shAARP Talk: Observations from AARP

US News And World Report: "Bare Bones" Plans Contain Major Coverage Gaps

Michelle Andrews writes that the Florida bill signed by Governor Charlie Crist "is the latest example of a nationwide trend toward offering 'limited benefit' or 'bare bones' plans that often cover some everyday medical expenses like visits to the doctor and prescription medications but may come up seriously short if a policyholder gets seriously ill." Andrews continues, "It's easy to understand the appeal of these policies to politicians and business owners, who are scrambling to find ways to insure people amid escalating costs. But consumers need to ask hard questions about what they're really getting for their money and read the fine print of any policy they're considering," looking for important line such as the "total annual coverage" cap.

USA Today: USAT Today Offers Advice From Financial Mentors

"Mentors help us make sense of our choices. With their years of experience, they smooth over our naïveté. Just as we're about to veer down a black hole, they can shepherd us toward the correct path." This "surely holds true for money mentors. They can help you bolster your financial security. But why settle for just one? We've assembled a panel of Money Mentors who have volunteered to answer your questions with straight-ahead candor. In preparing for retirement, these folks have logged their share of both successes and blunders. And now that they've retired, they're eager to share what they've learned."

CBS News: Health Experts Prepare For Rise In Fall Injuries As Boomers Age

"The potential for this particular problem in our community is huge," said Sharyn Heuer, of Scottsdale Healthcare in Arizona. "I just think that we don't put it in the same category as things like cancer and heart disease and stroke because so many times, it's so often viewed as a normal progression of aging." One possible solution is the use of space-age technology - literally. Schraeder visits the Balance and Mobility Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, where technology originally developed to test the balance of astronauts back from space is now used to pinpoint problems that can lead to falls. Falls can be deadly, reports Gupta, as 30 percent of seniors who break their hip die within a year.