New Congressional Bill On Social Security Doesn’t Address The Funding Shortfall

A group of people giving thumbs up to the camera.


A House bill sponsored by Democrats called Social Security 2100 : A Sacred Trust does much to help seniors, boosting benefits in a number of areas.   Introduced by Rep. John Carson, D-Conn. who serves on the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee is a bit perplexing as it is adding to a looming deficit and does nothing to address how our nation will pay for it.  Some key issues in the bill:

Benefits would be set at 125% above the poverty line and tied to current wage levels;

Both new and existing beneficiaries would get a 2% increase in their benefit, on average;

The bill would repeal rules that reduce Social Security benefits for workers and their spouses, widows or widowers who also have pension income (called the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset); and

Annual cost-of-living adjustments would be tied to the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly, or CPI-E.

The latest estimates from the government are that by 2034, Social Security benefits will drop to 78% of what has been promised, and this new bill extends that date to 2038 to give Congress more time to come up with a long-term solution to the program’s solvency issues.  There is a provision for an increase in the wages cap where workers have to pay Social Security Tax (up from $147,000 to $400,000).  However, this will likely be offset from a provision in the bill which would only require Social Security recipients to pay taxes on earnings above $35,000 ($50,000 for couples), up significantly from $25K and $32K respectively.  This seems to me like Congress just kicking the can down the road—why not try and solve this issue now?

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/26/social-security-what-a-new-plan-in-congress-would-mean-for-benefits.html

A-Fib Help Without Using Blood Thinners

A person holding a stethoscope in their hand.


Blood thinners are used by seniors for a variety of ailments.  However, they can be an issue if you have a fall or need to have emergency surgery as they can cause excessive bleeding.  Some people are turning to a new treatment for A-Fib which is an implant that seals off a fingertip-size pouch on the heart.  During A-Fib, blood can pool in the pouch, clot and travel to the brain, Robert Hauser M.D., who sketched the Watchman’s initial design, told AARP The Magazine (October/November 2021 Issue, page 54).  Surgeons implant the device by threading it through blood vessels.  An analysis of more than 36K people who have had the device implanted since it debuted in 2015 found that it reduced the risk of stroke by 70% and made the use of the blood thinner warfarin necessary.

Medicare Insurers Took $9.2 Billion In Federal Payments In One Year Via Controversial Billing Practices : By Derek Baine

A building with the capitol in the background.


There seems to be no end to the tricks insurers will come up with in order to suck more money out of Medicare.  According to the findings of the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, it analyzed 20 companies and investigators found that one received about 40% of the questionable payments, or $3.7 billion, while enrolling only 22% of Medicare Advantage customers.  It wouldn’t name the company, but BMO Capital Market looked at federal data and showed that the enrollment share closely matches UnitedHealth Group Inc. during the period the investors looked at.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/most-of-9-2-billion-in-questionable-medicare-payments-went-to-20-insurers-federal-investigators-say-11632303001

In An Attempt To Calm Down Agitated Nursing Home Residents, Patients Are Often Unnecessarily Sedated : By Derek Baine

An old woman with a bruised eye and hand on her face.


I have witnessed first hand nursing home and assisted living facilities giving seniors heavy medication in order to just keep them quiet, sometimes even restraining them.  The New York Times recently wrote a story about this practice saying that 1 in 5 nursing homes prescribe Antipsychotics, which are extremely dangerous to give to the elderly, particularly those with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.  The story highlighted David Blakeney, who entered a nursing home with severe dementia.  He was restless and agitated and the facility’s physician wanted to prescribe Haldol, a powerful sedative.   “Add Dx schizophrenia for use of Haldol,†read the doctor’s order, which essentially added another diagnosis of schizophrenia despite the fact that there were no signs the patient had that condition.  These types of drugs are commonly referred to as chemical straightjackets and, unfortunately, they can nearly double the chance of death from heart problems, infections, falls and other ailments for seniors with dementia. But with nursing homes understaffed, it’s an easy solution to just sedate more patients so they can be handled with less staff.  The patient in the Times article died at the early age of 64 just eight months after being put on Haldol, but not before suffering devastating weight loss, pneumonia and the amputation of one of his feet due to severe bedsores.  This should not happen in this country.  If you have a loved one in a facility, regularly ask for a list of prescriptions that they are on.  This is all too common.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/11/health/nursing-homes-schizophrenia-antipsychotics.html

Apple Making Further Inroads Into Medical Devices

A pair of white earbuds with a case.


Apple Inc. is studying how it can morph its AirPods into some sort of a health device.  This could include having them double as hearing aides, an in-ear thermometer and even body posture warnings.  The tech-giant already dominates the global Bluetooth headset market, generating an estimated $12+billion in revenue from this market in 2020.  Apple has already made quite a splash in the health device market with its Apple Watch, and is also looking at using iPhones to help diagnose depression and cognitive decline.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-studying-potential-of-airpods-as-health-device-11634122800?mod=djemwhatsnews

Carmel Highlands, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available : Set Your Own Hours

A nurse is smiling next to an older woman.


