Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what Arizona state representatives are thinking when they make laws like the recent immigration law. Don’t they have anything better to do? Maybe they should put a little more effort into protecting consumers from dangerous Chinese drywall and the resulting Chinese drywall lawsuits instead of making life difficult for upstanding citizens and tourists.

If you were fortunate (or maybe unfortunate) enough to have experienced 1935 Nazi Germany or the USSR in the 1970’s you know that these types of laws will severely curtail the rights of normal citizens. Everyone in those countries had to be prepared to display their papers instantly or they could be dragged away to jail.

Will a soccer mom of African descent be required to carry her US passport at all times or risk being sent to jail? Will innocent tourists who forget their papers in their hotel room be held in solitary confinement?

Not exactly the type of place I want to raise my kids. Upstanding US citizens will have to worry at all times about special agents trying to catch you and send you away for no good reason. Sounds very familiar to people who lived through previous regimes as mentioned above.

So you dismiss these claims as nonsense and extreme examples? Hmmm… tell that to the holocaust survivors who lived in Germany during the years leading up to that period in time. That’s what everyone said in 1935 as well.

If the intent of the Arizona Immigration Law is to curtail illegal immigration it definitely isn’t the way to achieve any meaningful results. In the meantime everyone’s rights and civil liberties get trampled and our country degenerates into a cesspool of racism and meanness.

Of course some of the details are different in the Arizona law. But if you can’t look past the details and see the big picture then those details are sure to be included in the next offensive law.

Some people need help in doing activities like dressing, eating, bathing or bathroom use (and this is where certain mobility accessories make lives easier). These folks do not need constant help or supervision, but they may need assistance in certain tasks. One of the most viable and suitable options for such people is that of assisted living. This way of life promotes assistance as well as a certain level of independence using assisted living. There are some agencies that provide assisted living facilities that vary greatly, but are generally regulated at the level of the state. In assisted living it is possible that you get some help with your shopping while you take care of your own cooking etc.

When it comes to making important decisions about unconstrained options, it is vital to consult and take into confidence loved ones as well as those who are responsible for the person’s estate at a later stage. It is always advisable to look at other financial alternatives in case liquidation of assets is being considered for assisted living related payments.

Assisted living could consist of people living in apartments that tend to be quite luxurious. These apartments are less like nursing homes and more like hotel suites, where you get a private apartment with separate kitchen and bathroom facilities. Some people do not need constant medical attention or care. Such people can stay in assisted living apartments where the housing complex has medical facilities, should they be needed. The same folks can also have their own independence or privacy as well as freedom to join in social and group activities (some as fun as electric wheelchair races where the winner is the person who split the least amount of beverage out of their drink holder) which are all based on their own choice and decision.

In most cases there is an appreciable difference between facilities in assisted living homes and in nursing homes. There are Assisted living and Continued Care Retirement Communities that are flexible to adapt and accommodate the special needs of senior citizens. In most cases nursing homes are availed only when medical care and attention is needed in a more permanent environment with round the clock monitoring as well.

Assisted living homes have special administrators who are responsible for facilities, food preparation and provision as well as stocking of adequate medicines for residents of the facility. Their task is very different from that of a marketing person who has to promote the facility and also liaise with family members and prospective clients. This is why a marketing professional should not be burdened with admin responsibilities as it could dilute the focus of the individual.

There is no uniformity in the assisted living services that are present in different states. The nursing home services in one state could be equivalent to assisted living in another state. This is why state legislatures are not endeavoring to bring about standardization in the services. Even the names of assisted living services vary from state to state. In some states like Colorado, they are known as senior housing, whereas they may be known as retirement living homes, adult living facilities or elderly care housing in others. Many assisted living homes have special handrails, bathroom fixtures and a hospital bed as required. These are generally less spacious as compared to general apartments, though.

Changes in the Medicare law will mean more beneficiaries can receive help with their prescription drugs under the Extra Help program.  Before this change many individuals were disqualified from the Extra Help program because their resources were too high.  Life insurance policies are no longer considered a resource, which may pave the way for many beneficiaries to now qualify.  Also any assistance you receive in paying your bill will no longer be considered as income.

Anyone with limited income and on the Medicare drug program and not on SSI should apply to see if he or she can qualify.  It could save you a lot of money on your drug bills.

Everyone To Get ‘Extra Help’ Rx Benefit | Sweetness & Light

About 32 million seniors are enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. About 30 percent of them are enrolled in the extra help program, also known as the low-income subsidy. So now everybody will get “extra help. …

Extra Help for Medicare: Social Security Announces a New “Twist …

Changes Make it Easier to Qualify for Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, and Chubby.

Changes Make it Easier to Qualify for Extra Help with Medicare …

Chubby Checker and Social Security Commissioner Astrue Announce a New “Twist” in the Law Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, and Chubby Checker, Grammy Award winner and rock and roll legend, today launched a new campaign …

1million more Seniors will have access to drugs …the program is …

Anyone who has Medicare can get Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Some people with limited income and resources are eligible for Extra Help to pay for the costs–monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription …

It Is Now Easier To Qualify For Extra Help With Medicare …

The extra help program currently provides assistance to more than nine million senior and disabled Americans — saving them an average of almost $4000 a year on their Medicare prescription drug plan costs. To apply for extra help, …

It is so typical of the federal government to pretend to offer a solution to the populace only to give only partial relief.  This is what happened with Medicare Part D, prescription coverage.

