Download click here to view - Marilyn Bruno, Ph.D., JD

BOOMER'S GUIDE
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 7
JULY 2012
THE BOOMER'S GUIDE TO PLANET
RETIREMENT
DR. MARILYN BRUNO
WWW.GYNOSAPIENS.COM
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 7
JULY 2012
IN THIS ISSUE: Page 1: State of the Science: Cancer
Page 3: Breakthroughs for Diagnosing Cancer, Diseases
Page 6: Cancer Avoidance
Page 7: Smart Phones Getting Smarter
Page 8: Chronic Pain Remedies: Good Lovin' is All We Need
Page 9: Medicare Update – Programs to Save Money and News Flashes
Page 12: Pandemic Defense
Page 13: Please Change Your LinkedIn Password Today!
Page 14: Please Avoid Eating Tuna
Page 14: Avatar Customer Service at NYC Airports
Page 15: What a Wonderful World
QUOTE OF THE MONTH:
A Patriotic thought:
"May the Fourth be with you." - Denise Agudelo
This month's Newsletter is mostly about health. We can take advantage of the summer lull to
get healthy, stay healthy, and be on top of the latest in diagnostics and treatments that can
keep us vibrant past 100!
STATE OF THE SCIENCE: CANCER
Pancreatic cancer was recently thrust into the spotlight with the passing of Steve Jobs,
Nobel Prize winning research scientist Ralph Steinman, MD, and "pianist to the
presidents" Roger Williams – all within days of each other. Through the years, this
deadly disease has claimed the lives of other luminaries including actors Patrick Swayze,
Michael Landon, Carnegie Mellon University Professor and The Last Lecture author Randy
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Pausch, and opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Pancreatic cancer is the only cancer tracked
by the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute with a survival rate still in
the single digits. At 6 percent, the survival rate for pancreatic cancer has not improved
substantially in 40 years. Worse, the incidence of pancreatic cancer has been on the
rise since 1998 and experts predict the upward trend to continue, with a 55 percent
increase in pancreatic cancer cases by 2030. Tragically, there are no early detection
tools and few effective treatment options.
I was also very sad to hear of the passing of Richard Dawson on June 3rd of esophageal
cancer. He was best known as an actor playing the British POW in Hogan's Heroes,
panelist on The Match Game, and creator and host of the Family Feud game show. I still
always laugh when Game Show Network announces "Pucker up! The Feud is on next
with host Richard Dawson." He was rather the smoocher.
The point of this digression is that Richard's cancer was also diagnosed only three weeks before
he died. Apparently, he thought he just had heartburn. His obit says that he passed away from
a heart attack when he was going to start his first round of radiation on the stage-four tumor in
his esophagus. My first thought was that this was a blessing, since this cancer is incurable,
that Richard and his loved ones were spared the anguish of treatments that don't work.
As many of my readers know, my brother John was 51 years old in November 1997 when he
went to the doctor because Pepcid was not longer helping him from what he thought was
heartburn. An endoscopy revealed that he had a tumor in his esophagus that needed to be
shrunk before surgeons could attempt to remove it. Radiation and chemo from December to the
following April shrank the tumor, but when the surgeons opened him up, they closed him up
again. The cancer, typically, had already spread quickly along the thin layer of his entire
digestive tract. Johnny basically starved to death by July 1998.
Johnny was angry, and I don't blame him. Esophageal cancer is also considered one of the
hardest to catch early because people who suffer from heartburn and acid reflux do not
ordinarily undergo an endoscopy (where you are sedated and a gastroenterologist passes a tube
with a camera down your gullet to look for irritations and tumors in the lining of the esophagus).
One of Johnny's parting words urged me to get an endoscopy, which I did. Although I never had
acid reflux, the gastro doctor did find a minor problem, which taking an acid pump inhibitor (like
Nexium) has cured.
EARLY DIAGNOSIS: The American Cancer Society projects that 1.6 million new cancer cases
will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, with outcomes varying widely across the country. Early
diagnosis can prevent many cancers, which are the second most common cause of death in the
U.S., second only to heart disease. Take heed:
--Colon cancer: The Center for Disease Control recommends that everyone between the ages of
50 and 75 be screened for colon cancer using one of the following techniques: 1) annual highsensitivity fecal occult blood testing, 2) sigmoidoscopy every 5 years combined with highsensitivity fecal occult blood testing every 3 years, or 3) screening colonoscopy at intervals of 10
years. Unpleasant? Yes! but necessary.
