We provide this free financial resource to visitors of the Community Room of SeniorSSuperStoreS in an effort to keep baby boomers, seniors and the elderly informed of matters that can affect their lifestyle.

Let's take a look at what Medicare has been up to lately.

Are you concerned about eyesight problems as you age? As if we have enough to worry about as we grow older, many seniors do develop problems with their sight, and it would seem that Medicare would select prudent and cost-effective treatment alternatives to both help us save our sight and save money in the long run.

Well, consider this tidbit that we picked up from our friends at the PRNewswire news service.
"Gray Panthers Disappointed by Medicare Action to Reconsider Visudyne Decision"
WASHINGTON, Nov.6, 2001 -- Today the Gray Panthers, an intergenerational advocacy organization of activists working together for social and economic justice, called on Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to stop bureaucratic delays and immediately expand Medicare Coverage of Visudyne Therapy for those suffering from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 65.

"For too long, Americans suffering AMD have been denied Medicare coverage for Visudyne Therapy," said Gray Panthers Executive Director Tim Fuller. "Denial of coverage affects those who can't afford the treatment which would help prevent vision loss in thousands of American citizens."

CMS originally announced its intent to expand coverage of Visudyne Therapy on October 17, 2001. In the official CMS press release, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said, "by expanding access to this important new treatment, we are improving the quality of life for many Medicare beneficiaries." Now less than three weeks later CMS has decided to go back on its original decision and issue a 'request for reconsideration.'

AMD involves the deterioration of the central region of the retina called the macula, which results in a severe and irreversible loss of central vision. The National Institutes of Health estimate that nearly 1.7 million elderly Americans, 5 percent of the total population over 65 years of age, have some degree of vision loss due to AMD. Early diagnosis and treatment of the disease is critical to preserving patient eyesight.

"CMS is implementing unnecessary bureaucratic delays that will result in the loss of vision for Americans who can't afford treatment, it's tragic," commented Fuller. "It is incomprehensible that CMS would decide to delay a decision that in CMS' own words would 'triple the number helped by this treatment (Visudyne)."

Gray Panthers is an intergenerational advocacy organization. From ages 9 to 93, they are Age and Youth in Action, activists working together for social and economic justice. Their issues include universal health care, jobs with a living wage and the right to organize, preservation of Social Security, affordable housing, access to quality education, economic justice, environment, peace and challenging ageism, sexism, racism. For more information on Gray Panthers, please visit their Web site at www.graypanthers.org .
CONTACT: Tim Fuller, Executive Director, of the Gray Panthers, at 202-737-6637, ext. 24.

Makes you wonder what's happening, doesn't it? And, what's this new name for the federal agency that administers Medicare? CMS? If you'll recall, the old name of this bureaucracy was the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), or otherwise known as "Here Comes Further Aggravation" by some health care providers.Let's take a look at this new CMS, and while we're at it, we get a glimpse of where your government is spending your money.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal health officials, with an advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, began a multimillion-dollar campaign to bring Medicare participants better services.

The advertising, which will include a launch of television spots, gives a 24 hour toll-free telephone number to help seniors and disabled Americans navigate the massive federal health insurance program.

The hotline, and a website, are manned by experts who can answer questions about what treatments Medicare will cover, what types of supplemental insurance policies participants can use to help pay their medical bills or how to find a nursing home, according to the Wall Street Journal advertisement.

The campaign will cost roughly $30 million, Health and Human Services Department officials said.

The telephone hotline number featured in the advertisement is 1-800-633-4227.

Bush officials have proposed an overhaul of the program, which includes encouraging seniors to sign up for HMOs and other private health plans that participate in Medicare and promoting private discount cards to lower seniors' medicine costs. Only the hotline and website are being featured in the advertisements.

On the Net: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: www.cms.gov .
Medicare web site: www.medicare.gov .

It seems to us that these basic informational services already existed, so why change? Why spend $30 million to retread something in place and to promote the new name for the federal agency? Probably won't work any better or more efficiently than the old HFCA did!

Kinda makes you wonder how many Visudyne treatments could have been paid for and how many folks could have had their eyesight improved with that $30 million! Or, $30 million would pay for a lot of prescription medications for folks who need the help!