Part D Medicare covers the cost of prescriptions up to $2700.  If the cost of an enrollee’s prescriptions exceeds $2700, then the enrollee must pay the next $3453 of their prescriptions drugs in full.  There will be no assistance in paying for this.  This is the donut hole.  You must pay for $3453 in prescriptions before another penny will be paid for by Part D Medicare.  That’s the equivalent of paying $287.75 per month to climb out of this hole.  This is in addition to paying the monthly premium for whatever plan that you selected plus the co-pay and deductible that you have already paid.

Many enrollees in Part D Medicare are blindsided when the hit $2700 in prescriptions expenses.  Even though each plans advises them of the $2700 limit, many do not understand what it means until they come face to face with the donut hole.

Unfortunately, in 2007 more than 50% of the enrollees fell into the hole by July and most would up paying for all their prescriptions for the remainder of the year.

There are ways that you can minimize your risk of ever reaching the $2700.

Request your physician to write your prescriptions for generics.  Generics are generally cheaper than brand names and are required to be just as effective by the FDA.

Request that your doctor writes all your prescriptions for 90 days as opposed to 30 days.  Mail-in prescriptions are generally much cheaper and you do not have to run to the pharmacy every 30 days to get your prescription filled.  Also many pharmacies have a list of generics drugs which they will fill for a set amount, such as $10 for a 90 day prescription.  Ask your pharmacy for a list of which drugs are covered under this plan.  Some of the larger retail stores haves pharmacies and also have similar plans.  This could be a significant savings if your drug is listed on their plan.

Some Medicare Part D plans offer some coverage for the donut hole, but these are usually the higher premium plans.  You should check these out, but be sure to compare the increased premium that you will be paying to what you will be paying in prescriptions charges.

Widows, throughout history, have been the most disadvantaged.  Even today, as a group, they rank among the poorest of all groups over 65.  Although they can receive benefits on their deceased husband’s record, it is often too little to pull them from the ranks of poverty.  Even with all the information pointing to this very obvious fact, little has been done over the years to give this very vulnerable group much relief.

To receive Social Security benefits, a widow must be at least 60 years old, or 50 years old if disabled.  At her full retirement age, a widow receives the same amount from Social Security that her deceased husband would have received.  For example, if her deceased husband would have received $1500 a month if he had been living when his widow attains age 66, she would receive $1500 per month.  But should she be only 60 years old at the time of his death, she would receive $1072 per month.  If she is able to delay starting her benefits until age 66, she would receive $1500 plus any cost of living increases.  Unfortunately, many widows cannot wait.

Let’s look at a common situation that I have seen many times during my years with Social Security.  A widow comes in to file for her widow’s benefit.  He husband has just died.  He was working earning $40,000 per year.  She is working earning $20,000 a year.  Using the example in the above paragraph, she will receive $1072 per month.  She may also be able to receive a pension from her husband’s work, but chances are there won’t be any pension.  Her only income will probably be what she receives from Social Security and what she is earning.

But, because she is working, she will not receive widow’s benefits for all 12 months of the year.  Based on 2009 amounts, she can only work and earn $14,160 for the year to receive all her Social Security benefits.  Because she is earning $20,000 a year, she will have $2920 withheld from her initial benefits.  That means that her first three checks will be withheld before any benefits from Social Security will begin.  Her income for the year will be the $20,000 she earns plus what she receives from Social Security, or $9944.

It is estimated that when one member of a couple dies, the surviving member must have at least 79% of  the total income received to maintain his/her current standard of living.  In my example, which is a fairly common, the widow has less that 50% of the income she and her husband received prior to his death.

Even more frightening is what will happen when the widow can no longer work.  She may be able to receive more on her own record, but how much more will it be?  Not much, with earnings of $20,000!

The plight of a widow has improved only marginally over the centuries.  They remain the most impoverished of any group over the age of 65, and more in the U.S. than most European countries.

For the last several years it has been forecast that Social Security will take in less money than they will pay out in 2015. Now it is being forecast Social Security will start paying more out that they receive in 2010.

This should not surprise anyone who has been paying attention to the economy for the last year.

Social Security has been financing the government for over 20 years. They are holding trillions in government bonds that are supposedly redeemable upon demand. We have been paying into Social Security every time we receive a paycheck with the promise that we will receive our benefits when we qualify, whether it is retirement, disability, or survivor benefits.

I just read Allan Sloan’s article in Fortune discussing the problems that the Social Security Administration is facing. The title of the article is “The Next Great Bailout,” referring to Social Security. This title is not only erroneous but insulting to the millions of people who have been paying Social Security taxes year after year. Social Security does not need a bailout! Redemption of the trillions of dollars of government bonds they are holding is not a bail out. It is money that is owed to Social Security by the Federal government who has for years confiscated, although legally, the billions of extra Social Security taxes paid and used to make the federal deficit look smaller than it truly was. Now the Feds have to step up to the plate and pay off their debt, probably by borrowing from another source.

