I was wrong on both counts.

The next letter I received was from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It welcomed me to Medicare, told me I was registered to use the MyMedicare.gov website and that I should go there to complete my Initial Enrollment Questionnaire or “IEQ.” This was a bit puzzling since I had filled out a questionnaire during the enrollment process, but I concluded that this must be the first questionnaire since I became enrolled. In any case I went to the website and answered questions about my employment status, my wife’s employment stratus and whether or not I was receiving benefits for Black Lung, Worker’s Compensation or for illness or injury caused by someone else.

I next received a letter telling me again that I needed to pay an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). I had received a very similar letter a month earlier providing the same information about the IRMAA.  This second letter referenced the fact that I received the same information a month earlier. I still had no information about how to pay.

A few days later I received two letters on the same day. One letter from SSA in Jamaica, New York (my previous letters had been from my local SSA office) which told me my Medicare premium would be about $100 a month higher than the previous letters I had received. The other letter from CMS in St Louis was essentially a Medicare billing notice to pay yet another amount of money to cover Medicare Medical Insurance for a three month period.

Now I was thoroughly confused: I had three different amounts and a bill for one of those amounts. So I called my local SSA office and asked for help. A very nice person (who I had the sense has been through this a number of times) explained: Medicare charges most people a base amount to which is added the IRMAA. The first and second letters told me told me what my IRMAA would be; the third letter added the base amount and IRMAA together; the billing notice only covered the base amount for a three month period since St Louis was probably not up-to-date on my IRMAA. Her advice to me: pay the CMS billing notice amount and wait for St Louis to catch up on the correct billing.

I thanked her for her help and commented it was interesting that there had been a lot of communication but it still managed to create confusion. She responded: “That’s why we are here: to create confusion!” We both laughed and I thanked her again for alleviating mine.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2012 R.K. Price

A week or so later I received another letter from Social Security Administration (SSA) focusing on how much I will need to pay each month to receive my Medicare Part B Medical Insurance benefit (as opposed to the Part A Hospital Insurance benefit). These payments will be in addition to the Medicare taxes my employers and I have both paid since the inception of the program, a not insignificant sum in the aggregate for either party. The letter was silent as to whether I would need to pay anything for Part A Hospital Insurance, but I learned from another source that, in consideration of my payments over the years that, like most people, I do not need to pay an additional premium for Part A. (It would be helpful in my view if the SSA included that tidbit in their communication.)

In order to determine my Medicare Part B IRMAA (in the middle of the letter “premium”  becomes the “IRMAA” or Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), the SSA consulted with the Internal Revenue Service in order to compute my “MAGI” or Modified Adjusted Gross Income from 2010. My MAGI is the sum of my adjusted gross income from my joint tax return with my wife increased by a small amount of tax exempt interest excluded from our taxable income. Based on my MAGI, the SSA consulted a table (included with the letter) and determined my IRMAA.

The letter also lists a variety situations e.g. marriage, divorce, annulment, death, job loss, reduced hours, loss in income-producing property, cancelled pension plan, bankruptcy, that could affect my MAGI and hence my IRMAA. Fortunately, none of these applied in my case.

So I now know how much I will pay. I am still unsure what method I will use to pay my IRMAA but, unlike the first letter I received from SSA which made no reference to further correspondence, the most recent letter said “If you do not contact us within 10 days after you receive this letter, we will send you another letter which will tell you how you will pay the income-related monthly adjustment amount.”

I look forward to that.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2012 R.K. Price

After spending several days adjusting to the idea that I am actually old enough for Medicare, I decided to take the plunge. Actually, I am three months shy of my 65th birthday but Medicare suggests that one apply three months in advance.

You can apply at a Social Security Office or on-line. Since my blood pressure tends to surge while standing in lines in government offices, I opted for the on-line approach. I am pleased to report it worked well.

The entire process took just a few minutes and was mostly straightforward. The only quirky part was in the section describing what medical coverage I have now, and what I will have after age 65 from my previous employer. None of the boxes provided seemed to provide the opportunity to answer clearly. Fortunately there is a message box included in the on-line form which I was able to use to explain the situation. A push of the button and I was officially an applicant.

