...providing retirement news snippets from various sources for federal employees, postal employees, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities who receive Social Security . Your resource for retirement living, investment, employment, health care, and retirement leisure. - Stay Informed!
Title: Traditional Medicare vs Medicare Advantage
Article Snip: "......the federal government reported that 13% of denials in Medicare Advantage would not have been refused under traditional Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans are also increasingly ending nursing home and rehabilitation care before providers consider patients ready to go home...."
Reference: Federal RetirementTitle: Big Medicare Changes Coming For Postal Service Retirees
Article Snip: "...money is likely the driving force. ...this change could save the Postal Service $5.6 billion through 2031 while adding $5.5 billion in costs to Medicare during that span...For those who retire before April 2024, they can either enroll in Part B right away or pay attention and watch for more information about the SEP. My former client’s wife decided to continue with her current FEHB plan and enroll in Medicare Part A, hospital insurance. (This is premium-free and those who want to receive Social Security retirement benefits must be enrolled. It is a condition of receiving benefits.)"
Reference: www.forbes.comArticle Snip: "An estimated 1.5 million retirees re-entered the labor market in the year up to May 2022, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by Indeed economist Nick Bunker for The Washington Post. This is a reversal of the trend which saw millions of people fleeing the workforce during and following the Covid-19 pandemic. And according to a study by payroll services company Paychex this year, one in six retired Americans are now considering going back to work. ..."
Reference: www.dailymail.co.ukTitle: Medicare won’t change coverage policy for pricey Alzheimer’s drugs
Article Snip: "Currently, Medicare coverage is even stricter, as the agency will only pay for the drugs if a patient receives them through a clinical trial. The treatments in question are monoclonal antibody infusions that target brain plaque known as amyloid that’s a signature characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. The drugs are intended for early stage Alzheimer’s patients and are meant to slow the progression of memory loss, but are not a cure. They are costly, and there are only two: Eisai’s Leqembi and Biogen’s Aduhelm. Both were granted accelerated approval by FDA..."
Reference: www.yahoo.comArticle Snip: "The bug sent automatic friend requests to any profiles people had viewed, leaving users scrambling to cancel them as quickly as possible. ...if you're still worried you've been affected by the technical defect, head to facebook.com/friends. From here, click 'Friend Requests' in the left-hand tab followed by 'View send requests' to review the pending requests. "
Reference: www.dailymail.co.ukTitle: Utilizing Artificial Intelligence To Visually Measure Your Facial Age
Article Snip: "NOVOS’ algorithms are based on Deep Learning and mimic human perception of aging. The algorithm has been trained on 12 million images and validated by human dermatological experts. This service is free as part of NOVOS being a Public Benefit Corporation, and does not require an app download.
Although accurate in most cases, it’s not perfect. Lighting conditions, camera quality, camera angle, lack of sleep, dehydration and other variables can impact your scores.
Your face should be centered similarly to how the model in the example below is shown. Make sure it is well lit from the front. Move hair back as applicable, remove any glasses, extensive make-up or mask. ...TAKE THE TEST NOW
"
Title: 15 Cheapest States to Live In
Article Snip: "...The rise in inflation over the last year has led many Americans to consider shifting to states with a lower cost of living. The annual inflation rate rose to 9.1% in June 2022 to its highest level since the 1980s. To combat the raging inflation, the US Federal Reserve has already raised the benchmark interest rates...a significant number of Americans migrated out of states such as New York, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Meanwhile..."
Reference: yahoo.comTitle: Senior living industry tells federal lawmakers of ‘unprecedented’ financial issues
Article Snip: "...Collectively, senior living providers incurred more than $30 billion in expenses, including gowns, gloves, masks and other infection prevention and control supplies; wage pressures; higher recruiting and retention costs; and regulatory, licensing and employee certification costs, Elehwany said. “Because of supply chain disruptions and exponential demand for personal protective equipment, costs became exorbitant..."
Reference: www.mcknightsseniorliving.comTitle: New York tops list of least affordable states to retire in
Article Snip: "The Empire State ranked at the very bottom in terms of affordability, and 46th overall when factoring in quality of life and healthcare, according to a report by WalletHub comparing all 50 states. ...The report noted that even with $1 million in retirement savings, the average person would only be able to cover about 14 years of expenses. “Retirees must evaluate the burden of state and local taxes when making their residential decisions..."
Reference: nypost.comTitle: Riots erupt in France over retirement age increase
Article Snip: "Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne of France invoked a special constitutional power to avoid having the lower assembly vote on the pension reform bill Thursday. ...The protests stemmed from Macron’s attempt to raise the age to receive a full pension following retirement in the country from 62 to 64 years old by invoking special constitutional powers that allow him to skirt the national assembly..."
