Jennifer Beam

As temperatures drop, the cost of heating homes in the Bay State rises higher and higher. We’ve got some hot tips to help keep the heat in your home – and money in the bank - during the long winter season. A few inexpensive and easy ways to stay warm inside include:

A news story started it all. Judy Cockerton was moved to action after learning about a 5-month old foster child who had been kidnapped from his crib. She and her husband became foster parents themselves, but Cockerton wanted to do more. Knowing that not all families can bring foster children into their homes, she wanted to create other ways for people to help.

Out to lunch Part of a new law opposed by AARP Massachusetts weakens the state's 2008 prescription drug gift ban and puts patients' best interests at risk. Previously, the ban restricted prescription drug companies from treating doctors to extravagant meals by allowing them to offer food only in clinical settings, such as hospitals or doctors' offices.

Free movie...for grownups! On December 13 at 7:00 pm, join us at Rave Cinemas at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield for a free AARP Movies for Grownups pre-release screening of Parental Guidance, starring Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei and Tom Everett Scott. Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis – so act fast!

Right now, some politicians in Washington are trying to cram changes to Medicare benefits into a last-minute budget deal before the end of the year. This change would raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67, shifting thousands of dollars in costs to seniors and making Medicare premiums more expensive.Washington should be having an open discussion about how to strengthen Medicare, not cutting the benefits millions rely on as part of a short-sighted budget deal.

BOSTON – Following the Department of Public Health’s Public Health Council meeting about the Prescription Drug Gift Ban Law, Michael Murray, interim state director of AARP Massachusetts – which represents more than 800,000 members age 50 and older – issued the following statement:

Mark your calendar. Only two days left: Medicare open enrollment ends on Dec. 7, 2012. Any changes you make will take effect Jan. 1, 2013. Whether you have original Medicare, Medicare Advantage or a prescription drug plan through Medicare Part D, make sure you or a loved one has the right plan for the year ahead.

Some good news from the State House: Governor Deval Patrick (D) recently signed Senate Bill No. 2359, An Act to Establish Standards for Long Term Care Insurance, into law – making Massachusetts the 42nd state in the nation to provide such consumer protections. More than 2,000 AARP members from the Bay State contacted Gov. Patrick (D) to urge him to make the law, which makes all of the National Association of Insurance (NAIC) model regulations a reality.

Some good news from the State House: Governor Deval Patrick (D) recently signed Senate Bill No. 2359, An Act to Establish Standards for Long Term Care Insurance, into law – making Massachusetts the 42nd state in the nation to provide such consumer protections. More than 2,000 AARP members from the Bay State contacted Gov. Patrick (D) to urge him to make the law, which makes all of the National Association of Insurance (NAIC) model regulations a reality.

by: Louise C. Myers