ShAARP Session: Observations from AARP

If you need more info about the Senate's health care proposal, check out our update on AARP Bulletin. Here's a snippet of what happened yesterday:

Congressional efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system took a major step forward Wednesday with the introduction of a 2,074-page proposal by Senate Democrats, which will be the basis for the Senate debate now. Passage of the bill, however, is far from certain and weeks away.

The bill, developed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., extends health care coverage to an estimated 31 million Americans who currently lack health insurance. Like the bill passed by the House Nov. 7, the Senate bill has a combination of requirements for both individuals and employers. It also provides subsidies for the poor and authorizes a public option--a government-run insurance plan--for uninsured or underinsured individuals. The Senate bill is largely financed by savings in future Medicare, Medicare Advantage plan and Medicaid spending. Those savings reduce spending by about 3 percent over 10 years, and lawmakers say they would not affect guaranteed Medicare benefits.

Read more here about how both House and Senate bills will affect you and yours.

We couldn't NOT give you guys a turkey recipe right before Thanksgiving!

For you vegetarians out there, here's a great tofurkey recipe.

Are you getting all the medical screenings that are recommended for you? An article from U.S. News and World Report posted yesterday discusses a report (prepared by the CDC, AARP and AMA) that says only 25 percent of adults age 50-64 are getting recommended preventative health screenings - such as those for cancer and cholesterol levels. Since middle aged adults are the most likely to develop chronic diseases, these preventative measures are all the more important. Check out the article - it also talks about model programs and strategies that can help to ensure adults are getting the right screenings at the right time.

Here is a story from the New York Times "Generation B" feature - it says that a recent study shows that when it comes to job searching in this tough economy, "baby boomers have persevered in these hard times, and are less likely to grow discouraged and quit the job hunt than younger workers are." And they say the young kids have all the energy...

One final story to leave you with before the weekend is a bit of good news. The AP reports that if you've left your retirement account alone for the past year and have a good mix of stocks and bonds...you're in pretty good shape! Fidelity Investments reported yesterday that the average account balance is up 13% by the end of the third quarter from the end of the prior quarter. It's just like they say...investing is a long term venture, so "tinkering" because of short-term fluctuations in the market is not wise.

Have a good weekend!

Have you heard of the "doc fix bill" to be considered by the House this week? If not, here's the lowdown: this proposed legislation would stop planned cuts to physician reimbursements under Medicare. If the bill isn't passed and these cuts are made, payments to doctors will be cut by 21% starting in January (and more reductions to follow), making providers less likely to accept Medicare patients. In result, many older Americans could lose their physicians.

Check out the American Medical Association's President Dr. J. James Rohack talking to Inside E Street at AARP about how the "Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act" would help older folks get better care.

There is an interesting posting on the Los Angeles Times' "Booster Shots" blog that talks about older patients and sleep problems - and how those sleep problems aren't just something people have to deal with as they age. The article does say that aging does bring about changes in sleep patterns, but those changes often are related to chronic diseases - like diabetes and high blood pressure - that also happen to be more common as we age. Once those ailments are treated, so too are the sleep issues.

However, the plot thickens - some medications used to treat those same conditions can also interrupt sleep patterns. Doctors sometimes don't mention those possible side effects, leading patients to not mention their sleep troubles. So, don't think your trouble sleeping isn't worth mentioning to the doc. They might be able to help you out!

One more article to check out: this one from BusinessWeek. Remember how companies were preparing for the wave of baby boomers who were entering retirement? Now, companies are looking for ways to handle the "unretirement" of those baby boomers. Check out the article to see what businesses are saying are the challenges and advantages of this aging American workforce.

I found this article from the New York Times today particularly interesting. It's about doctors asking the right questions of their patients, and taking the time to understand a patient's history - rather than just "checking the right boxes." The author tells a seemingly negligible story of a patient calling about a headache - but by asking the right questions, the doctor on the line saved the life of that patient, who was suffering from a rare postpartum condition.

The article discusses how doctors these days pay more attention to their charts than to their actual patients. What do you think? Have you had any experiences with hospitals or doctors like the ones in the article?

AARP made blog news on ConsumerReports.org - check out the posting to see how you can volunteer for AARP's Tax-Aide program. By doing so, you can learn a lot about preparing your own taxes and help out your fellow citizens! Application deadline is December 11th.