Latest Medicare Update August 31, 2008 at 06:20 PM

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August 31, 2008

Medicare Part D - Popular business directory searches (The Weatherford Democrat) Tomorrow is a


Popular business directory searches (The Weatherford Democrat)
Tomorrow is a very special day for me. It is the 65th anniversary of the date of my birth. Just after breakfast on the morning of the first of September, 1943, I made my debut at the old Medical Surgical Clinic on West Columbia Street.

Analysis: GOP in need of new era (Oakland Tribune)
Regardless of whether Sen. John McCain wins in November or how Republicans fare in congressional races, one thing appears certain: The Grand Old Party is headed for a change. Vote: Does Sarah Palin help or hurt John McCain?

Novavax Moves Closer to Licensing Bird Flu Vaccine (Washington Post)


Novavax Moves Closer to Licensing Bird Flu Vaccine (Washington Post)
Novavax said yesterday that its bird flu vaccine elicited a robust immune response in humans, moving the biotech a step closer to licensing its pandemic vaccine production system.

Scientists examine bird flu infections to monitor for 'pandemic' mutations (PhysOrg)
Scientists funded by the Wellcome Trust are to examine what is preventing the H5N1 avian influenza virus from causing a human pandemic and what mutations are required to realise its deadly potential. The research could hold the key to early identification of a potential influenza pandemic, and to developing drugs and a vaccine.

Discovery Offers Potential For Drugs To Fight Bird Flu, Other Influenza Epidemics (Medical News Today)
Researchers at Rutgers University and The University of Texas at Austin have reported a discovery that could help scientists develop drugs to fight the much-feared bird flu and other virulent strains of influenza.

Study could aid bird flu drugs (Moldova.org)
University of Texas and Rutgers researchers have reported a discovery that could help scientists develop drugs to fight bird flu and other influenza strains.The scientists identified the three-dimensional structure of an influenza A virus protein that plays a central role in suppressing a person's natural defenses to infection and paves the way for the virus to spread. This so-called NS1 virus ...

BIR order will hike insurance cost (GMA News) MANILA, Philippines


BIR order will hike insurance cost (GMA News)
MANILA, Philippines - Insurers are warning of higher premiums after the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) insisted on a P15 documentary stamp tax (DST) on certificates issued to employees covered by a group life insurance policy.

Life insurance premiums in China expand 67% in first 7 months (People's Daily)
Life insurance companies in China, both domestic and foreign-funded, collected 481.89 billion yuan (70.55 billion U.S. dollars) in premiums in the first seven months of this year, up 66.7 percent year-on-year, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) said on Thursday. The growth rate was 2.3 percentage points higher than in the first half alone, it said. In terms of life insurance ...

Diakon program offers opportunities for older adults to broaden horizons


Diakon program offers opportunities for older adults to broaden horizons (The Pottsville Republican & Herald)
Susan Long wants older adults to know it s never too late to learn something new and exciting, be it doing the tango, discovering your inner Picasso, or surfing the World Wide Web.

Town Hall alternatives (Boston Globe)
The Board of Selectmen is expected to pick a Town Hall renovation project on Sept. 15, according to Needham officials. The board had already decided to use the historic auditorium in Town Hall as office space, but Town Meeting told the selectmen to look at whether restoring the hall would be feasible. After gathering input from the community, the ...

Covering the Bases: Be on lookout for signs of Medicare fraud (The Capital)
Q: I recently read an article in a newspaper about Medicare fraud and how much it costs taxpayers each year. Why can't Medicare do more to detect these fraudulent claims? Shouldn't there be a whole section of Medicare that works on these problems?

Medicare decisions loom for GM retirees in Genesee County and beyond (The Flint Journal)
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Local senior services agencies are bracing themselves for a growing wave of mass confusion, as General Motors salaried retirees confront sweeping changes to their health care benefits by year's end.