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-- Breast cancer: Women aged 50 to 74 years should be screened for breast cancer with a
mammogram every two years.
-- Cervical cancer: Women aged 21 to 65 years should be screened for cervical cancer with a
Pap test at least every three years.
Let's try to keep track of this! The National Institutes for Health published new data showing
that the majority of us (and especially Asians, and Hispanics) don't get regular screening for
breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer -- even we Boomers, who have the cost of these diagnostic
tests covered under Medicare!
BREAKTHROUGHS FOR DIAGNOSING CANCER, DISEASES
Cancer is not one disease but some hundreds of sub-types, each with a different genetic
fingerprint, so early diagnosis is a must. Fortunately, significant discoveries in molecular biology
and genetics in the past two decades have delivered new insights into cancer biology and
strategies for early diagnosis and ways to target specific molecular alterations in tumors.
Ray Bradbury, sci-fi author of Fahrenheit 451, etc. who passed away last month at age 91,
would love this futuristic mix of science and fact! Even though it could take 10 years for these
breakthroughs to become routine practice, here are some of the latest that we can ask our
doctors about:
COMPUTER DIAGNOSES:
-- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and IBM's super-Watson computer team
are collaborating on a comprehensive decision support tool. Doctors everywhere can enter
patient data and the computer scans hundreds of thousands of similar case histories and latest
treatment options to come up with individualized cancer diagnostic and follow-on
recommendations. Development work is already underway for the first applications, which
include lung, breast, and prostate cancers. The objective is to begin piloting the solutions to a
select group of oncologists in late 2012, with wider distribution planned for late 2013. For more
on this: http://www.kurzweilai.net/applying-watson-technology-for-personalized-cancercare?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=dc394c6cf5-UA-9467421&utm_medium=email
-- Stanford University's Computational Pathologist (C-Path) automatically analyzes images of
cancerous tissues and cross-checks against almost 7,000 cellular factors in breast tumor cells
(e.g., percentage of tube-like cells, diversity of the nuclei in the outermost tumor cells,
frequency with which those cells divide, etc.). As a result, C-Path yields results that are a
statistically significant improvement over human-based evaluation, which should lead to better
treatments and “personalized medicine." For more info: Ref.: Andrew H. Beck, et al.,
Systematic Analysis of Breast Cancer Morphology Uncovers Stromal Features Associated with
Survival, Science Translational Medicine, 2011; [DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3002564
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-- Researchers at the University of Washington, MIT and Columbia U. have compiled a
statistical model for predicting the probability of future ailments for patients with sparse
past medical records. The "hierarchical association rule" model fills in the past blanks
with stats from other patients showing a similar medical history and more extensive
medical records of symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments, and accommodates situations
where it’s statistically difficult to predict a less common condition, such as a stroke.
Most stroke patients have not experienced prior strokes. Accordingly most models
cannot predict a future stroke because they only factor in an individual patient’s past
medical history. But the new model uses statistical algorithms to mine medical histories
of patients who had a stroke and uses that analysis to make a stroke prediction. For
more: Tyler H. McCormick, Cynthia Rudin and David Madigan, Bayesian Hierarchical
Rule Modeling for Predicting Medical Conditions, to be published in Annals of Applied
Statistics, 2012.
