Life In Sherman Oaks

Efforts in the United States to control health care costs ($2.6 trillion in 2010) are largely divided by the debate over (a) stronger role for government regulation or (b) market-based models that encourage greater competition. We are a nation that believes in competition. We believe that through competition, the best product or service is created. That if many people are offering a service or product, the people who offer the [...]

Who is this Ayn Rand that Republicans like Paul Ryan (the author of the 2013 GOP budget) follow and what did she teach that some Republicans like so much? Sometimes we can understand what people believe when we know a little bit about their background. And that’s probably the case with Ayn Rand. Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1905. A city of starvation during World War [...]

Conservatives are telling Americans that health care in America is worse off since Medicare was passed. That Medicare actually caused the cost of health care to rise. That before Medicare, doctors and hospitals would take care of the poor for free and would again, were it not for Medicare. So let’s look at these claims, one by one. 1. In 1962, approximately 51% of all persons over the age of [...]

Some politicians, in the summer of 20010, told seniors that The Affordable Care Act would (a) slash Medicare by $500 billion and (b) implement death panels. Some politicians are continuing these claims during the Presidential campaign. Neither of these claims are correct. If you are conservative, you can be angry at me for saying that. But it is the truth and after all, isn’t the truth what is really important? [...]

The phrase “general Welfare” is the only phrase to appear twice in the United States Constitution. It first appears in the preamble to the Constitution and then later in Section 8. It’s important for seniors, in particular, to understand the background of the phrase, because it is Section 8 of the Constitution’s “general Welfare” clause that the Supreme Court found Social Security to be Constitutional. Exactly what does Section 8 [...]

Rep. Paul Ryan and the GOP began attacking AARP this week as a “left wing” group. CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE. And I took particular personal issue with this, because I was able to become a gerontologist because of AARP back in 1975. So — what is AARP and what does it do? The American Association of Retired Persons, has 40 million members and acts as an advocate for seniors citizens [...]

According to the October 2010 FACT SHEET FROM KAISER, the health care reform law gradually lowers out-of-pocket costs in the coverage gap of Part D Medicare. Beginning in 2011, seniors who reach the gap will receive a 50% manufacturers discount on the total cost of brand name drugs. Beginning in 2011, additional subsidies for generic drugs and beginning in 2013, additional subsidies for brand name drugs, will be phased in [...]

When Do I have a Guaranteed Issue Right to purchase Medigap outside of my initial enrollment period? (Initial enrollment period is November 15 through December 31, 2010. Here are the specifics: (1) If your Medicare Advantage Program is leaving Medicare (2) Your Medicare Advantage Program stops providing policies in your area. (3) You move out of your Medicare Advantage plan service area. (4) You have an employer group or union [...]