Are you having FUN?

Since I'd last written in February about losing a friend, I have suffered the loss of 3 more friends and 1 cousin in just 4 months!    It's definitely had an impact on me as one of the hardest things I'm dealing with as I get older is "acceptance". 

I just don't want to accept the fact that as I age:

•  time really does seem to move faster (it's already JUNE).
•  I have to deal with even more unexpected medical issues.
•  I can't do things as fast as I did before.
•  I have to deal more frequently with the death of family and friends.

Every time I hear of another death, it's like a cold, hard slap of reality hitting me across the face, reminding me that life really is so short that all I want to do is have more fun before I'm too tired or it's too late.

Only you can define "what's fun" or what activities put a smile on your face -- but I sincerely encourage you to follow Nike's famous slogan and "JUST DO IT".     Don't be sitting in your rocking chair at 80, saying "I wish I had" when you still have the time to build new, exciting memories.

So, STOP right now and plan a fun activity - be it a hike, movie or concert - something you can look forward to!

Single? Retired? Need Money?

WHO DOESN'T?
You've all seen those ads offering you ways to make more money in retirement doing everything from addressing envelopes to phone soliciting.  99% of them are schemes and you actually spend more money than you'll make.

But you might be able to increase your monthly retirement income just by reviewing your Social Security (SS) Benefits!   That simple -- YES!!

As I talk with divorced and widowed retirees (especially single women), I'm finding out that many of them are not getting the maximum SS benefit that they could receive in retirement because they have had to take their SS payment at the earliest eligibility date rather than wait until age 70.

What they are unaware of is that they "might" be eligible to claim benefits from their former or deceased spouse instead when they reach the minimum eligibility age, and hold off collecting under their own work record.   I stress "might" because each case is different and there are certain criteria that have to be met.   The exact wording from the SSA website:

"If you qualify for benefits as a widow, widower or surviving divorced spouse on another record, you may choose to apply for survivors benefits now and delay your retirement benefit until later."
http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/otherthings.htm

In cases of divorce, your EX must be retirement age eligible, BUT the EX does not have to be retired.

To apply you must have a copy of your marriage certificate, divorce papers or proof of death and that other person's SS number.  You can easily start your research online, but I highly recommend you go in person to a SS office for a final determination of your benefits.

Why not take a few minutes and explore the SS website?  Who knows, you just might be one of the lucky ones and find hundreds of dollars in unclaimed benefits waiting for you!

Is a Reverse Mortgage for you?

The FONZ -- we all know and love him from Happy Days fame and now he's back on the small screen trying to sell us on Reverse Mortgages.  

But before you jump out there and use your home as a "piggy bank", do you really know what you're getting into?

A reverse mortgage is a loan for senior homeowners that uses a portion of the home’s equity as collateral. The loan does not have to be repaid until the last surviving homeowner permanently moves out of the property or passes away.

At that time, the estate has approximately 6 months to repay the balance of the reverse mortgage or sell the home to pay off the balance.  All remaining equity is inherited by the estate. The estate is not personally liable if the home sells for less than the balance of the reverse mortgage.

However, an extremely critical factor for married couples is to ensure that BOTH spouses are listed on the reverse mortgage -- otherwise, the surviving spouse can be kicked out of their own home.

Image the trauma of losing your spouse, only to find out that now, in your golden retirement years, you don't even have a place to live?

There's an excellent article in the May 2013 issue of the AARP Bulletin on Mr. Robert Bennett who's in danger of losing his home because when his wife applied for the Reverse Mortgage no one informed her that her husband's name had to be on the loan. 

 Another good article is at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505146_162-57423099/reverse-mortgages-dont-let-the-fonz-sell-you/

OMG!! I'm on Medicare

As Boomers, we've all experienced catalyst numbers that we just couldn't wait for like sweet 16 when our parents finally let us date and 21 when we could legally drink. We didn't like 30 because then we became part of the establishment.

But 65! Well, that's the magic number for Medicare and whether you want to or not you have to sign up for it. You can enroll 90 days prior to your birthday and become eligible on the 1st day of your birthday month. For me, that was February 1st as I soon turn 65.

You know, there's just some things that make me feel old and using my Medicare card for the first time last Friday sure did. I kept my health insurance, but I still had to name Medicare as the primary.