-- SALIVA TEST FOR CANCER
A new saliva test developed by researchers at Taiwan's National Chung Cheng University (NCCU)
can measure the amount of potential carcinogens stuck to a person’s DNA. When a person is
exposed to or ingests a potentially cancer-causing substance in the environment or workplace,
the carcinogen becomes chemically attached to a strand of DNA, and impedes the genes from
working normally. Our body has a built-in repair system that can naturally clear up such
damage, but if that system fails, the attachment can lead to mutations or genetic changes that,
in turn, could lead to cancer. DNA "adducts" (attachments) also accumulate with aging. For
more on the saliva test: http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-step-toward-a-saliva-test-forcancer?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=b5dbae453b-UA-9467421&utm_medium=email
-- ARTIFICIAL NOSES FOR SNIFFING CANCER
Eight European partners are collaborating under an EU-funded project called Bioelectronic
Olfactory Neuron Device, dubbed BOND. They have combined artificial intelligence with sensing
technologies to design "noses" that can detect, select, amplify, and distinguish different types of
smells, including those associated with different diseases. For example, urine samples are being
sniffed to accurately detect prostate cancer, urinary tract infection, Helicobacter pylori,
tuberculosis, ear, nose and throat conditions and even lung cancer, diabetes, and inflammatory
bowel disease. For more info: http://www.kurzweilai.net/researchers-developing-artificialnoses-for-detectingdiseases?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e305a46031-UA946742-1&utm_medium=email.
-- SCREENING FOR TELOMERES (PROTEINS FOUND AT THE END OF CHROMOSOMES)
Researchers at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found “alternative lengthening of
telomeres” (ALT) in cancers arising from the bladder, cervix, endometrium, esophagus,
gallbladder, liver, and lung. During normal cell division, telomeres become shorter with each
division, potentially resulting in cell death. In some cancers, however, this shortening is
counteracted by the ALT mechanism, allowing for unlimited growth of the cancer cells. The
presence of ALT in carcinomas can be used as a diagnostic marker and has implications for the
development of anti-cancer drug therapies. For more: Prevalence of the Alternative
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Lengthening of Telomeres Telomere Maintenance Mechanism in Human Cancer Subtypes” by
Christopher M. Heaphy et al., The American Journal of Pathology, Volume 179, Issue 4 (October
2011).
DIAGNOSTIC GADGETS: New medical gadgets and other healthcare hardware were shown at the
TEDMED conference on medical R&D last November. According to a Wired Gadget Lab reports,
here are some of the newest breakthroughs:
-- FLOURESCENT SPRAY TAGS CANCER CELLS
Ovarian cancer has a tendency to spread, leaving small tumors of less than a millimeter in
diameter throughout the abdominal cavity. Japanese researchers have developed a probe for
ovarian cancer that can be sprayed onto tissue during surgery, fluorescing where malignant cells
are present — allowing surgeons to identify and remove scattered bits of tumor within seconds
or minutes. Researchers are developing similar sprays for other cancers: gastric, colon, liver
and uterine cancers. For more info: Yasuteru Urano et al., Rapid Cancer Detection by Topically
Spraying a γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase–Activated Fluorescent Probe, Sci Transl Med, 2011 [DOI:
10.1126/scitranslmed.3002823]
-- LASER TESTS FOR SKIN CANCERS:
Physicists from Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) in Rome have developed a new type of
laser-scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) that gathers spectrographic information at a wide
range of wavelengths of reflected light [(500nm (blue) to 2.4um (infrared)] across the sample
and below the skin to a depth of 0.5 mm. This spectroscopic “fingerprint” allows for identification
of possible disease conditions, including melanomas. For more info: Stefano Selci, Francesca
R. Bertani, and Luisa Ferrari, Supercontinuum ultra wide range confocal microscope for
reflectance spectroscopy of living matter and material science surfaces, AIP Advances, 2011;
[DOI:10.1063/1.3631661].
-- LASER AND PHOTOACOUSTICS TESTS:
University of Missouri researchers developed a device to detect rapidly-spreading melanomas
using "photoacoustics," or laser-induced ultrasound, in a small blood sample. The cost for the
test should be a few hundred dollars, as opposed to the CT or MRI scans for melanoma cancer
detection that cost thousands of dollars. The photoacoustic device emits laser light into a blood
sample, and melanin within the cancer cells absorbs the light. Those cancer cells then expand
as the lasers rapidly heat and then cool the cancer cells, making them prominent to researchers.