Carmel Highlands, CA Home Care Aide (HCA) Senior Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Jobs Available (Also Aromas, Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel-by-the-sea, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Corral-de-Tierra, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Prunedale, Salinas, Seaside, Soledad & Watsonville

We have developed a reputation for having the best caregivers (Home Care Aides or Senior Companions) in Monterey County over the past decade and have recently expanded into Santa Cruz County.   We are currently looking for qualified caregivers.

Family inHome Caregiving of Monterey is seeking compassionate, mature and dependable caregivers who want to improve the lives of our elderly Clients by providing in-home, non-medical care.  Our services include:

Caring companionship

Meal preparation

Incidental transportation

Running errands

Light housekeeping

Medication reminders

Monitoring of safety while bathing

Information and referral services

Other services that improve the safety, security and quality of life of seniors.

If you believe you would make an exceptional Home Care Aide, we would love to hear from you!  We prefer those with experience helping the elderly, disabled and others with mobility problems.  Having cared for those with dementia and/or Alzheimer’s is a plus.  To work for us, you must have excellent references, a clear criminal record, a good driving record, and an insured reliable vehicle.  To apply, please visit our website www.fhcofm.com, click on home care aides, then careers where you can fill out an application online.  We have immediate openings all over Monterey County.

Good News And Bad News About Social Security

A blue and white logo of the social security administration.


There was good news and bad news in the release from the Social Security Administration.  Recipients of Social Security will see a 5.9% boost in their payments starting next January.  On average, this will mean a $92 boost to $1,657/month, although payments can vary widely based on your lifetime earnings.  That’s the largest increase since 1982.   The bad news : inflation, which is what is driving the cost of living increase, is rising sharply.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-security-cola-increase-2022-11634067648?mod=djem10point

Pebble Beach, CA Telemedicine Is Here To Stay, Says Medicare

A person holding a stethoscope in front of a laptop.


More than three times as many Medicare beneficiaries had access to their doctors via a phone or video visit during the pandemic than before, a trend which is likely to continue with the new COVID-19 variant causing another surge in coronavirus cases.  The Kaiser Foundation, which recently conducted a study on this issue, said that expanded telehealth care is really good news for people of color, those with disabilities and low income families.   Those living in rural areas had difficulty getting to the doctor even before coronavirus.  Believe it or not, Monterey County is considered rural and indeed in South and North County populations are spread out over quite a large footprint. Thankfully, in early 2020, Medicare expanded coverage of such visits to enable all enrollees to keep up with their medical care while minimizing their r4isk of exposure to the coronavirus.  Although the rules only extend through the end of 2021, there are a number of bills in Congress which would make telehealth coverage permanent.

https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/info-2021/telehealth-increase-covid-pandemic.html

Salinas, CA Dealing With A Loved One With Alzheimer’s Disease Is Always A Struggle : Try The Montessori Method


Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away.  There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch.  It is always a struggle figuring out how to deal with a loved one, as the symptoms can seem to change from day to day.  And unlike most other chronic diseases, there is little that can be done in the way of treatment.  One relatively new method has been used for more than a century on special needs children and is being tried out on those with dementia.  It’s called the Montessori method for memory care, and it involves teaching a “new†skillset to someone.  Just as children need to know how to dress themselves, go to the bathroom, and communicate their needs, so do those with dementia who eventually may completely forget these skills which you and I take for granted.  Using the Montessori Method you will find that it:

  • Respects a person’s dignity, personhood and lived experience;
  • Allows freedom within your provided structure (essentially allowing a senior to be an improvisational artists of sorts);
  • Changes the environment to suit the individual and not the other way around; and
  • Takes into account that an individual benefits by serving their community.

Source: HomeCare Magazine, 03/21 P.40

 

And when all else fails, don’t forget that the Alzheimer’s Association has a 24-hour hotline.  If you need some additional support you can reach them at 800-272-3900.

 

https://www.alzheimers.net/montessori-method-dementia

One Of The Secrets To Longevity Is Getting The Proper Amount Of Exercise

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


Two studies now agree that the secret to longevity is getting in about 7,000 to 8,000 daily steps per day, which equates to only 30-45 minutes of walking per day!  An alternative to walking is getting into a sport like tennis, cycling, swimming, jogging or badminton for about 2.5 hours per week.  The two studies followed more than 10K men and women for decades, and found that this type of physical activity reduces the risk of premature  death by as much as 70%.   The study also said there may actually be an upper limit to the longevity benefits of being active, and pushing beyond that is unlikely to add years to your life span, and, in extreme cases might even be detrimental

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/15/well/move/exercise-daily-steps-recommended.html?campaign_id=34&emc=edit_sc_20210921&instance_id=40921&nl=science-times&regi_id=52105769&segment_id=69484&te=1&user_id=7052b81671c57203c64c377c7522baa7