Reference: www.foxbusiness.comTitle: How to Build a CD Ladder for Retirement
Article Snip: "...Retirees often give certificates of deposit short shrift, and that’s unfortunate. Leveraged properly, CDs can give people living on a fixed income the one financial necessity they need in retirement: a reliable income stream with low relative risk. That’s especially true with CD laddering – Wall Street’s way of building a reliable interest rate-return staircase in their golden years...."
Reference: usnews.comTitle: The Pros and Cons of a Credit Union Versus a Bank
Article Snip: "Credit unions can offer higher savings rates compared with traditional banks. ...The main difference between a bank and a credit union is that a bank is a for-profit financial institution, while a credit union is a nonprofit. ...Credit unions are insured by the federal National Credit Union Administration, which provides the same protections that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation applies to banks – insurance coverage on deposits up to $250,000. NCUA's website allows credit union members to check on their insurance coverage; the agency also recommends checking for a prominently displayed sign at the credit union that says it is NCUA-insured."
Reference: usnews.comThe U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has paused all new applications for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.
Unenrolled individuals cannot apply for the program.
The suspension period, which will run for 24 months from Dec. 19, 2022, is designed to give OPM and the John Hancock Life and Health Insurance Co., the program’s carrier, “time to thoroughly assess benefit offerings and establish sustainable premium rates that reasonably and equitably reflect the cost of the benefits provided,” according to the suspension notice on the program’s website.
Current enrollees’ coverage will not change as long as they continue to pay their premiums. However, current enrollees may not increase coverage.
Those who applied for the program before the cutoff date will have their application considered and, if approved, will receive all relevant information.
For those in claims status, there is no change to coverage or claims reimbursement as long as benefits have not been exhausted.
For more information on the suspension, call LTCFEDS at 800-582-3337. For other benefits-related questions, contact the Wellness team.
Reference: USPS News Link via NPMHU Local 317 - Alabama
Article Snip: "'Hold onto your money': Jeff Bezos issued a financial warning, says you might want to rethink buying a 'new automobile, refrigerator, or whatever' — here are 3 better recession-proof buys. ...Here are the three loans Americans must pay off before even considering retirement..."
Reference: moneywise.comTitle: Biden Urges Confidence in US Banks After Collapse
Article Snip: "...President Joe Biden on Monday assured Americans that the nation’s financial systems are sound, following the swift and stunning collapse of two banks that prompted fears of a broader upheaval. “Americans can have confidence that the banking system is safe..."
Reference: www.newsmax.comArticle Snip: "There are 10 types of Medicare Supplement Insurance plans, each designated by a letter of the alphabet (you can find details about all 10 plans at Medicare.gov)...Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, Plan F*, Plan G*, Plan K, Plan L, Plan M, Plan N..."
Reference: www.medicare.govTitle: Compare Original Medicare & Medicare Advantage
Article Snip: "Consider these things when deciding between Original Medicare and a Medicare Advantage Plan for your health coverage. ...if you choose a Medicare Advantage plan, you may not be able to switch back later to Original Medicare with a Medigap plan. “It doesn’t mean you can’t switch, and I’ve had people be able to switch,” “But it’s certainly not guaranteed, and in many parts of the country it would be impossible.”.."
Reference: www.medicare.govTitle: Lawmakers unveil plan to keep Americans from claiming Social Security too early
Article Snip: "...Social Security Administration (SSA) needs to do a better job at communication — including bringing back paper statements. “We believe that SSA should take more proactive measures to provide Americans with the tools and resources to determine how best to set themselves and their families up for financial security in retirement..."
Reference: www.aol.comTitle: Bill to Boost Federal Firefighters’ Retirement Benefits is Back
Article Snip: "...Rep. Gerry Connolly’s legislation would include mandatory overtime hours in calculations to determine federal firefighters’ pension benefits. ..."
Reference: www.govexec.comTitle: Here are 3 crucial things you must let go of in retirement. Most folks can't do it — but can you?
Article Snip: "If you really believe that he or she who dies with the most toys wins, then maybe you haven’t thought much about whether that comes with an eternal storage locker. The fact is that excess stuff will only weigh you down, especially if you want to travel or spend more time tending to your relationships (more on that in a bit). Retirement marks an ideal time to take inventory. Just how many trinkets have you accumulated?..."
Reference: www.msn.comeverify Social Security Lock | Protect Yourself From The Foreign Invasion Snippet of Article: "...Self Lock is the unique feature...