From the Web by Elaine Steward #16

Hi again from Elaine Steward! Following, is my most recent list of things which may be of general interest to us retirees. If have something you’d like to share, please post it to the comments section at the end of this blog.

For information on 2010’s “Fabulous Freebies” (stuff that’s free and more-or-less fabulous), go to www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/fabulous-freebies-2010.html

For information on who is looking at your browser history and how to keep the information private, go to www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/08/09/whos-spying-on-and-profiting-from-your-browsing-habits/

To alphabetize your computer's bookmarks, “In the latest version of Internet Explorer, go to the Favorites menu (or open the Favorites panel on the left) and right-click on the list. Choose the Sort by Name option to reorder the list or selected folder’s contents in alphabetical order. Users can fine-tune the order of folder, rename bookmarks, move or delete them by choosing Organize Favorites from the Favorites menu; Microsoft has more tips at windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Managing-your-Internet-Explorer-favorites ”

For a comparison of Bing and Google search engines, go to www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/technology/02google.html?nl=technology&emc=ctb2

I have found another site with free on-line college level courses, many from prestigious schools: education-portal.com/ Go to the page and click on free on-line courses in the center of the page. Caveat: in some cases, you may have to buy books or download special software.

For fee free telephone information, dial 1-800-466-4411.

To learn (or teach) a foreign language via webcam, go to learn2lingo.com/ Lessons cost $12 per session, and if you are teaching, you will be paid $9.50 per session.

For fact sheets on the Affordable Health Care Act, especially with respect to seniors, go to www.ncoa.org/public-policy/health-care-reform/straight-talk-for-seniors-on.html

www.hotcal.com/ is a FREE online calorie and fitness tracker that helps you keep track of your daily meals and exercise goals. For health risk assessment, menus, and other guidance for weight control, see www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm

If you are thinking of moving, there’s a “cost of living comparison” calculator at www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/moving-cost-of-living-calculator.aspx

For those of you who have antiques, or just items with a story which you would like to be passed on to family members, you can put the story at itizen.com/ with a coded label on the item. The service can be free, or you can pay a small fee for coded labels.

For a weekly email on how your state and Federal representatives voted, go to www.congress.org/congressorg/megavote/ If you don’t want to be notified that way, there is a place on the website which tells you how your Senators and Congressperson voted on past issues. You will likely have to know your nine digit ZIP code.

For the annual report on the state of the Social Security Trust Fund, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/TR/2010/

For help on how to keep your information safe on social networking sites, go to www.bu.edu/bostonia/summer10/terzi/

For a list of independent political groups which are making political donations, go to factcheck.org/playersguide2010/

If you need body work on your car, try www.dentbetty.com/ You post pictures of the damage and get estimates via email. Before selecting a vendor, I’d recommend checking them out with the State Department of Consumer Affairs www.dca.ca.gov/ and your area Better Business Bureau www.bbb.org/


1) From AARP – bulletin.aarp.org

For 99 ways to save money, go to www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-06-2010/99_great_ways_to_save_intro.html

For free on-line games, some of which are recommended at “good for the brain,” go to games.aarp.org/

For cautions on using on-line coupons, go to www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-07-2010/scam_alert_getting_clipped_by_coupons.html?cmp=NLC-WBLTR-CTRL-9310-F2t-8

2) From Aging in Stride – www.aginginstride.org

For help with managing medications safely, go to enews.aginginstride.org/pub.48/issue.1392/article.5805/

3) From California Healthline – www.californiahealthline.org/

For an article assessing health reform’s impact on four key groups of Americans, go to www.chcf.org/publications/2010/07/assessing-health-reforms-impact-on-four-key-groups-of-americans

State Officials Approve Insurer Proposals To Increase Premiums On [25 August] California health insurance regulators announced that they approved a proposal by Anthem Blue Cross, the state's largest for-profit insurer, to raise premium rates for individual policyholders by 14% on average, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Insurance Association Files Suit Over New Anti-Rescission Rules [The week of 16 August] the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies filed a lawsuit seeking to nullify new state regulations designed to make it more difficult for insurers to rescind members' health insurance coverage, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

California Builds Unprecedented Broadband Telehealth Network On [17 August] California launched the California Telehealth Network, the nation's largest telemedicine network, to connect patients and physicians using broadband technology, the Sacramento Bee reports. By 2011, CTN is expected to link almost 900 health care facilities across the state. Currently, it is set up across 50 sites. UC-Davis Medical Center serves as the network's control center (Calvan, Sacramento Bee, 8/18).

MRMIB Unveils Rates, Details on New High-Risk Insurance Pool On [5 August] the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board announced premium rates and said it has selected two companies to help administer California's new high-risk health insurance pool, the San Francisco Chronicle reports

4) From Carepages – www.carepages.com

For information on writing a will, go to cms.carepages.com/CarePages/en/ArticlesTips/HelpfulTips/how-to-write-a-will.html

5) From CurXeD – curexd.human.cornell.edu

October 8, 2010 has been set as the tentative date for when 2011 [Medicare Part D] plan benefit information will be available on the plan finder at www.medicare.gov Client costs are expected to remain fairly consistent with 2010.

6) I do hope you are all following the (USC) Dean’s Council on Health Reform at www.healthreform.usc.edu/ It continues to be a very rich site – lots of resources, lots of commentary

7) From iHealthBeat - www.ihealthbeat.org/

HHS Should Make Health Record Access a Priority, Markle Foundation Says […The] Markle Foundation -- a New York-based not-for-profit organization -- published a paper encouraging HHS to make access to personal health records a priority in the department's health IT efforts, Healthcare IT News reports

Report Says Hospitals Could Save Billions by Implementing Health IT U.S. hospitals could reap a total of $40 billion in annual savings if facilities effectively set up health IT strategies, according to a recent McKinsey report, Fierce Health IT reports.

NIST Publishes Set of Procedures for Testing, Certifying EHR Tools The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a set of approved procedures that authorized testing and certification bodies will need to follow while evaluating whether electronic health record systems would support "meaningful use" requirements, Health Data Management reports (Goedert, Health Data Management, 8/18).

Sending Text Messages to Teens With Diabetes Boosts Drug Adherence A small pilot study at Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Children's Hospital found that adolescent patients with diabetes who received text messages related to their medication plan were less likely to miss treatment doses, Healthcare IT News report

8) From My Medicare Matters – www.mymedicarevommunity.org/

My Medicare Matters offers Webinars (live on-line training) for those who are Medicare advocates. If you are interested in being notified of training sessions, please contact me at esslady@gmail.com

The Medicare plan finder tool has been updated in response to user comments. To check out the changes, go to www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/home.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

9) From NCOA – www.ncoa.org

Medicare’s hospital comparison tool is now on-line. Go to www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/

NCOA has published a variety of fact sheets on the Affordable Health Care Act. If you would like copies, please email me at the address below.

To sign up for an on-line course in chronic disease management, go to selfmanage.org/BetterHealth/SignUp

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that all HUD-approved reverse mortgage counselors must use three NCOA tools to help older homeowners determine if a reverse mortgage is right for them. The tools include [NCOA’s] Use Your Home to Stay at Home consumer booklet, BenefitsCheckUp, and [NCOA’s] new Financial Interview Tool (FIT). The goal is to give prospective borrowers a holistic view of their options and risks in tapping home equity with these loans. If you would like a copy, please email me at the address below.

10) From The New York Times Health Update – nytdirect@nytimes.com

For information on monitoring devices designed to help the elderly to live independently, go to www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/garden/29parents.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y