Medicare Part D - Success by being at the right place and the right


Success by being at the right place and the right time (The Gateway Online)
Award-winning broadcaster and University of Alberta honorary degree recipient, Felix Fraser, will tell you that part of his success was being at the right place and the right time; ask him what he means by this phrase and he ll be happy to elucidate. Fraser received an Honorary Degree of Letters from the U of A this spring during the 12 June convocation ceremony. A diverse group of Canadians ...

Popular business directory searches (The Weatherford Democrat)
Tomorrow is a very special day for me. It is the 65th anniversary of the date of my birth. Just after breakfast on the morning of the first of September, 1943, I made my debut at the old Medical Surgical Clinic on West Columbia Street.

Seniors' Issues: Does Medicare Part B pay for physicals? (Muskogee Phoenix)
DEAR JUDY: Does Medicare Part B pay for physicals? I ve had Medicare since I reached 65 but have not had a physical. I know that my doctor thinks I should have one every year, but it costs a lot. Thank you for answering.

Routine Memory Screening can Ensure Prompt Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (Palatka Daily News)
(ARA) - More than five million Americans currently have Alzheimer's disease (AD) and this number could triple to 16 million by 2050 as baby boomers join the 65 and older age group.

Compare Medicare Prescription Drug PlansFind & Compare Plans that Cover


Compare Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
Find & Compare Plans that Cover Drugs.

Second thoughts about retirement (The Indianapolis Star) When Vic Paganucci


Second thoughts about retirement (The Indianapolis Star)
When Vic Paganucci of Norwalk, Conn., was given a chance to take early retirement last spring, he jumped at it. He was weary of his two-hour commute to Wall Street and no longer enjoyed his job as an insurance broker.

When Family Caregivers Have to Make Tough Choices (Carteret County News-Times)
(ARA) - In many ways, Suzanne Mintz fits the profile of the lion's share of the nation's 50 million-plus family caregivers. She is a woman, employed, and cares for her loved one at home. Her resources are stretched: time, money, emotions and strength.

EFFINGHAM EVENTS (Savannah Morning News)
Salzburger Heritage Day

Moran focuses on Medicare (Hays Daily News)
Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., was in town Friday to speak to a group of seniors about the importance of Medicare. The congressman started the informal meeting with a joke before diving into the meat of the issue.

Medicare Part D - NeighborhoodStar News (SouthtownStar) Help is available on Medicare D


NeighborhoodStar News (SouthtownStar)


Help is available on Medicare D coverage gap (Martinsville Bulletin)
Some help is available for users of Medicare D who are in the coverage gap, also known as the Medicare D doughnut hole, according to MedAssist of Martinsville & Henry County.

Seniors' Issues: Does Medicare Part B pay for physicals? (Muskogee Phoenix)
DEAR JUDY: Does Medicare Part B pay for physicals? I ve had Medicare since I reached 65 but have not had a physical. I know that my doctor thinks I should have one every year, but it costs a lot. Thank you for answering.

Redhawks men win cross country meet (Southeast Missourian) The Southeast


Redhawks men win cross country meet (Southeast Missourian)
The Southeast Missouri State men's cross country team started its season on the right foot Saturday by winning the Stegemoller Classic at Southern Indiana.

State s health plan gets a trim Blue Cross may be dropped from benefit options (The Gainesville Times)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia is appealing a decision by the Department of Community Health to drop Blue Cross from its State Health Benefit Plan. But state officials say that won't affect an upcoming change in the program's insurance options.

Blue Cross pays $85M for Florida Health Care Plan (BizJournals)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Inc. purchased Florida Health Care Plan for $85 million, expanding the state's largest insurer by 58,000 members.

Twin River falls to Blue Devils (Columbus Telegram)
Cross County wins 2 at triangular; High Plains loses to Fillmore Central

Medicare Part D - Miami Physician and HIV Clinic Administrator Plead Guilty for Their


Miami Physician and HIV Clinic Administrator Plead Guilty for Their Roles in a $37 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (Contacto)
Miami physician Ronald Harris, M.D., and Miami resident Mariela Rodriguez each pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Medicare program in connection with a $37 million HIV infusion fraud scheme, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida announced.