Today (about 10 days after applying) I received a “Notice of Award” telling me I am entitled to Medicare hospital and medical insurance beginning next year (I knew that). It also told me that “we will send you a Medicare card” and that “you can enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D)” which I won’t do because my former employer’s plan is better.

More ominously, the notice also told me “The benefit in this letter is the only one you can receive from Social Security.” That is wrong since I am also entitled to a retirement benefit (at least until Congress takes it away) but I attribute the errant sentence to poor draftsmanship in the government letter writing department.

More interestingly, the letter then went on at significant length to tell me what to do if I disagreed with the decision to send me a Medicare card including filing an appeal, getting representation, seeking reconsideration, getting a hearing, appealing to the Appeals Council, filing suit in Federal Court and directed me to the enclosed pamphlet which described all of this in greater detail. Whew!

The questions I wanted answered most were how much is this going to cost me and what are my payment options. On these topics there was no information provided. I am assuming all of this will come in due course. Time will tell.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2011 R.K. Price

Our brains are constantly changing. The brain that began reading this blog entry is not the same brain that will finish reading it. This is due to the brain’s plasticity – its ability to create neurons (cells that process and transmit information) and neural connections throughout our lives. Our brains change throughout our lifetimes and we can help shape those changes. With proper health care and physical and cognitive exercise we can even increase our intelligence levels.

Proper brain care begins with many of the same things that are important for the other parts of our body: healthy diet, appropriate body weight, physical exercise and adequate sleep.

Brain exercise requires using our memory. There are many types of memory, but, at the risk of oversimplification, there are two major categories of memory: short-term or working memory and long-term memory. We put information into our short term memory for use in the near term, e.g. phone numbers, directions, where we put our keys, the name of the person we just met, daily to-do lists, recipes. The more we work with information from our short term memory – use it multiple times, manipulate it, share it with others – the more likely it is to enter into our long-term memory. Long term memory is like a huge storage center full of interconnected information we have sent there as well as sensory and emotional experiences.

Working memory tends to be low in young children, high in middle adulthood and to decline with age. The decline is part of the normal aging process. The good news is that working memory can be improved with a deliberate effort.

We can begin that effort by simply paying attention. If we are not paying attention or maintaining a reasonable level of interest in what is going on around us, not much will be going on in working memory. Similarly, if we try to multitask or let ourselves be easily distracted our working memory will be weaker.

We also need to work with or manipulate our stored memories to strengthen our working memories. We do this naturally as we live our daily lives, setting goals and schedules, solving problems, handling changes in information, setting priorities, organizing etc.

In addition, there are simple exercises and games that can stimulate and enhance our working memories. The key is to manipulate information we already have stored. Some examples:

• Recite the alphabet backwards.
• Spell words backwards. Start with five letter words and work your way up to longer ones.
• Take a brief look at a set of pictures and then try to describe what you saw in as much detail as possible.
• Write down a series of numbers in the morning and try to remember them for the rest of the day.
• Pick a letter of the alphabet and see how many words you can name that begin with that letter in the space of a minute.
• Name the States from east to west, west to east, south to north, north to south
• Play video games that require you to manipulate information.
• Play card games – poker and bridge are particularly good.
• Learn to dance or learn to dance a new step.
• After you see a play or a movie, write down its essential plot line.

There are also books, courses and web sites that can be helpful. The Teaching Company offers a course in Optimizing Brain Fitness. The Lumosity website offers interesting and progressively challenging brain exercises.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2011 R.K. Price

• accomplishing something worthwhile e.g. helping your community or the environment; raising money for scholarships community  parks, playgrounds, senior citizen programs and medical care for those in need,
• meeting new people,
• making friends,
• learning new skills etc.

While there are a variety of national organizations – some are described below – there are also thousands of local or regional organizations. Look in your “yellow pages” or type in your area of interest and location into your web browser.

