In 2001, a debt collector began calling me daily. The debt they were attempting to collect on was from someone with a completely different name than mine. It didn’t seem to matter. It took me three years of arguing to finally get enough information from them to be able to do something about it. It…
Don’t do what I did. I Googled Open Enrollment and found that I had until February before it closed. Luckily I knew that was wrong and Googled Medicare Open Enrollment and found that just like Christmas it’s coming much faster than I thought. You have until Pearl Harbor Day, which for those that don’t know…
The United States has one of the highest divorce rates in the world but it’s been going through a change in the past three decades. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the rate of divorce for most Americans is falling since its all-time high in the 1980s, except when you look at Baby Boomers. The…
Most of us have a limited understanding of the actual costs of our health procedures because the only costs we see are our deductibles and co-pay. One local clinic is betting that patients will make better choices if there is transparency in cost. The Everett Clinic became the first large health care system in the…
A Washington Post investigative report on hospice care in America found huge disparities in care levels amongst facilities offering hospice care, perhaps because of the lack of regular inspections to ensure a baseline of care. For instance, some hospices are not providing any continuous nursing care or inpatient care, usually considered a given by patients…
People fall all the time. According to the CDC, one out of three older adults (those aged 65 or older) falls each year. I remember one memorable fall while riding in the woods in my thirties that I swear shook the trees around me. The difference between that fall and a fall decades later is…
Dear Rajiv, I currently have a Regence MedAdvantage policy that I began when I turned 65. My Medicare card shows a start date of 1-1-2013; thus I am outside of the one year period for new enrollees that would allow me to just switch to any plan I chose. I am currently considering changing my…
Few Americans are financially prepared to retire but if you are one of the lucky ones don’t pat yourself on the back yet. That’s because you still have one more step. An article in USA Today says that retirement isn’t just about the money, it’s also about your social activities. I’ve written before about how…
If the name Glenda Jimmo rings a bell for you, give yourself a pat on the back. In 2011, Jimmo went to court seeking help from the government in paying for her care. At issue was the need for Jimmo to receive physical therapy and other care. Jimmo, who is legally blind needed a partial…
Do you ever wonder how a conversation might look if you were to talk to your parents (or your children) about a living will or advanced directive. Here’s a TED Talk about one way that conversation could go. The TED Talk references this video.
We send out email newsletters and announcements monthly about planning for Health, Housing, Finance, and Legal needs for retirement. Would you like to sign up?