More than 50 years ago, on July 30, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law, saying at the time, “I’ll spend the goddamn money,” he said. “I may cut back on tanks – but not on health.”   The story behind Medicare’s birth in Independence, Missouri, detailed here, reveals that LBJ called former President Harry Truman…

The Florida building collapse left residents dead or injured, and many people homeless.  Florida emergency workers and volunteers are busy and many others across the nation want to help.  Unfortunately, scammers also are also busy – posing as phony charities. The FTC has published some helpful information (full story here) and advice to help you…

Make your Memorial Day weekend even more special than it already will be by buying union made products! See this list for all of the yummy food and amazing supplies you can purchase that are made by our hard working union men and women, right here in the USA!  

The risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age. This is why CDC recommends that adults 65 years and older receive COVID-19 vaccines. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine is an important step to help prevent getting sick from COVID-19. Tips for how to get a COVID-19 vaccine Contact your state or local health department for more…

How to stay up to date: Coronavirus.gov is the source for the latest information about COVID-19 prevention, symptoms, and answers to common questions. CDC.gov/coronavirus has the latest public health and safety information from CDC and for the overarching medical and health provider community on COVID-19. USA.gov has the latest information about what the U.S. Government is doing in…

As cases of the novel coronavirus known as 2019-nCoV continue to rise worldwide, preliminary estimates suggest that older adults may be particularly susceptible to the respiratory illness, which can cause pneumonia and symptoms like fever, cough and shortness of breath. “The data coming out of China continues to say that the people who are at higher risk…

Winter often consists of lower temperatures, less sunlight, and more time indoors. The same weather that is bothersome to most can prove to be dangerous for others.   Winter Safety Tips for the Elderly Seniors and Medicare eligibles face several dangers including falling on ice or snow, frostbite, and hypothermia. Use these winter wellness tips…

In addition to helping others, older adults who volunteer may gain a benefit to their own well-being. A recent study explored the relationship between volunteering and stress. For this study, the researchers used data from the National Study of Daily Experiences. The participants were 1,320 adults age 50 to 84 who completed a daily interview for…

A study on the benefits of using hearing aids found that using the devices can counteract many of the negative health outcomes associated with hearing loss. Over 20,000 adults age 65 and better with a Medicare Supplement plan participated in a phone survey that included questions about hearing loss, hearing aid use, health, and well-being.…

Are you the type of guy who puts off doing a task or getting a test and later wished you’d just gotten it over with? If you’re a man with Medicare, now’s the time to talk with your doctor about whether you should get screened for prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, or both. Screening tests can find cancer early,…