The device also would capture the expanded cells, identifying the form of cancer the physicians
are fighting and the best treatment method. The device also will be tested in clinical trials to
provide the data required to obtain FDA approval (2-3 years) for early diagnosis of other
cancers. For more on this: http://www.kurzweilai.net/photoacoustic-device-finds-cancer-cellsbefore-they-becometumors?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=74647c9801-UA-9467421&utm_medium=email
Researchers from Netherlands’ University of Twente and Medisch Spectrum Twente Hospital in
Oldenzaal are also using photoacoustics to detect and visualize breast tumors at higher contrast
than X-rays and MRI, while avoiding ionizing radiation and toxic contrast agents. This
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technology reveals malignancies because blood hemoglobin readily absorbs the longer, redder
wavelengths of light, which reveals a clear contrast between blood-vessel dense tumor areas
and normal vessel environments. Some researchers added ultrasound, achieving superior
targeting ability. For more on this: M. Heijblom et al., Visualizing breast cancer using the
Twente photoacoustic mammoscope: What do we learn from twelve new patient
measurements?, Optics Express, 2012, DOI: 10.1364/OE.20.011582 (open access).
Bioengineers at the European Space Agency (ESA) demonstrated a prototype of a head-mounted
Computer Assisted Medical Diagnosis and Surgery System (CAMDASS), so that astronauts can
get real-time, 3D imaging to help diagnose and treat medical problems, even on themselves.
CAMDASS's ultrasound examinations don't interfere with the electronics on the International
Space Station.
Augmented reality merges actual and virtual reality by precisely combining
computer-generated graphics with the wearer’s view and can guide the wearer to position and
move the ultrasound probe. Speech recognition allows hands-free control. This could lead to
remote medical assistance via satellite, and deployed as a self-sufficient tool for emergency
responders, and for use in other remote locations, such as in the Concordia Antarctic base.
-- BIOCHIPS FOR CELL ANALYSIS
Penn State has developed an inexpensive, portable device under a quarter in size that can
rapidly align cells in a single stream ("flow cytometry") and screen cells for leukemia or HIV.
The screening reveals three optical signals: fluorescence from antibodies bound to cells, which
reveals the biochemical characteristics of cells; forward scattering, which provides the cell size
and its refractive index; and side scattering, which provides cellular granularity. For more info:
Huang et al., An integrated, multiparametric flow cytometry chip using “microfluidic drifting”
based three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing, Biomicrofluidics, 2012, DOI:
10.1063/1.3701566
CANCER AVOIDANCE
The best treatment is avoidance! Here are some scientific advances that confirm that our diet is
the best defense to cancer!
-- EATING MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES EVERY DAY: Luteolin, a flavonoid found in fruits and
vegetables, had potential anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties. Korean
researchers found that luteolin also blocks cell signaling pathways in colon cancer cells. For
more on this: http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/plant-flavonoid-luteolin-blocks-cellsignaling-pathways-colon-cancer-cells.
-- EATING WALNUTS: Researchers at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of
Medicine found that the risk of breast cancer dropped by more than half in mice when their
regular diet included a modest amount of walnuts -- from conception through weaning, and
subsequently by eating the food directly throughout their life. Human Moms-to-be should start
eating about 2 ounces of walnuts daily throughout pregnancy, a time of rapid mammary gland
development, and make sure that walnuts are part of their own and their children's lifelong diet,
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particularly during puberty, along with other unprocessed fiber-filled foods like vegetables, fruit,
whole grains and beans. Walnuts contain components that may slow cancer growth, such as
omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, polyphenols, carotenoids, and vitamin E. For more on this
study, which was funded by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), see:
http://www.kurzweilai.net/protein-switches-could-turn-cancer-cells-into-tiny-chemotherapyfactories?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=e8b19cc212-UA-9467421&utm_medium=email.
SMART PHONES GETTING SMARTER -- IN THE NAME OF
SCIENCE
Can't keep track of all this? How about the latest in health care technology that may be
perfected by the time we have all lost some of our marbles and want to continue living
independently:
-- A company called Jawbone has launched "Up," a wristband with an iPhone app to track
health, fight obesity, etc. You pre-program the wristband to give you "nudges" to wake
up, move/exercise more, drink an extra glass of water, and even remind you want food
to eat. The wristband’s sensors collect data about how much you’ve been sleeping and
moving and send it to an app. You enter meal data manually, in part by taking pictures
of what you’ve eaten. Based on that information, the app's nudges help you live
healthier, day by day. For more on this: http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-wristband-totrack-health-fightobesity?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=bd5d49951e-UA946742-1&utm_medium=email
-- FitBit has a smart phone application that tracks your caloric intake, steps taken, distance
covered, calories burned, sleep cycle, etc. http://www.fitbit.com/product/features#mobile.
