CHICAGO - October will be an important month for health care in Illinois and around the nation. Beginning October 1, people without health insurance will be able to sign up for coverage through new online health exchanges. However, according to associate state director Courtney Hedderman of AARP Illinois, all the publicity about the exchanges is confusing people who need Medicare.

"People are seeing those messages, like, 'Wait, do I need to do something?' And they don't," she said. "That has nothing to do with Medicare."

The problem is that on October 1 the online exchanges open, and then on October 15 the Medicare open-enrollment period begins. That's why Medicare is sending out thousands of brochures and training counselors to advise elders in Illinois and around the nation to ignore the online health exchanges. Instead, if they want to make changes or sign up for Medicare, they should contact the Department on Aging, their local Social Security office, or go to Medicare.gov to find a counselor who can advise them.

Hedderman said con artists already have started trying to take advantage of the confusion by doing things like calling on the phone and pretending to be from Medicare or Social Security.

"People were calling, and they're saying, 'This is Medicare calling, and we need your Social Security number.' No, they already have your Social Security number," the AARP official said. "You don't need to be giving that."

During the open-enrollment period that starts October 15, Medicare recipients can review or change their supplemental coverage through the many counselors who are not trying to sell anything.

"If someone lives in the city, for example, they can call 311 and they will be connected to the Department on Aging. That's a trusted entity that has counselors that can help navigate all of this."

Hedderman said to remember that SHIP counselors are trained to help elders figure out Medicare. The acronym SHIP stands for the State Health Insurance Program, which offers free counseling for Medicare recipients and their caregivers through the Illinois Department on Aging. Illinoisans who are about to turn 65 should contact their local Social Security office to sign up for Medicare. They need to do that three months before their birthday because if they sign up later than that, unless they have other coverage, they may be charged higher premiums.

More information is at Medicare.gov and at state.il.us.




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A new national survey says one in five Americans 50 and older has nothing in savings for retirement.

Wisconsin workers young and old are being urged to take action now, to avoid added financial stress in their later years.

The survey results were issued by AARP this month.

Just affording basic expenses right now is a concern for many. But AARP Wisconsin's Communications Director Jim Flaherty said you don't want to be caught off guard when retirement nears.

He acknowledged that it can be hard for younger adults to plan that far ahead, when they're juggling expenses like student loan debt - or for older individuals managing costly medications, and higher grocery bills.

"A lot of times, because they're just trying to get by and they do have to live paycheck-to-paycheck," said Flaherty. "But this is one way to say, 'Hey, if you can live with a little less from your paycheck every week, that will sure grow.'"

Researchers note that 57 million Americans don't have access to a retirement plan through their work.

Wisconsin has not yet joined the list of states that have created state-operated retirement accounts, where employers and their workers can contribute money each pay period.

Supporters hope the issue is revisited next legislative session.

Flaherty said a combination of individuals being proactive and policymakers easing household budget pressure can hopefully put more people on a path toward a healthy retirement.

He said making progress can deter them from looking elsewhere to spend their golden years.

"Let's have an infrastructure that makes drugs affordable, that makes healthcare affordable, that makes retirement savings something that's part of their plan," said Flaherty. "And that'll keep Wisconsinites here."

And groups like AARP have encouraged Congress to address long-term stability concerns for Social Security, so that younger workers can anticipate full benefits.

Some Republican lawmakers have floated cuts, but senior advocates contend any solutions to make the program stronger should not be tied to deficit talks.

Oregon is working to address the state's digital divide with hundreds of millions of dollars in funding.

Infrastructure presents the largest challenges for connecting people in Oregon to high-speed broadband internet.

Nick Batz, director of the Oregon Broadband Office, said there are more than 170,000 residencies in the state with no or slow internet access.

"Our goal through the broadband office and with all our stakeholders throughout Oregon is to provide access to all 112,000 unserved locations and as many of the 60,000 underserved locations as we can," Batz explained.

The state has received federal funding from a variety of sources, including nearly $690 million from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, and more than $150 million from the Capital Projects Fund approved in the American Rescue Plan Act from 2021.

Oregon's Digital Equity Plan has also been approved and along with it, nearly $10 million in funding.

Bandana Shrestha, state director of AARP Oregon, said there was a time when high-speed broadband internet was considered a luxury.

"Now, it's such a big necessity for everyone, including for older adults," Shrestha pointed out. "Because we know that if you don't have connectivity, you're not going to be able to see your doctor when you want to. Telemedicine is not going to be possible."

Batz added his office is working to ensure every Oregonian can get on the internet.

"It is an interesting challenge," Batz observed. "Nothing has been done like this in Oregon's history of trying to get internet access to everybody. So, it's going to be quite the challenge and it's absolutely going to require participation from everybody to make this happen."

Nursing homes across South Dakota will soon receive a boost in support, as part of the most recent legislative session.

Facilities caring for Medicaid recipients are reimbursed by the state for some of the cost. Reimbursement rates have been calculated based on patient needs, occupancy and funds available in the state budget. Last year, the South Dakota Legislature increased the rate from about 75% to 100%.

House Bill 1167 now allows the Medicaid reimbursement rate to be adjusted annually, to keep up with inflation and other changes.

Erik Nelson, advocacy director for AARP South Dakota, is glad lawmakers are giving nursing homes attention.

"We have seen a number of nursing homes close in recent years," Nelson pointed out. "Financial considerations were a factor in that, along with workforce and some other issues."

Since 2019, 15 nursing homes have closed across the state, with six of the remaining 98 on a federal list of facilities not meeting basic standards of care. In addition to a lack of funding, the average staff turnover rate is 54%.

State lawmakers also approved the use of $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding toward expanding telehealth services in facilities including nursing homes, allowing patients to receive some health care services remotely.

Nelson noted telehealth is one way to supply needed support.

"For not only the residents, but the family caregivers that are supporting their loved ones in the nursing homes," Nelson emphasized. "And of course, the staff of the nursing home that's in the community."

Census data show South Dakota's population is aging and by 2030, one-fifth of residents will be older than 65.