Recognition Growing of the Economic Opportunities Associated With Aging Boomers

North Carolina entrepreuers interested in cashing in on service sector opportunities driven by the impending Aging boom will get together April 3rd at a symposium hosted by the University of North Carolina - Greensboro School of Gerontology, according to an article in the online edition of the Greensboro/Winston Salem-based Greater Triad Area Business Journal.

North Carolina is experiencing precisely the same skyrocketing growth in its senior population as South Carolina, with that growth being influenced by the same trend in both states - inmigration of retirees from the Midwest and Northeast United States.

From the article:

Greensboro real estate developer Steven D. Bell saw the wave coming about six years ago. That's when he started adding senior facilities to his established apartment property portfolio. His company now owns and manages 16 properties through its Senior Services Division, and those properties accounted for 17 percent of revenues last year, or about $97 million.

Just this week, Bell announced the purchase of two senior facilities, in Charleston, S.C., and Daytona Beach, Fla., for a combined total of more than $27 million.

"The three fastest-growing areas for seniors are Florida, Arizona and the Carolinas," Bell said. "We thought, 'Gosh, we're right here in the thick of things, so why not try to provide something they need?'"

[click here to read this article at www.triad.bizjournals.com]

Grant Funding Opportunity for Community Projects to Benefit Seniors

The Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging is now accepting proposals for grant funding from community organizations around the state through The ElderCare Trust Fund. Grant proposals are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, 2006.

[click here to download the entire release in PDF format]

CMS Announces Plans to Automatically Enroll Additional Seniors Into Part D Drug Plans on May 1

According to a press release issued today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) seniors who are enrolled in assistance programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or "Medicare Savings" programs that subsidize their Medicare A and B costs will be automaticvally enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan on May 1 if they have not already enrolled in a plan of their own choosing by that date.

approximately 1.2 million current Medicare beneficiaries who fit those categories will be receiving a letter from CMS about that this week. A copy of the letter will be available online at www.cms.hhs.gov.   The letter will be printed on green paper so that it can be readily identified by beneficiaries, their family members, and other organizations that counsel beneficiaries about their Medicare Choices. 

[click here to read the entire release on the CMS web site]

[click here to download a PDF of the release]

New Medicare D Fraud Information

CMS, the agency that oversees the Medicare program, has recently issued a consumer alert noting that they have received reports from five different states of bogus companies offering prescription drug plans for $299 (or similar amounts). According to CMS, complaints have been made against a number of different companies, but authorities believe that the companies are the same and are typically based outside the U. S. Reports have also been received about potentially fraudulent companies using email and the Web to offer free or low-cost prescription drug programs for a fee. Consumers have been asked to pay as much as $195, or a finder’s fee of $5 per prescription to locate free drug programs.

In response to this alert and the fraud work of Senior Medicare Patrols (SMP) nationwide, the National Consumer Protection Technical Resource Center has generated a Consumer Scam alert that includes brief descriptions of several scams that have been reported by Senior Medicare Patrol projects across the country related to Medicare Part D.  This alert has been designed for wide distribution and replication by aging services personnel and volunteers throughout the country.

[click here to download the release from the National Consumer Protection Technical Resource Center]

Dramatic Changes in U.S. Aging Highlighted in New Census, NIH Report:
Impact of Baby Boomers Anticipated

From the NIH News:

The face of aging in the United States is changing dramatically — and rapidly, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, commissioned by the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Today’s older Americans are very different from their predecessors, living longer, having lower rates of disability, achieving higher levels of education and less often living in poverty. And the baby boomers, the first of whom celebrated their 60th birthdays in 2006, promise to redefine further what it means to grow older in America.

The report, 65+ in the United States: 2005, was prepared for NIA, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to provide a picture of the health and socioeconomic status of the aging population at a critical time in the maturing of the United States. It highlights striking shifts in aging on a population scale and also describes changes at the local and even family level, examining, for example, important changes in family structure as a result of divorce.

Among the trends:

• The United States population aged 65 and over is expected to double in size within the next 25 years. By 2030, almost 1out of every 5 Americans — some 72 million people — will be 65 years or older. The age group 85 and older is now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population.
  
• The health of older Americans is improving. Still, many are disabled and suffer from chronic conditions. The proportion with a disability fell significantly from 26.2 percent in 1982 to 19.7 percent in 1999. But 14 million people age 65 and older reported some level of disability in Census 2000, mostly linked to a high prevalence of chronic conditions such as heart disease or arthritis. [click here to download the entire release in PDF format]

Facts for Features About Older Americans Month

May is Older Americans month, and the Media Services Department of the US Census bureau has put together an excellent resource for reporters and editors working on feature stories centered around this event.

Older Americans Month originated with a presidential proclamation in May 1963 and has been proclaimed by presidents each year since. Last year, President Bush stated, “Older Americans teach us the timeless lessons of courage, sacrifice and love. By sharing their wisdom and experience, they serve as role models for future generations. During Older Americans Month, we pay tribute to our senior citizens and their contributions to our nation.”

