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.

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

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!

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.

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.

From CNNMoney.com today, there is an article bringing a "little-noticed" proposal to light - one that would set aside $8 million for states to help protect seniors who are buying complex investment products. States would get money to investigate and prosecute fraud against seniors and would target annuities, which are "contracts in which customers pay a lump sum upfront in exchange for monthly income over time." Read the article on CNNMoney for all the lowdown.

Finally - one more story from the WSJ. This one focuses on the "Medicare maze" and directs you to tools that can help you figure out what coverage is best for you. Some of the tools cost money while others are free, and the article points you to AARP's Doughnut Hole Calculator to figure out if a drug plan will leave you in the "doughnut hole" gap in coverage.

The fact of the matter is that more than 65% of Americans aged 50-70 use the internet. (You can find hard proof at our robust online community) But at the same time, should we ignore the fact that there are still millions of older folks, particularly in their 60s and 70s, who don't know how to use the internet? Maybe the solution is to use this PC to target all people with a bit more of a focus on certain groups who may have a harder time understanding the world wide web - not just older folks. What do you think?

The survey conducted among AARP members showed that 34% of those 50 and up expect to spend less on the holidays than they did last year - and only 5% expect to spend more this year. Forty-nine of those respondents said that they would eliminate spending by "buying fewer gifts." What are you doing this holiday season to save money?

Another story worth checking out is this one from the Los Angeles Times today that discusses a topic we brought up yesterday - paid sick time. The article tells a familiar story about Americans who feel they are being forced to work sick - because if they didn't, they would lose pay and even face disciplinary action. The article says that because of the recession, a whopping 84% of workers felt pressured to come to work even if they were sick. Congress is planning to consider legislation next week that would guarantee workers paid sick days.

According to the Department of Labor's Web site, "Generally, federal labor laws do not require employers to provide sick leave or pay sick time off." Have you always had paid sick leave? After reading these statistics, I might have been taking my paid time off for granted. Where do you fall?

And of course, some health care news from AARP...
Today, the Washington Post's "Voices of Power" series features an interview with AARP's Director of Policy, John Rother on health care reform. Check out the story for a video of Rother's remarks. He says that one of the "main challenges" today is making sure people are aware of what is really in the House bill that AARP endorsed last week. He also addresses "scare tactics" that have been used against seniors regarding health care reform. View the video for all of what Rother has to say as a "Voice of Power."

Finally,
Just an interesting note on a USA Today blog today: It reports on a study that shows that by 2030, more than one in four Florida residents will be over the age of 65, up from 17% today. What will that mean for the state? Well, the study (commissioned by the state legislature) says it will lead to a worker shortage and a strain on public pensions and state services.

The House measure would cover 36 million uninsured Americans and bar insurance companies from denying people coverage because of their health or age. It would require all Americans to have health coverage, provide subsidies for those who can't afford it and create insurance exchanges--where people could shop for coverage among a number of plans, including a government-run option.

For older Americans, the legislation would begin to close the Medicare "doughnut hole" coverage gap, place strict limits on what insurance companies can charge for policies and put a cap on the out-of-pocket health expenses.

As efforts are being made to merge the the two health care bills produced by the Senate's Finance Committee and the Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, this piece gives us the lowdown on how each measure - the House bill, the Senate Finance bill, and the Senate HELP bill - will effect everyone, whether you're an individual, business, if you're not insured, if you're covered by Medicare or covered by Medicaid. Check out the nitty gritty.

From Nov. 10 - Dec 31, savings expert Jeff Yeager will not only be chiming in on the online conversation to give you financial advice, but will be posing a "Weekly Challenge" for folks to send in their comments, photos and videos so he can choose winners each week and give out some great prizes.

Check out more here and here for more articles and resources on how to save better.

Stetzfand discusses the fact that workers over age 55 spend more time looking for work, possibly because employers see older workers' skills are "out of date," forcing job seekers to "reinvent themselves," which can prove to be a daunting challenge. So - "Why not just retire?" the host asks. Stetzfand explains that many Americans just aren't financially prepared for retirement. Give the story a listen to see what she has to say about how retiring at different ages affects your income.

In other financial security news today, on the ABC News website, David McPherson writes a column about Roth IRAs - what he calls "one of the best defenses against potential future increases in federal and state income taxes." Are Roth IRAs right for you? Individuals can convert current retirement savings into Roth IRAs, or can start an account and make yearly contributions. See what McPherson has to say for the nitty gritty that might help you determine what's best for the future of your retirement savings.

Other studies are showing that younger generations are taking notice - and therefore taking steps to make sure they are doing a better job of saving in pre-retirement years. A report from AARP is mentioned - one that shows that 49 percent of 45-64-year-olds are not confident that they "will have enough money to take care of your medical and living expenses in retirement." Do you fall into that category? What steps are you taking to make sure you do have enough money throughout retirement?

AARP's David Certner is also quoted in the AdWeek article. He talks about how Americans are working past retirement age - but are facing obstacles along the way, like age discrimination. He also points out that this recession could change people's saving behavior for good, especially if the economy continues to be "muddled" for a number of years.

Pedestrian Safety
Another study making waves today is one from Transportation for America, a national transportation coalition, that lists the safest and most dangerous cities for pedestrians. AARP's Elinor Ginzler is mentioned in several articles - because pedestrians age 65 and older are particularly vulnerable to accidents. Check out a few of the stories about the study: Washington Post; AFP; Christian Science Monitor; and Miami Herald.