The final journey (The Rock Hill Herald)
At age 77, Ernie Anderson felt alone. His wife of 58 years, Joyce, was in the bed in their Rock Hill apartment with Alzheimer's disease. That means her brain is physically deteriorating. She couldn't walk, talk or do anything for herself.

Libertarian vs. Libertarian: 3rd District ballot to have rare third-party primary (La Crosse Tribune)
Area voters will have a rare opportunity Sept. 9 to choose between two Libertarian candidates for Wisconsin s 3rd Congressional District.

Fractures more than unlucky breaks (Merimbula News Weekly)
Col Selwood thought nothing of it when he broke his finger by bending it awkwardly on a door a few years ago. It wasn't until he received a routine bone density test as part of a Garvan Institute study in his home town of Dubbo that he discovered he had osteoporosis.

August 30, 2008

Medicare Part D - Big Pharma besieged from all sides (Guardian Unlimited) Business &


Big Pharma besieged from all sides (Guardian Unlimited)
Business & money: Drug companies find blockbusters expiring, pipelines emptying and watchdogs growling

3.4 Million Seniors Hit Medicare 'Doughnut Hole' (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
THURSDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- In 2007, about 3.4 million Americans enrolled in the Medicare Part D drug plan reached a gap in their prescription coverage known as the "doughnut hole," leading some of them to stop taking prescribed drugs, says a Kaiser Family Foundation study released Thursday.

Medicare Part D - Three books on the conservative movement's future (Austin American-Statesman) President


Three books on the conservative movement's future (Austin American-Statesman)
President Bush believes that his record, largely disparaged today by popular opinion, will be rehabilitated by history. Well, push back redemption a few years. As his presidency ends, Bush has been trashed by his own press agent, Scott McClellan. Now, the ideological lions of the Republican Party weigh in, and it is not pretty.

Medicare-PartD.com???s RxSavings-Center Simplifies the Search for Discounted Drugs (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
Medicare-PartD.com releases their RxSavings-Center to help Medicare beneficiaries and others find prescription drug savings at their local retailers. The RxSavings-Center provides a variety of ways for people to compare discount drug programs including, alphabetical searching by drug name, searching by drug category, or a combination search of drug categories and discount drug programs. ...

Taxpayers may foot smaller bill for running Blue Cross Arena


Taxpayers may foot smaller bill for running Blue Cross Arena (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
The annual taxpayer subsidy of Blue Cross Arena at the Community War Memorial would be cut by $60,000 or more under a proposed contract extension with operator SMG.

State s health plan gets a trim Blue Cross may be dropped from benefit options (The Gainesville Times)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia is appealing a decision by the Department of Community Health to drop Blue Cross from its State Health Benefit Plan. But state officials say that won't affect an upcoming change in the program's insurance options.

Blue Cross pays $85M for Florida Health Care Plan (BizJournals)
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Inc. purchased Florida Health Care Plan for $85 million, expanding the state's largest insurer by 58,000 members.

Twin River falls to Blue Devils (Columbus Telegram)
Cross County wins 2 at triangular; High Plains loses to Fillmore Central

Medicare Part D - Study Examines How Medicare Prescription Drug 'Doughnut Hole' Affected Beneficiaries


Study Examines How Medicare Prescription Drug 'Doughnut Hole' Affected Beneficiaries In 2007 (Medical News Today)
In 2007, about 3.4 million Medicare beneficiaries reached the so-called "doughnut hole," or gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage, during which time they were responsible for their medication costs, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study released on Thursday, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

CENTRAL NY BUSINESS NEWS (The Post-Standard)
Q. Any advice on how to pay for prescription drugs when you end up in the Medicare Part D doughnut hole? A. The "doughnut hole" is the coverage gap some people with Medicare Part D prescription coverage fall into once their total drug costs reach $2,510.

CENTRAL NY BUSINESS NEWS (The Post-Standard)
EPIC can help cover cost of prescriptions Q. Any advice on how to pay for prescription drugs when you end up in the Medicare Part D doughnut hole?

Medicare Part D - Three Things Candidates Won't Tell You (Forbes) For all their


Three Things Candidates Won't Tell You (Forbes)
For all their talk, neither Obama nor McCain want to tackle the economy's really tough issues--because they can't.