Parts A, B, C, D............it's like alphabet soup and hard to understand so you need to do a lot of research to determine which parts to enroll in as that will determine your monthly payment.
For additional info on the enrollment process and Medicare, go to http://www.medicare.gov/

Also, AARP has some excellent options for additional health insurance coverage so check them out at www.aarp.org/health/medicare-insurance/

At this stage in our lives, we definitely don't want to be underinsured!

An Invitation

Don't you just love getting invited to a party or being asked to join a group of like-minded friends in a new adventure?  

     Normally, I do but this is one invitation I wasn't quite ready to get......one dictated solely by my age.   And it made me feel so old, because since I've hit that magic number -- 64.5 years of age --
I've been invited by the Federal Government to begin the MEDICARE application process.  

And what a process!!    Let's face it -- the Government sends out your notice 6 months in advance, because it takes that long just to review the complicated maze of paperwork. 

Parts A, B, C or D --- what do I really need? 
It's like trying to figure out a jigsaw puzzle with my eyes closed!   And I even have an advantage over other Boomers because as a retired Federal employee, I'm used to the terminology and their long-winded way of explaining a simple procedure.  Still I get a headache just reading through the Government brochures and the numerous private supplemental policy offerings I've been receiving daily in the mail.
One thing I know for sure - though it's expensive, I'm keeping my Anthem-Blue Cross Federal Plan as my supplemental coverage as many of the nationally offerred plans just don't cover enough.

And please be wary of those "FREE" supplemental plans.   That's right - FREE -  no monthly charge, but just how good could that be?     NOT MUCH!!
        I found this out the hard way recently when my 87-year old mother was hospitalized.   She'd been bragging for years about the free supplemental plan she had.   Well, I never could get her to change plans and her recent hospital stay cost her over $2,000 when it probably would have cost her ZERO had she been paying for a better supplemental plan.

If you're on MEDICARE and have any tips to effortlessly get through the process, please share them.

Some helpful websites: 
Medicare:   http://www.medicare.gov/
AARP:  http://www.aarphealthcare.com/understanding-health-products/medicare-supplement.html

Who's your support team?

I recently had knee surgery for a torn meniscus in my left kneecap.  It wasn't due to a sudden injury, but just wear and tear from many years of high-impact aerobics and of skiing.   I hate to be admitted to a hospital because once that nurse puts on the hospital bracelet, I feel like I've lost all control.     And, I really hate that helpless feeling during recovery, so what I've found works for me is to have my support team in place prior to "surgery day".   

As a single Boomer Babe, it's really critical that I know who I can count on for the big day.   So, have you thought about it -----  who's the first person you'd call in a medical emergency.  Who can you count on to be with you at the hospital, whose judgement do you trust enough to give a medical power of attorney to and who has the time that they can stay with you for 2 or 3 days during recovery?   

Give yourself some peace of mind by creating a list of at least 3 to 4 people who can help out in case your primary caregiver should have to cancel out at the last minute.  Also, if given the choice of being operated on in the hospital or at a privately owned medical operating center, usually the center is the better choice since there's less chance of getting an infection.

.....and let's face it, sometimes there can be a problem with your hospital stay, so prior to being admitted, review the excellent article in the AARP bulletin on protecting yourself from hospital errors.   Check out their tips list on page 14:

http://www.aarp.org/health/doctors-hospitals/info-03-2012/protect-yourself-from-hospital-errors.html

Are you a Senior Citizen?

Depends on where you are and what you're doing!

AARP will let you join when you turn 50 which you think would give you senior citizen status for all activities and organizations.

But it doesn't work that way!

I hate it.....because some theaters call you a senior citizen at 55, some 60 and others make you wait until you're 62. Retired or not we all like to save money and with ticket prices at an all time high of 10 bucks and seniors a mere $6, I want all the theaters to call me a senior citizen at 55.

And it's even more costly when you think about the car insurance industry -- some use 60 while most say you must be 62.

So, what I'd love to see is for AARP or some other Boomer watch-dog organization to lobby for us and estalish an official nationwide policy that you become a senior citizen at 55.

If it saves me money, then I'm definitely willing to be called older at a younger age!

What do you think?