Some of the clubs that have a significant “fraternal” aspect to them, in addition to their community service activities, may have some membership requirements, e.g. being recommended by a current member, being a US citizen or of a minimum age. These are not usually burdensome.

Ever wonder what the Elks, Kiwanis, Lions, Moose and Rotarians do?

The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks Of the USA (BPO Elks)

The BPO Elks organization dates its founding to 1868 in New York City. Today its nearly 1.2 million men and women are organized into Lodges in almost 2,200 communities.

The BPO Elks are involved in a wide range of charitable and patriotic activities with particular focus on youth, patriotic and disaster recovery programs. They support scouting, scholarships, 4-H clubs, youth athletics, drug awareness, veterans, flag day and civic pride programs among others.

Learn more at: www.elks.org

Kiwanis International

“Serving the Children of the World” is a major theme of the Kiwanis. Their motto is “We build.”

The name “Kiwanis” was adapted from an Otchipew (Native American) term “Nunc Kee-wanis” meaning: “We make a noise.” Kiwanis Club service projects focus on a wide variety of areas with a particular focus on young children. Children’s program can address needs in pediatric trauma, safety, health care, nutrition, of iodine deficiency disorders, development and other areas. Other Kiwanis programs focus on the broader needs of the community including substance abuse prevention, elder care, youth sports programs, literacy and disaster response among others.

Learn more at www.Kiwanis.org

Lions Clubs International

“We serve” is the stated mission of the Lions Clubs International. There are more than 44,000 clubs. The organization was founded in 1917 in Illinois by a group of business organizations which agreed that community service should be a important part of their activities.

While Lions Clubs have community service programs in a wide variety of areas, they are known in particular for their service to the blind and visually impaired. In 1925, Helen Keller challenged the Lions to be “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.” The Lions Clubs have responded with a number of programs to assist the visually challenged including recycling of eyeglasses, financial support for individuals who require cataract surgery and educational programs on diabetic eye disease and glaucoma.

Other Lions Clubs activities include providing assistance to the hearing impaired, diabetes awareness and education materials, environmental projects and youth programs.

Learn more at: www.lionsclubs.org

Moose International

Moose International is composed of two main units: the Loyal Order of Moose (for men) and the Women of the Moose (not for men).
The organization was founded in the late 1800’s and was originally a social institution for men. A women’s organization was added early in the 1900’s. Today the combined organizations have approximately 1.6 million members organized into one of 2,000 Lodges (men) and 1,600 Chapters (women) throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda.

Moose International owns and operates Mooseheart, a home and school in Illinois for children in need as well as Moosehaven in Florida for Moose men and women of retirement age. While continuing to provide a fraternal environment, Moose International is also involved in a wide variety of community service activities.

Learn more at www.mooseintl.org

Rotary International

“Service Above Self” is the Rotary motto. There are more than 30,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 106 countries world-wide. The name “Rotary” come from the fact that the initial meetings of the organization in the early 1900’s would “rotate” among members’ homes.

Rotarians have been a major force in the elimination of polio world-wide, both through fund-raising and through volunteers who have assisted in immunization efforts. Other Rotary efforts are directed at children’s’ issues, poverty, hunger, improving literacy, reducing violence and promoting world understanding through international humanitarian service programs and educational and cultural exchanges.

Learn more at: www.rotary.org

What if you can’t find an organization that meets your needs? You might consider starting one. This is probably not something you want to do entirely on your own. But if you can find several other folks with a similar interest(s), you could be the catalyst for bringing them together. This could result in an informal ad hoc collaborative effort or perhaps it could into an ongoing organization with bylaws, officers, annual plan, a budget, fund-raising, and maybe even a convention!

Need help in getting your fledgling organization organized? Type “organizing a club” into your browser to see how other folks have done it or visit your local library for a book on the topic.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2011 R.K. Price

But we may differ substantially on how much we have aged mentally and physiologically. Some of the difference can be traced to genetics and there isn’t much we can do about that (at least yet). But much of the difference results from the lifestyle choices we have made throughout our lives, and continue to make as we move into the future. Better lifestyle choices can help us age more
successfully and delay senescence.

