehow, his military records went missing.
He needs to give a copy of his official discharge (his
DD-214) to the funeral home so they can arrange the final
ceremony he wants.
Luckily, he's in relatively good health and there was time
to get the document. Time isn't always a luxury we have.
We went to the
VA website, followed the instructions, and in just about
a month he had the form he needed. (Of course, the minute it
arrived I
immediately ran it down to the office to make multiple
copies.)
If your elder served in the military there are probably
benefits available. In order to access VA benefits, just
about the first thing a veteran will need is the DD-214.
Finding it is the tricky part. As soon as you get the
chance, ask your elder where his or her military discharge
papers are. If the answer is a blank look, see if he
remembers his service number. It's amazing how that number
sticks in the memory of most who served.
Then go ahead and request an official copy. Immediate family
members (spouse or children) can request one with minimal
hassle. It will probably be easier in the long run to get a
replacement than to find the original if you got that blank
look.
And, don't forget the women in your family. A whole lot of
women served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam (not to mention the
Gulf). They are probably entitled to benefits, too.
| A 6-year old was asked where
his grandma lived.
"Oh," he said, "She lives at the airport and when
we want her we just go get her. Then when we're
done having her visit we take her back to the airport."
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It's Medicare Part D Again |
Yes, I promised that I would try to stay away
from the new Medicare programs in this newsletter, but there
is a new development, and it's imperative that we get the
word out.
A booklet called "Medicare and You" was recently sent to
everyone on Medicare. It supposedly covers what you need to
know to make a decision about selecting a prescription drug
plan under the new Medicare Part D plan.
The problem is, the booklets were sent out with a major
error.
Eligible low-income Medicare beneficiaries are being offered
assistance with paying the Medicare Part D premium. For
those who are eligible, the government will pay a basic
premium to cover the cost of a Part D prescription drug
plan.
The problem with the booklet, which the government
attributes to a misprint, begins on page 97-a. That's where
highlights of the various plans are listed: what they cost
per month, the co-pay and the yearly
deductible.
The error is in the last column of the comparison chart.
Many of the "yes" answers should actually say "no," meaning
the government does *not* pay for the extra prescription
coverage above the basic plan.
If you select a plan that costs more than the basic plan,
and you are receiving what is being termed "extra help" with
paying the Part D premium, you will have to pay the balance
of the premium yourself.
If your elder is in the low-income program and she chooses a
plan because of the information in the Medicare & You 2006
Handbook there is a strong possibility that she could find
herself with an unexpected
bill. And she won't be protected because it was "in the
book." There's a disclaimer on the second page that reads:
"Medicare and You 2006 explains the Medicare program. It
isn't a legal document. The official Medicare Program
provisions are contained in the relevant laws, regulations
and rulings."
In other words, just because the government printed the
information, you can't rely on it to be correct.
This program is unbelievably complicated. You will probably
have to get involved to help any elder who isn't extremely
competent and computer-savvy. You will have to talk to the
carriers individually to be sure you understand the coverage
and what it will really cost.
There's a telephone number to speak with a Medicare
representative: 1-800-633-4227. However, I have very little
faith that the information
you get from this telephone number will be any more reliable
than what you get when you call the IRS hotline.
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Elder CareTip:
Changing The Channels |
The television remote controls that come with
new televisions are so complicated I'm terrified of hitting
the wrong button. All kinds of strange things happen when I
do and there's a devil of a time getting back to the regular
screen. Imagine how your elder feels.
Why should changing the channel be terrifying?
If you don't have a simple control box...on, off, louder &
softer (order a big universal control as a gift - they're
great if you can find one that works on your
machine)...paint or nail polish to the rescue.
You can get all kinds of strange nail polish colors where
teens shop - Target, WalMart and such. Put a dab of red on
the power button. Use other colors for louder/softer/channel
up & down. Keep the bottles as the polish will eventually
wear off.
For elders who can see the little buttons this does help a
lot.
It's flu shot time again. If you want to know
where to go to get yours, check the
Flu Clinic Locator .
| The really frightening thing
about middle age is that
you know you'll grow out of it.
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