FitBit also sells non-phone devices.
-- On June 5, 2012, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission approved spectrum for
medical body area networks (MBANs), a network of inexpensive disposable sensors worn on, or
even implanted in, the body to monitor such things as temperature, blood pressure or glucose
levels, and transmit the information to a control device. The technology can replace wires today
that complicate patient care and pose infection risks. The first use of MBANs will likely be in
hospitals, but a longer term application could be remote monitoring devices that allow doctors to
check on patients at home. Expect to see MBANs next year, pending FCC and FDA actions. For
more on this: IEEE Spectrum Tech Talk reports.
-- A new cap is also available for prescription drug bottles that sends a message to your
cell phone reminding you to take your next pill!
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-- New cell phones can also have X-ray vision! Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas
designed an imager chip that can turn mobile phones into devices that can see through walls,
wood, plastics, paper, clothing, and other objects! The UT Dallas imager chip technology is
designed for imaging frequencies in the .28 to 1 terahertz range, which is 1,000 times higher
than microwaves and lower than near-infrared (which is just below visible light). This eliminates
the need for a bulky, expensive lens system, costly MRIs, and potentially harmful X-rays.
Disease can even be diagnosed through breath analysis. For more on this:
http://www.kurzweilai.net/cellphones-that-can-see-through-walls-and-detectcancer?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=54fb9354fe-UA-9467421&utm_medium=email
Squeamish about the total and absolute loss of privacy we may be subjected to? Absent
Kryptonite to deter peeping Toms with cell phones, we could consider defending ourselves by
using jamming devices, wearing chain mail, or applying metallic paint on our houses and cellphone chips if you think someone other than a doctor is “painting” you (in the language of
military radar).
CHRONIC PAIN REMEDY: GOOD LOVIN'!
The NIH is funding studies on managing chronic pain, which affects over 15 million people
nationwide -- about 1 in 3 Americans. Unlike acute pain, the body's response to injury or
short-term illness, the casues of chronic pain are not always clear, and can accompany
several conditions that liimit your mobility and ability to perform daily tasks. Lower back
pain, arthritis, cancer, migraine, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, inflammatory bowel disease,
may lead to depression and anxiety. Some experts say that chronic pain is a disease in
itself.
A friend of mine who lives in Europe gave me some capsules containing "Green-Lipped
Mussle Extract," sold by a U.K. company, Healthspan (www.healthspan.co.uk; tel: 0800
73123 77). Believe it or not, after taking a capsule with every meal for two months, I
really don't have any joint pain!!! The capsules do takes a bit fishy, but this seems better
than taking medications that target inflammation (aspirin, ibuprophen, COX-2 inhibitors)
because, over time, they can irritate your digestive system and harm your kidneys.
Prescription pain killers, including opioids like Vicodin, Oxycontin, Percocet, etc., affect the
brain's perception of pain, but can be addictive and ultimately ineffective.
The NIH is now using our tax dollars to fund research on the effectiveness of alternative
methods for chronic pain treatments that most of us already knew about: acupuncture,
massage therapy, yoga, cognitive-behavior therapy, tai chi, meditation, deep breathing,
exercise, and hypnosis. One NIH-funded study at Stanford University found that, with
training, people can learn how to build up brain responses, almost like a muscle, and make
its activity much stronger. And then there is distraction that engages different brain
regions.
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This study led to the conclusion that intense feelings of passionate love can provide
surprisingly effective pain relief! (For more on this, see www.newsinhealth.nih.gov - March
2012).
So, we Boomers have come full circle. The NIH could have saved their tax dollars. We
already knew what The Rascals told us back in 1966:
I was feelin' . . . so bad,
I asked my family doctor just what I had,
I said, "Doctor, . . .
(Doctor . . .)
Mr. M.D., . . .
(Doctor . . .)
Now can you tell me, tell me, tell me,
What's ailin' me?"
(Doctor . . .)
He said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yes, indeed, all you really need . . .
(Is good lovin')
Gimme that good, good lovin . . .
(Good lovin')
All I need is lovin' . . .
(Good lovin')
Good lovin', baby.