But how do we define “successful aging”? Long life? No loss of mobility? Freedom from disease? Staying sharp mentally? Avoiding a nursing home? Remaining happy?

Robert Havighurst, writing in the first issue of the journal The Gerontologist in 1961, defined it as “adding life to the years” and “getting satisfaction from life.” R.C. Gibson said it entailed “reaching one’s potential” and achieving a level of physical, social and psychological well-being” that is pleasing both to yourself and others.

John Rowe and Robert Kahn in their book Successful Aging (Pantheon, 1998) define successful aging as the ability to maintain three key behaviors or characteristics:

1. low risk of disease and disease-related disability;
2. high mental and physical function;
3. active engagement with life.

Another way of putting it is that there are three essential components over which you have some control: physical, mental and social.

There is a plethora of research which demonstrates that to maintain physical well-being we need to exercise and live healthy life styles. We can also become informed about the physical aging process – what is normal and what isn’t. It is surprising how little most of us know about what to expect as we age and what we can do to offset age-related declines.

To maintain mental/cognitive well-being we need to exercise our brains in new and challenging ways. Ball-room dancing, solving challenging puzzles, learning a foreign language are all excellent activities. And it is important to note that recent research proves that you can continue to learn and develop at any age and stage of life. Don’t believe the old adage “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”
because you can.

The third component of Rowe & Kahn’s model is that of remaining actively engaged with life. Remaining socially engaged or meaningfully connected can be harder if you are no longer in the workforce and your built-in social circle of co-workers is no longer available. There are many ways to fill that gap, ranging from joining clubs to spending more time with family, taking classes or
volunteering. Many individuals find that in retirement there is now the time for creativity, exploration, continued learning and for giving back.

So while successful aging and successful retirement are different topics, they are clearly related. Focusing on both aspects of growing older can help us fill our senior years with a sense of satisfaction, meaning, achievement,  fulfillment and well-being. That’s my definition of successful aging.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2011 R.K. Price

Answer: The British Imperial System of weights and measures.

While we continue with ounces (of the dry kind), pounds, tons, inches, feet, yards, acres, ounces (of the wet kind), pints, quarts and gallons, tablespoons, teaspoons, cups, fractional portions of all of them, volumetric versions of some and Fahrenheit temperatures, the rest of the world (excepting Myanmar and Liberia) has gone metric including the British.

Why did they do that?

The metric system is simpler, easier and more logical: it uses fewer measures, e.g. meters for distance, grams for weight; it is scalable using standard prefixes across measures, e.g. “kilo” for 1,000, “milli” for 1,000th; it uses decimals which are a lot easier to work with in making calculations than are fractions.

The US Congress legalized the metric system for use in the US in 1866 (yes, 1866). In 1988, Congress declared the metric system was the preferred system for use in the US. What is holding us up? In large measure, it is probably the inertia of the familiar. But the vast majority of the industrialized world has gone/is going metric. The US will need to also if we wish to remain competitive. How can you help? Learn and use metric; remember it is simpler and easier than the British Imperial system we use now which has its roots in the Middle Ages.

Learn more here.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2011 R.K. Price

Myth #1: All older adults are the same.

I Iike to say if you have seen one 65 year old, you’ve seen one 65 year old. Given the years of living and the diverse experiences a 65 has had, how can we really expect them all to be the same? Of course one reason for this stereotype is that it makes it easier for others to deal with older adults as a single group: the “old” or the “elderly.” But there are over 34 million people over age 65 today and another 76 million boomers coming along, do we really think they will be a homogenous group? They aren’t now and won’t be as they reach the ranks of “old”: our arbitrary but commonly accepted age 65.

Myth # 2: Most older adults are lonely.

If you ask older adults about two-thirds say they are never or hardly lonely.