Allan Sloan compares the previous bailouts of “incompetent banks, faddish mortgage borrowers, General Motors, AIG, GMAC, and Wall Street” as “pigs feeding at Uncle Sam’s trough. To say the least, I loved the comparison, particularly with the almost daily news that we here about how these pigs are using the bail out money.

There is no question that Social Security needs fixing. It cannot continue paying the benefits they are currently paying and hope to continue to be solvent, especially with the onslaught of the baby boomers. Change is needed. But let’s call it what it is.

Pfizer , Inc. has been hit with the largest settlement in history.

They will be paying $2.3 billion for illegal promotion of their drugs. Pfizer is the largest drug manufacturer in the world. This is not their first run in with the law and illegally pandering their drugs.

“To promote the drugs, authorities said Pfizer invited doctors to consultant meetings at resort locations, paying their expenses and providing perks. They were entertained with golf, massages, and other activities,” said Mike Loucks, the U.S. attorney in Massachusetts.”

Apparently, all the doctors who were seduced to write prescriptions as a result of their wining and dining walk away Scot free. It appears to me that they are just as guilty as Pfizer. They allowed themselves to be bought for little more than “golf, massages, and other activities.”

These doctors should pay for their misconduct.

Pfizer, is of course feeding us the normal blather that corporate America tries to feed us when they are caught with their pants down.

Amy W. Schulman, senior vice president and general counsel of Pfizer stated, “Corporate integrity is an absolute priority for Pfizer,” she said, “and we will continue to take appropriate actions to further enhance our compliance practices and strengthen public trust in our company.”

Hopefully Pfizer will be watched must closer by the authorities than they have in the past, since this action, accompanied the previous actions, show that they have very little corporate conscience.

Social Security mailed 3900 stimulus checks of $250 to prisoners. Unfortunately, 2200 got entitled to them because of the way the law was written. They were eligible for the checks because they were not in jail during the three months prior to the enactment of the stimulus package. Social Security correctly sent the prisoners $250.

The media does not seem to be in the least concerned that 2200 prisoners legally received the stimulus checks because the law was poorly written.

Why didn’t Congress exclude them from receiving the checks if they were in jail at the time the checks were mailed?

All the attention has been focused on the 1700 prisoners that received the checks that were not eligible to them. They received the checks because Social Security was not aware they were prisoners. Most of the checks were returned by the prison facilities upon receipt.

The government did not lose $425,000 as the media has suggested.

Social Security will take aggressive action to get ALL the money back that was erroneously mailed and not returned. I would bet at the time I am writing this that there are less than 500 outstanding payments.

I think that Social Security did an awesome job minimizing the error rate in this area. Incidentally, the error rate involving prisoners to the entire group was .003%.

It was recently reported that three Regional Commissioners for the Social Security Administration received cash awards averaging $54,000 each.

Am I the only one who thinks this isn’t right?

Consider this – The dedicated employees on the field offices awards averaged less than $1,000. And, only the top 20% of employees received an award!

I was in management and had input or made the final decision on who received an award in my office.

When I am talking about awards given in the field offices where the claims are taken and processed, where there are constant demands to do more with less and almost all contact with the public occurred, the awards ranged from about $200-$900.

That was also about the same amount management in the offices received.

The higher up in the bureaucracy that you go, the higher the awards. There is little consideration given to how the individual contributed to the overall success of the agency.

Social Security field offices are understaffed.

It has been Congressional policy for at least the last 20 years to reduce the number of SSA employees every year. Now it is practically impossible to accomplish all the work that is expected of them and do it with any degree of quality.

Yet Congress continues to whittle away at the staffing while wringing their hands and declaring that more work has to be done faster.

But yet, somehow, while decreasing staffing, the funds can be found for $54,000 awards for those at the top.

Thoughts?

The Social Security Administration began issuing debit cards last year to those who did not have direct deposit and wanted an easier way to receive their monthly benefits other than by check. SSA has always had problems with checks being lost, stolen or delayed in the mail. With the advent of direct deposit, much of this problem was resolved. But there were many who did not have bank accounts.

And paying benefits digitally rather than by paper is a big savings to SSA. It cost about $1.00 to mail a paper check and only 10 to 12 cents to do it by automated transfer. With the 500,000 people already signed up for the debit card, it is saving the SSA about $440,000 each month. And SSA needs every one of those dollars!

Along came the debit cards. Each month, the amount of the Social Security benefit is added to the card. There are no fees for signing up and you can get one free replacement card each year if you should lose the card.

Sounds like a safe and easy way to receive your money. It is if you use it carefully and know about additional fees that can be charged if you are not careful. Some of those fees include a $4.00 charge for a second replacement card in a year, $.75 for a monthly statement by mail, $.90 for each ATM withdrawal after the first one, plus additional fees if you use an out-of-network ATM machine, which seem to be difficult to find. If you need cash, your best bet is to get cash back when you purchase something.

This is a very positive step by SSA in resolving many of the problems revolving around lost, stolen, or delayed checks. Kudos for SSA!