Baby please, squeeze me tight . . . (Squeeze me tight)
Now don't you want your baby to feel alright? (Feel alright)
I said Baby . . . (Baby) . . . now it's for sure . . . (it's for sure)
I got the fever, Baby, Baby, but you've got the cure
(You've got the cure)
I said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yes, indeed, all I really need . . .
(Is good lovin')
Gimme that good, good lovin . . .
(Good lovin')
All I need is lovin' . . .
(Good lovin')
Good lovin', baby.
MEDICARE UPDATE – Programs to Help Save Money
Okay, as we wipe that grin off our faces from that trip down memory lane, we turn to ways to
saving money. If you are eligible for Medicare, there are programs that are available to reduce
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healthcare costs. All are dependent on your financial need, calculated on the basis of your
gross monthly income and assets.
Programs administered through the State’s Department of Children and Families (DCF):
MEDICAID
I honestly hope that my readers are not eligible for Medicaid. Your monthly gross income would
have to be under $698/month, and you could not have assets valued at more than $2,000
(excluding a house and a car). If you are married, the number is $1,048/month gross income
and assets under $3,000. This sounds like squalor to me.
MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS (MSPs) for help with Medicare costs. Programs include:
-- Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), which covers some of Medicare's cost-sharing amounts
(premiums, deductibles, and co-payments)
-- Special Low-income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) just covers the Medicare Part B monthly
premium (over $100 this year)
MEDICALLY NEEDY
--Provides full Medicaid-type coverage for people whose income and assets are over the income
and asset limit (see table below) but who meet the Share of Cost established by the DCF.
-- There are several ways you can apply:
-- Online. Go to the Medicare Savings Program website at
http://www.medicare.gov/contacts/staticpages/msps.aspx. Click on your State to access the
application form. In Florida, the website is: www.myflorida.com/accessflorida. Select the
Medicare Savings Programs option.
-- In person: at the Department of Children and Families covering your zip code.
Program administered by the Social Security Administration:
LOW INCOME SUBSTIDY (LIS) or Extra Help with costs associated with Medicare Prescription
Drug Plans (Part D) premiums, deductibles and co-pays:
-- For people whose income is under 150% of the Federal Poverty Limit (see table below).
-- Part D co-pays will be very low (as low as $1.10 and no higher than 15 percent of the cost of
the drug, as long as the prescription is covered by your Medicare Part D drug plan.
-- You can enroll into a Part D plan outside of normal enrollment periods without penalty for late
enrollment. You also have a Special Enrollment Period to switch your Part D plan once a month
with coverage beginning on the first of the following month.
-- The fastest way to apply is online by going to Social Security’s website, www.ssa.gov. Or you
can apply by phone (800-772-1213) or by visiting your local Social Security office.
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The following table lists the current maximum eligibility levels for these programs as of January
2012:
Individual Income
Medicaid
Assets
Couple Joint Income
Assets
$ 698
$ 2,000
$ 1,048
$ 3,000
941
6,940
1,271
10,410
SLMB
1,129
6,940
1,524
10,410
LIS; Extra Help
1,396
13,070
1,891
26,120
QMB
In order to apply for these programs for yourself or a loved one, you will have to have the
following information handy:
-- Social Security Number
-- Date of birth
-- Income information and source: job, child support, etc.
-- Assets and resources: checking and savings accounts, house, land, vehicles, life insurance
-- Housing expenses: mortgage, rent, insurance, tax, utilities
-- Health insurance
-- If a U.S. citizen, proof of identify and citizenship
Also – NEWS FLASH – REBATES!!! On 6/21/12, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius announced that 12.8 million Americans will benefit from $1.1 billion in rebates from
insurance companies this summer, because of the Affordable Care Act’s “80/20” rule (also called the
Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) standard). These rebates will be an average of $151 for each family
covered by a policy!
The Affordable Care Act generally requires insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of
consumers’ premium dollars on medical care and quality improvement. Insurers can spend the
remaining 20 percent on administrative costs, such as salaries, sales, and advertising. Beginning this
year, insurers must notify customers how much of the 80 percent of their premiums have been
actually spent on medical care and quality improvement.