Of course we have to be careful here not to generalize because there are a number of factors such as age, health, marital status, living arrangements etc. that can have an impact. However, generally speaking, research has shown that while the number of casual friendships may decline somewhat, the number of close friendships tends to remain about the same. If you had a lot of close friends when you were younger, you will probably have a lot of close friends as you grow older; if you were more comfortable with a small circle of friends, that will probably continue to be true in your senior years.

Myth # 3: Older adults are unable to learn new things or “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”.

This is probably one of the most damaging and insidious of the stereotypes because it affects what we expect of older adults and can affect what older adults think they can do themselves.

It has been clearly shown that older adults can continue to learn and do new things as they age. Yes, it may take an older person longer but they are just as able if given enough time and repetition. Also the way they are “trained” or taught to do something new can make a difference. They need to be able to “think things through” to achieve understanding

Lots of older people learn to navigate ATMs, smart phones, PCs, I-Pads, TIVOs, GPSs, digital cameras and the like. They do it by reading the manual rather than by the “trial and error” approach more common to younger people.

Myth # 4: Most older people are depressed.

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that about 5% of the U.S. population over the age of 12 is depressed at any point in time. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that between 1 and 5% of older adults suffer from depression. So the reality is: most older adults are NOT depressed and in fact the frequency of depression on older adults does not vary significantly from the population at large.

Myth # 5: Everyone becomes confused or forgetful if they live long enough.

This is not true. There are plenty of centenarians who are perfectly clear thinkers with fine memories.

It is true that illness and drug interactions, which can create delirium or confusion at any age, seem to have a greater impact on people over the age of 85. However, once the illness has passed or the drug interaction has been corrected the confusion usually dissipates also. The frequency of dementia also increases as we grow older: about 35% of adults over 85 have some degree of dementia. However, dementia is not a normal or inevitable result of the aging process.

Myth # 6: As your body changes with age, so does your personality.

The two (body and personality) are not connected. Your body will change with age. That is inevitable. Your personality – the mix of behavioral, social, emotional traits and characteristics that describe you as a person – may evolve somewhat as you mature, but your essential personality was pretty much formed by the time you graduated from your teenage years. Absent the onset of dementia, if you were a kind, pleasant, happy, gregarious person as a middle-aged adult, you will likely be the same person in your senior years. If you were a grumpy curmudgeon, that’s unlikely to change.

Myth # 7: Suicide is mainly a problem for teenagers.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. However, older adults are more likely to die by suicide than young people. Of every 100,000 people ages 65 and older, approximately 14 die each year by suicide. That figure is higher than the national average of approximately 11 suicides per 100,000 people in the general population.

Myth # 8: People begin to lose interest in sex around age 55.

The sex drive does decline as we grow older but it starts earlier, as early as age 30 for men, somewhat later for women. The decline is generally slow and gradual. It does not come to a screeching halt with grey hair. More than half of adults in their 60s and 70s are still sexually active as are a quarter of those in their 80s. The challenge for many is usually not lack of interest but the lack of a healthy partner or concerns over body image, performance anxiety or lubrication issues.

Myth # 9: Most older adults live in poverty.

In the early 1960s about one in three older adults lived in poverty. Since then, with the addition of Medicare and programs supporting housing, nutrition and transportation, along with the strengthening of Social Security and protections for private pensions, the living conditions for older adults have improved greatly. Only about one in ten live below the poverty line which is a slightly better result than for the population as a whole.

Myth # 10: Falls and injuries just happen to older adults.

Falls resulting in injury happen at any age. The group that has the least number of falls with injury is people age 25 to 44. Children under the age of 15 and adults between the ages of 65 and 74 fall twice as much as the 25 to 44 year olds. Falls with injury increase in the over age 75 population to about four times the rate of 25-44 year old adults. This means about one in ten adults over the age of 75 experiences a fall with injury each year.

What clearly does increase with age is the likelihood of being injured in a fall. Older bodies have thinner skin, less cushioning and more brittle bones than their younger counterparts and thus are more likely to sustain damage.

