AARP Kansas

WASHINGTON, D.C. – AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond today released the following statement highlighting the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act at the three year anniversary of passage: “AARP is pleased by the many successes of the Affordable Care Act in the first three years since its passage and the many benefits yet to come. Americans young and old are already experiencing valuable savings and benefits that were previously unavailable or unaffordable. “Since enactment of the Affordable Care Act, more than 6.1 million people with Medicare have saved $5.7 billion on prescription drugs. By closing the drug coverage gap or ‘doughnut hole’ over time seniors are already seeing money back in their pockets – Part D enrollees who reached the gap saved an average of $706 in 2012. Further, in 2012 an estimated 34.1 million Medicare beneficiaries took advantage of newly covered preventive services and screenings at no cost to them. “For parents, extending health coverage to their children up to age 26 gives further peace of mind while allowing older children to address other expenses and worries besides healthcare costs. To date an estimated 3.1 million more young adults are covered. “And for those with private insurance, nearly 71 million Americans have received a free preventive health care service. If you’ve visited the doctor and noticed there was no co-pay for your flu shot or women’s wellness visit, you’re experiencing a benefit of the Affordable Care Act. “AARP continues to educate our members and all Americans about the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act. We are preparing for the opening of health insurance marketplaces and the end of discriminatory insurance practices such as exclusions based on pre-existing conditions and new limits on the use of age rating to charge exorbitant premiums to older Americans. As affordable care is made available to millions more Americans, AARP will continue to be a resource for information on accessing new benefits while offering tools to help consumers make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families.” To learn more about how the Affordable Care Act impacts you, visit the AARP Health Law Guide at www.aarp.org/healthlawguide.

Thanks to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services for this warning:

Announcement of Newly Formed Kansas Medicaid Access Coalition—March 12, 2013

Recently, my spouse d eveloped physical challenges that made him unable to perform some of his own personal care. We were quite concerned, for a time, that the incapacitation was caused by a systemic and degenerative condition and were very relieved to realize that the cause of his disability is localized and, hopefully, can be repaired with surgery.

Wichita has become the first city in Kansas to join an elite worldwide network of age-friendly communities. In presenting Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer with its membership certificate in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities today, AARP Kansas Director Maren Turner acknowledged the City of Wichita’s commitment to become more accessible, convenient and, ultimately, more user-friendly for older Americans.

As part of my Environments and Aging class, I was asked to evaluate my current home using universal design checklists for each of several areas – kitchen, bathroom, living room, exterior, lighting and sound, etc. The lists we used as a class were compiled by Rosemary Bakker, an interior designer and gerontologist, in her book AARP Guide to Revitalizing Your Home: Beautiful Living in the Second Half of Life. Ms. Bakker has written several other books on building or retrofitting homes for lifelong use.

The workshop, “Protecting Yourself from Home Repair Contractor Fraud and Scams” scheduled for tonight at 6:30pm at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library has been because of the severe weather expected on Monday evening. The workshop will be rescheduled. Be sure to check back here or on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aarpks for more information.

Ever been a victim of a home improvement scam? Find out how you can prevent this from happening at a workshop in Topeka on Monday, February 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. The National Center for the Prevention of Home Improvement Fraud has gathered experts to help you learn how to deal with home repair contractors and learn what the typical scams are. Also, learn how to hire contractors, how to check them out, what should actually be in your contract, the building permit process, how to set up payment schedules, insurance issues you may not know about, how to deal with problems that may arise, change order, lien releases and a whole lot more. Learn how to protect yourself now and in the future. Speakers scheduled to provide information include:

I have always enjoyed learning, whether it is traditional “book-learning” or the more spontaneous kind. Since receiving my Bachelor’s degree in 1980 from Emporia State University, I’ve returned to school many times for a class or two – I even completed 20 hours toward a Master’s degree before I met my husband. I stopped taking classes toward that degree to help him finish a very important job – raising three teenaged girls. Now, I’m a grandmother, with six beautiful grandchildren.

Black History Month is about American History with a focus on the contributions African American/Blacks made to build our country. Here in Kansas, we can trace the outstanding contributions of Gordon Parks, George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes, and others. We can be proud that African Americans/Blacks fought for Kansas in the Civil War and helped to settle towns in Kansas, including Nicodemus, which stands today as a national historic site.