Insurance companies that do not meet the 80/20 standard must provide their policyholders a rebate
for the difference no later than August 1, 2012 in one of the following ways:




a rebate check in the mail;
a lump-sum reimbursement to the same account that they used to pay the premium if by credit
card or debit card;
a reduction in their future premiums; or
their employer providing one of the above, or applying the rebate in a manner that benefits its
employees.
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Consumers in every State will also receive a notice from their insurance company informing them of
the 80/20 rule, whether their company met the standard, and, if not, how much of difference between
what the insurer did or did not spend on medical care and quality improvement will be returned to
them. For the first time, all of this information will be publicly posted on www.HealthCare.gov this
summer, allowing consumers to learn what value they are getting for their premium dollars in their
health plan.
For a detailed breakdown of these rebates by State and by market, please visit:
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/resources/reports/mlr-rebates06212012a.html
For more information on how the Affordable Care Act is creating a transparent market for health insurance,
visit:
http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/12/increasing-transparency.html
My take on this is that the insurance companies have been spending millions on TV and print
advertising lately. We consumers should start clamoring for less advertising and more rebates!
ANOTHER FLASH: FINALLY, THE SUPREME COURT DECISION ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT:
Although upheld by the Supreme Court on 6/28, the Affordable Care Act will certainly be the political football in the
House and Senate over the next couple of months. It is unlikely that Republicans can have the Act repealed, but it
will force the candidates to draw a line in the sand regarding their positions. Most of the Act does not kick in until
2014-2018, but following is a partial listing of provisions scheduled to go into effect on 1/1/2013:
-- A new 3.8% tax on investment income will be applied to many investors with adjusted gross incomes in
excess of $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers).
-- A 0.9% surtax on wage income over $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers) will be added to the current Medicare
payroll tax.
-- Limits will be set on amounts that can be contributed to health flexible savings accounts (FSAs).
-- A 2.3% excise tax on medical devices will go into effect.
-- Some executive compensation limits will go into effect for senior officials at medical providers.
-- New rules governing electronic exchange of health information are scheduled to be implemented.
-- A pilot program on payment bundling among providers in Medicare will be initiated.
If you need assistance understanding all of this, don’t hesitate to ask for help from a certified
Medicare counselor, like me! The contact info for the State Health Insurance Assistance
Program (SHIP) in your State is found at: http://www.hapnetwork.org/ship-loactor. (In Florida,
the program is called SHINE - 800-963-5337).
PANDEMIC DEFENSE
Bird flu has been in the news lately (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/22/health/h5n1-bird-fluresearch-that-stoked-fears-is-published.html?_r=2&hp), not because of an imminent outbreak
but because of a debate to keep the high threat of an outbreak out of the public media. A new
study, which a U.S. biosecurity group tried to keep classified, was just published last week by
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the World Health Organization. The study shows that 5 simple genetic mutations could make
the bird flu virus -- H5N1-- spread swiftly among humans. Two of the 5 mutations have already
commonly occurred in H5N1 in the outbreak in 2009. A third has been seen only once. And the
other two have only been seen in other pandemics recorded in the '50s and '60s.
Most scientists concur that the mutations are inevitable. So far, bird flu has only been found in
600 people, but 60% of them died.
When I was working at the State Department in 2007, I participated in some interagency
discussions regarding how to prepare for a bird flu pandemic. The Department of Defense had
the lead in the logistics of an outbreak – mostly disposing of millions of bodies. Gruesome, but
true. The main reason was that no country has the facilities capable of producing vaccines fast
enough to stop a pandemic in their country. The rest of the world is simply out of luck as the
new Darwinism tragically plays out: “Survival of the richest.”
I suspect that little real progress has been made to ramp up vaccine production capabilities
since, according to Nature News Blogs on June 19th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) has taken the lead to fund three “Centers for Innovation in Advanced
Development and Manufacturing.”
Emergent Manufacturing Operations Baltimore LLC, with facilities in Baltimore and Gaithersburg,
Md., will lead one center, working with a network of partners including Michigan State
University, Kettering University of Flint, Mich., and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. This
contract is for approximately $163 million over the first eight years.
Novartis will head a second center, leveraging existing public-private investments by HHS in
state-of-the-art facilities in Holly Springs, N.C., and working with North Carolina State University
and Duke University. The Novartis contract is valued at approximately $60 million over the first
four years.