36.3 million
The number of people 65 and older in the United States on July 1, 2004. This age group accounted for 12 percent of the total population. Between 2003 and 2004, the size of this age group increased by 351,000 people. [click to read more]
86.7 million
Projected population of people 65 and older in the year 2050. People in this age group would comprise 21 percent of the total population at that time. [click to read more]

NIH Seeks Strategies to Preserve Brain Health
New Report Suggests Promising Areas for Intervention

With the rapid aging of the population, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is intensifying the search for strategies to preserve brain health as people grow older. The effort moved an important step forward today with a report by an expert panel to the NIH, suggesting a number of promising avenues for maintaining or enhancing cognitive and emotional function. Specifically, the group said, education, cardiovascular health, physical activity, psychosocial factors and genetics appear to be associated with brain health with age, and research aimed at directly testing the effectiveness of interventions in several of these areas deserves further attention. [click here to read complete release]

AARP Encourages South Carolinians to Check Off for Eldercare Trust

Voluntary donations to the South Carolina ElderCare Trust fund from generous state taxpayers continue to be an important source of funding for innovative community projects designed to help older people remain healthy and independent, and the AARP in South Carolina recently sent out a message emcouraging people to consider a donation to the fund when completing their state income tax return. [Click on the link at left to read the message from AARP SC or on the logo to visit their web site.]

Some of the most recent projects funded with checkoff dollars include:

2000-2001

• Hopewell Senior Day Care Center/ "Rural Transportation Support System"- Salters, SC
• Reid House of Christian Service/ "Adult Day Care and Extended Care"- Charleston, SC
• Senior Resources, Inc./ "Volunteer Transportation Program"- Columbia, CS
• Senior Citizens Association Center in Johnsonville/ "An On-Site Nutrition Center and Van Transportation Service"- Johnsonville, SC
• The Ark, St. Luke Luther Church/ "Adult Group Respite Care for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia" -St. George and Summersville, SC

2001-2002

• Senior Action, Inc./ Senior Escort Project- Greenville, SC
• Senior Centers of Spartanburg/ Matching Seniors- Spartanburg, SC

2002-2003

• Hopewell Senior Day Care Center/ "The Air and Travel Connection"- Salters, SC
• Alzheimer's Family Services of Greater Beaufort/ "Social Day Program Transportation Project"- Beaufort, SC
• Anderson Interfaith Ministries/ Home Repairs- Anderson, SC

Medicare D Telephone Scam Alert

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a consumer alert warning of a telephone scam related to the new Part D drug benefit.

According to CMS, "this scheme is called the “$299 Ring” for the typical amount of money Medicare beneficiaries are talked into withdrawing from their checking accounts to pay for a non-existent prescription drug plan.  Consumers can report these cases to their local law enforcement agencies or 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379).

Medicare has received complaints from Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts New Jersey and Georgia. Complaints have been made against a number of different companies, but authorities believe that the companies are the same and are typically based outside the U. S.  As soon as CMS receives these complaints, they are investigated and referred to federal law enforcement authorities."

[click here to read the entire release]

For additional information, contact the CMS Office of Public Affairs at (202) 690-6145.

Lt. Governor André Bauer to Lead “You Can!” Walk in Fort Mill

Community Health and Fitness Expo Will Emphasize Healthy Choices and Active Lifestyles

• Who: Lt. Governor André Bauer will join seniors, community activists and aging advocates from the Catawba Area Agency on Aging at this event.

• What: Better food choices and increased physical activity can help prevent, delay, or manage serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure. Over the last year, Lt. Governor Bauer has led “You Can!” walks held in conjunction with health fairs and senior expos in communities around the state to help raise public awareness of these issues. The first anniversary of the program will be celebrated on May 5, with a You Can! walk at the State House in Columbia. This You Can! walk will be part of the second annual Fort Mill Community Health and Fitness Expo. The walk route will cover approximately one-half mile around the campus of Gold Hill Middle School.

• When: Saturday, March 11, 2006. Time is scheduled for the Lt. Governor and event organizers to answer questions and talk to the media at 9:00 AM, after the beginning of the 5k race. The Lt. Governor will also address the You Can! participants at 9:30 AM.

• Where: Gold Hill Middle School is located at 1025 Dave Gibson Blvd. in Fort Mill, SC. (Note: Vehicle Access to the campus will be closed after the start of the 5K run at 9:00 AM.)

Approximately Quarter Million SC Seniors Still Without Drug Coverage

The latest statistics from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees the new drug program, indicate almost four out of every 10 of South Carolina's 655,000 current Medicare beneficiaries have neither made a decision about enrolling in a Medicare Part D drug insurance plan nor have coverage through an alternative plan.

“We are concerned about it, and my office is doing everything we can to make sure that every person in South Carolina who could benefit from this program knows about it and understands their options before the deadline,” said Lt. Governor André Bauer, head of the state Office on Aging. “It is a completely voluntary program, but people need to understand that just like with any insurance plan, it’s going to cost more the longer you wait to buy it. Signing up now, even if you don’t currently have big drug bills, could save you and your family a lot of money if you get sick in the future.”

If a person who is currently eligible for Part D coverage does not enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan by May 15 and also does not have equivalent prescription drug coverage from another source, his or her future Medicare Part D premiums will increase by 1% for each month without coverage. For example, premiums would be 36% higher for someone who waited 3 years to enroll.

[click here to read the press release for your county]