Big Pharma besieged from all sides (Guardian Unlimited)
Business & money: Drug companies find blockbusters expiring, pipelines emptying and watchdogs growling

Miami Physician and HIV Clinic Administrator Plead Guilty for Their Roles in a $37 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (Contacto)
Miami physician Ronald Harris, M.D., and Miami resident Mariela Rodriguez each pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Medicare program in connection with a $37 million HIV infusion fraud scheme, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida announced.

August 29, 2008

Medicare Part D - Three Things Candidates Won't Tell You (Forbes) For all their


Three Things Candidates Won't Tell You (Forbes)
For all their talk, neither Obama nor McCain want to tackle the economy's really tough issues--because they can't.

Senior Expo coming Sept. 5 (The Index-Journal)
The Greenwood County Sheriff s Office presents the Special Olympics of South Carolina with a check for $13,625. From left are agent Jeff Graham, Sheriff Dan Wideman and Special Olympics state director Barry Coats.

Seniors' Issues: Does Medicare Part B pay for physicals? (Muskogee Phoenix)
DEAR JUDY: Does Medicare Part B pay for physicals? I ve had Medicare since I reached 65 but have not had a physical. I know that my doctor thinks I should have one every year, but it costs a lot. Thank you for answering.

CENTRAL NY BUSINESS NEWS (The Post-Standard)
EPIC can help cover cost of prescriptions Q. Any advice on how to pay for prescription drugs when you end up in the Medicare Part D doughnut hole?

Volunteer Calendar, Aug. 17 (The Norwich Bulletin) Volunteer Calendar, Aug.


Volunteer Calendar, Aug. 17 (The Norwich Bulletin)
Volunteer Calendar, Aug. 17.

Senior Citizens May Avoid Medicare Marketing Fraud by Knowing the Rules (Senior Journal)
Aug. 13, 2008 With a huge market to exploit abut 36 million senior citizens on Medicare the hucksters stay busy, according to congressional reports. The Medicare Rights Center has produced some tips for older Americans on the rules that must be followed to market these plans.

Muni Bonds: Time to Dive In? (BusinessWeek)
These bonds have gotten cheaper compared with Treasuries and the fatter yields present tempting opportunities for investors

Diakon program offers opportunities for older adults to broaden horizons (The Pottsville Republican & Herald)
Susan Long wants older adults to know it s never too late to learn something new and exciting, be it doing the tango, discovering your inner Picasso, or surfing the World Wide Web.

Medicare Part D - Miami Physician and HIV Clinic Administrator Plead Guilty for Their


Miami Physician and HIV Clinic Administrator Plead Guilty for Their Roles in a $37 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme (Contacto)
Miami physician Ronald Harris, M.D., and Miami resident Mariela Rodriguez each pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Medicare program in connection with a $37 million HIV infusion fraud scheme, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida announced.

Medicare-PartD.com???s RxSavings-Center Simplifies the Search for Discounted Drugs (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
Medicare-PartD.com releases their RxSavings-Center to help Medicare beneficiaries and others find prescription drug savings at their local retailers. The RxSavings-Center provides a variety of ways for people to compare discount drug programs including, alphabetical searching by drug name, searching by drug category, or a combination search of drug categories and discount drug programs. ...

Formulary Finder


Formulary Finder

Staying Fit, Healthy Living Tips and Caregiving Top Lists of


Staying Fit, Healthy Living Tips and Caregiving Top Lists of Activities and Exhibits at AARP's Annual Life@50+ ... (PR Newswire via Yahoo! News)
More than 25,000 AARP members from across the U.S. will attend AARP's annual Life@50+ National Event & Expo in Washington, D.C., which will feature hundreds of exhibits, including workshops with renowned experts and demonstrations that promote fitness including a morning workout class with tennis legend Martina Navratilova. Meet fitness trainer Bob Harper from the television series "The Biggest ...

EFFINGHAM EVENTS (Savannah Morning News)
American Legion

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