The Texas A&M University System will lead a third Center collaborating with GlaxoSmithKline
Vaccines of Marietta, PA, Lonza of Houston, Texas, and Kalon Biotherapeutics of College Station,
Texas. This contract is valued at approximately $176 million over the first five years.
HHS projects that the Centers will be able to produce about 25% of the country’s pandemic flu
vaccine supply within four months of an outbreak by 2015. Also under study are past outbreaks
of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, and the bioterrorist anthrax attacks of
2001.
That is not good enough to save us all, but it is better than nothing.
PLEASE CHANGE YOUR LINKEDIN PASSWORDS TODAY!
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If you haven't heard, a user in a Russian online forum boasted that he hacked and uploaded 5.8
million of LinkedIn passwords and eHarmony passwords. Twitter users reported that they’ve
found their hashed LinkedIn passwords on the list. Sixty percent of the stolen passwords have
already been cracked.
LinkedIn has disabled all the passwords on the list, so your password may no longer be active.
LinkedIn said members would receive email instructions on changing their passwords (but no
links, which is part of a Phishing scam).
-- Do not respond to any "change password" emails that include a link asking for personal
information. If you are the slightest bit unsure, do not to open a LinkedIn or eHarmony email,
and instead visit their websites and change your password from there.
-- To change your LinkedIn password: Log onto your account. Click on your name in the upper
right corner and then click on the link for Settings. In the Settings section, click on the Change
link next to Password. You’ll be prompted to enter your old password and then create a new one.
Aim to pick a complex password that’s not easy to decipher. You may consider using a
combination of letters and numbers from a book title or song lyric, like taking the first letter of
each word. Then click on the Change Password button.
Okay, now that that is taken care of, be aware that, on June 6, 2012, the web giants (AT&T,
Comcast, Google, Facebook, Adamai, et al) activated a new Internet address book called IPv6.
This is being called the "21st Century Internet" - expanding capacity from 4 billion addresses
(currently handled by IPv4), to 340,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
addresses -- too many for me to pronounce!
Just think of all the passwords that can now be hacked!
PLEASE AVOID EATING TUNA
Stanford University and Stony Brook University scientists found levels of radioactive Cesium-134 and Cesium137 at ten times higher than expected in 15 two-year-old Pacific blue fin tuna that were caught near San Diego
in August 2011. It is believed that the fish ingested the cesium following a discharge of radioactive material
into the ocean near the earthquake- and tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March
2011. The fish spawns in the western Pacific; some juveniles stay in Japanese waters, while others swim east to
the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem, generally when they are around a year old. That means all
two-year-old Pacific blue fin caught during summer in the eastern Pacific must have migrated recently.
Researchers also believe that loggerhead turtles, salmon sharks, sooty shearwaters, pinnipeds, whales and
billfish may also have transported radiation from Fukushima.
Not to be too alarmist, the Cesium levels are low compared with naturally occurring radioactive isotopes of
potassium and polonium, and an order of magnitude less than the Japanese safety limit of about 400 Bq/kg dry
weight for human consumption. But, why ingest this stuff?
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For more info: Daniel J. Madigan, Zofia Baumann, Nicholas S. Fisher, Pacific blue fin tuna transport
Fukushima-derived radionuclides from Japan to California, PNAS, 2012, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1204859109
AVATAR CUSTOMER SERVICE AT NY AIRPORTS
Traveling this summer? Heaven forefend that your flight is delayed or cancelled. You may end up seeking
guidance about shuttle buses and taxi pick-ups from an avatar customer service representative at LaGuardia,
JFK, and Liberty Newark airports. This smiling avatar is actually, a simple looped video recording projected on
to a life-sized flat screen in the shape of a woman -- like a composite of Princess Leia from Star Wars and the
advertising scene in Minority Report. Worse, she is not interactive, so save your breath asking questions or
saying "Thank you."
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
From my dear friend, Karen -- click on this for a lovely two minute break:
www.youtube.com/embed/auSo1MyWf8g?rel=0<
Please let me know how topics you would like covered in our next
Newsletters! E-mail:[email protected].
All previous Newsletters are posted online on the homepage of
www.gynosapiens.com
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