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NJFA Founding Trustee Given National Recognition

NJFA Founding Trustee Given National Recognition

Trenton— The New Jersey Foundation for Aging (NJFA) is pleased to announce that founding trustee, Carl West was recently recognized by the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD). In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Older American‚Äôs Act, NASUAD honored more than 50 advocates who are dedicated to Aging and Disability Services. Carl West, who is a Founding Trustee and first Board Chair of NJFA, is also the former Executive Director of the Mercer County Office on Aging.

The honorees that were selected are featured in a publication from NASUAD titled, Celebrating 50 Years with 50+ Fabulous Older People, which is available online at http://www.nasuad.org/. Carl was recognized for his advocacy both in New Jersey and nationally. At the time of his retirement, Carl was the longest serving area agency on aging director in the country. In addition to being a founding member of NJFA, Carl has also been involved with and founding member of numerous other organizations. Locally, Carl was an integral part of the NJ Association of Area Agencies on Aging, serving as founding director, legislative chair and president. Nationally, Carl has been a long-standing board member of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, where he served as the Chairman of their National Board.

Even in his retirement, Carl continues to be involved, following important proceedings, such as the recent White House Conference on Aging. NJFA joins, NASUAD in saluting Carl for his dedication to the aging network, older adults and caregivers.

Carl West_picture

Affordable Care Act (ACA) Facts: Follow this Series

There is a lot of speculation and discussion about what affect health care reform legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), will have on seniors and more specifically, Medicare.

Fact # 1 ACA will not cut your basic Medicare benefits.

There are actually some improvements to Medicare benefits as a result of ACA. One immediate improvement, according¬†to the Law,¬†is more help with prescription drug coverage. In Medicare prescription drug coverage there is something commonly referred to as ‚Äúthe donut hole‚Äù which refers to a coverage gap where seniors end up paying 100% of prescription drug costs. The new law helps you pay these costs right away. If you enter the donut hole this year, Medicare will send you a check for $250. You don’t have to do anything to get the check. It will arrive around 45 days after you reach the gap. In 2011, if you enter the donut hole, you’ll pay only half of what your plan charges for brand-name drugs‚Äîa 50% discount. By 2020, the donut hole will be slowly phased out and completely eliminated because of the Affordable Care Act.

Also as a result of ACA, a free annual well visit is now available in 2011. The free annual wellness checkup will allow you and your doctor to develop a prevention plan to keep you healthy. And a range of prevention services, such as cancer and diabetes screenings, will be provided free, no more cost sharing.

Another improvement related to the ACA, better care when you get sick! 80% of older Americans, have at least one chronic medical condition such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. If you are one of them, you probably see several doctors, who may not always work together. The law will invest in testing new models of care for people with chronic conditions in order to provide better care, better coordination, and more patient-centered services. If you must be hospitalized, the law also will help you return home successfully, and avoid going re-hospitalization, by providing incentives for hospitals to make sure that you get the services you need in your community and by teaching you ways to take good care of yourself.

There are more facts that seniors need to know about how the new healthcare legislation will impact you and your Medicare coverage, stay tuned for more information from NJFA.

The information in this blog was gathered from language in the Affordable Care Act, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid and the National Council on Aging.

For more information check out the following links:

A brochure from Medicare:

http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11467.pdf

Webpage from the National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities (NASUAD):

http://www.nasuad.org/affordable_care_act/nasuad_materials.html

Answers from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a):

http://www.n4a.org/advocacy/health-care-reform/

Straight Talk for Seniors from the National Council on Aging:

http://www.ncoa.org/public-policy/health-care-reform/straight-talk/