Jennifer Thaete

of

Abramson & Thaete, LLP

is

hosting the 2nd Quarterly Client Workshop of 2011!

We are pleased to present

Edward Clark, M.D.

&

Michelle Gilmore of Heartwood Health

they will be discussing the following topics:

• How to communicate to your health care agent what they need to know about your wishes in order to make good medical decisions on your behalf.

• What your health care agent needs to know about the medical world in order to be your best advocate.

The Workshop will take place on

Tuesday, June 14th at 7:00pm

Livermore Public Library

in Community Room A.

In order to ensure we have materials for everyone,

Please R.S.V.P to Jennifer Thaete=s office at

(925) 447-3322 by Monday, June 13, 2011

This is an informal, no obligation presentation

If you would like to receive information from our previous workshops please call our office.

Take Care With Your Heart - And the Hearts of Others!

It has been almost one year since my sister passed away suddenly of a heart attack at age 50! As February is best known for Valentine’s Day, and the sharing of one’s heart with others, I would like to dedicate this blog to my sister in the hopes that other lives will not be cut as short as hers.

Heart Disease is the #1 killer of women in the U.S. and the leading cause of disability among women. The most common cause of heart disease is Coronary Artery Disease, which is the leading cause of heart attack and the condition my sister had, unbeknownst to anyone. She did have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both risk factors for the disease. And if she had just worked to manage these two factors, she might be here today.

This Valentine’s Day, please encourage your loved ones to follow the American Heart Association’s guidelines for maintaining a healthy heart:

Stop smoking

Maintain a healthy weight

Exercise

Eat a heart healthy diet

Manage your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar

Start a walking group, support each other!


For more information see www.heart.org

And remember, February is American Heart Month!

Discounted Drug Subsidy Program for Seniors and Disabled!

Medicare can be very confusing for all of us. Co pays and deductibles, part A, B, D… yikes!

Even though Medicare has an extensive website with a lot of great information, for many, it can be difficult to navigate. As a result, many beneficiaries do not benefit from some great programs.

One of the little known subsidy programs for low-income seniors and the disabled is the Extra Help Program, which can save thousands of dollars on prescription drugs. This program began in 2006 and the ability to sign up goes to June 2011, and can save seniors and the disabled an average of $3,900 per year. It can reduce prescription drug premiums, co-pays and deductibles and plugs the “doughnut hole” or gap in coverage that starts when beneficiaries exceed $2,840 in total drug costs. It is administrated jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration.

Eligibility is income dependent; for a senior living alone, income must be less than $16,245 per year or $21,855 for a married couple living together. For many who have both Medical and Medicare they may be automatically enrolled. However, there are many who have slipped through the cracks. For more information, go here.