It is always helpful to have the facts to help form our opinions and to not let myths and stereotypes cloud our judgments about ourselves or others.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2011 R.K. Price

– William James

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Volunteering – the chance to make a difference, to give back, to help others in need. It takes many forms from fairly structured assignments to informal helping of neighbors. With older adults living longer and healthier, many are looking for volunteer opportunities in their post-work lives. There are and many non-profit organizations, churches, hospitals, schools looking for help. Fortunately there are also groups and web sites to help bring the volunteers and those who need them together.

There are several factors to consider when deciding what volunteer opportunities you might wish to take on in retirement (or at any time for that matter).

First – is there a cause or mission you deeply care about? For example, if homelessness is of major concern to you, look into volunteering at homeless shelters or soup kitchens. If literacy and children strike a chord, think about tutoring or mentoring programs. And if, like the author’s wife, you care about nursing home residents and like dogs, then pet therapy might be right for you. Whatever the cause, you’ll find that volunteering for an agency or group that works in support of an issue or cause you care about will probably make that volunteer experience more meaningful and rewarding.

Second – how much time do you want to spend? This is one of the first questions volunteer groups will ask. Is it an hour a week or several days a month? Some volunteer jobs require more of a commitment. For example, Experience Corps, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. that pays 1800 older adults small stipends to tutor school children in 14 cities requires at least 15 hours per week. Their volunteers rave about the program.

Other factors to consider:
• Do you want to work in a team or alone?
• Do you want or need a stipend?
• Do you prefer episodic or scheduled assignments?
• Are challenging/meaningful assignments available?
• Does the organization or agency provide training and support to its volunteers?

Nonprofits realize that the coming retirement of the baby boomer generation – the 76 million born between 1946 and 1964 – presents a wonderful opportunity to engage a large cohort in productive and meaningful service to help address community needs. However, some agencies are more ready and able than others to accommodate flexible volunteer schedules and other volunteer preferences. And in some cases, the staff of nonprofits may find your skill sets intimidating (particularly if you are volunteering to do what they get paid to do). So do your homework and proceed gently.

Here is a list of websites to help you get started.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2011 R.K. Price

Consider writing your own story.

There can be many reasons for doing this, among them: to put your life in perspective; to create a record for your children or other loved ones; to create ties to a photographic record; to record your participation in events during your lifetime; to document medical issues that might be of interest to later generations of your family; to chronicle lessons learned from your failures and successes; to reflect on your loves and passions; and many others. If you think this is a project you might want to undertake, you might begin by writing down your motivation(s).

Unlike a journal/diary (see the December 2010 post) which is written for you, a personal history is expressly being written for others. Maybe it is a limited audience; maybe you don’t want it read until after your demise, but it is being written for others. So you need to ask: for whom am I writing? Your choice of audience(s) will help frame your writing.

How much do you want to cover? While your story could begin with your progenitors and proceed to the present day, you may want to limit your scope to some extent, at least initially. Consider jotting down a timeline of the major events of your life (birth, parents, education, military service, work, marriage, children, friends, health, housing, etc.) and reflect on whether you want to do a summary of the highlights, focus on particular events, cover the entire story or some other mix.

If writing seems like too much work, you might consider making an oral recording of your history on tape or digitally.

If you have difficulty figuring out how to get started or how to organize your history, therememberingsite.org can provide assistance (Note: there is a $50 registration fee but you can also access a lot of useful information without registering).  A couple of books that can be helpful are: Legacy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Your Personal History by Linda Spence (Swallow Press, 1997) and How to Write Your Own Life Story by Lois Daniel (Chicago Review Press, 1997).

Another alternative might be to employ someone to interview you and write your story for you. If this approach interests you,  personalhistorians.org offers various resources.

You might also consider assisting a friend or a relative with writing his or her own story. This could be a way to try out personal history writing before tackling your own; or, if you have already completed your own, working with someone else could provide you with a new, fun project. Assisting a parent in writing his or her story could also help you develop some additional perspective on your own.

R. Kevin Price

www.successfulretirementguide.com

© 2008-2010 R.K. Price