This Active Life -- March 2003

Letters

Limit Spending on Drug Ads
Thank you for the excellent article, "Fighting for Fair Drug Prices" (January). The high cost of drugs is a major issue for retired citizens. Here's one possible solution I have not heard put forth: Limit the amount that pharmaceutical companies can spend on advertising.

I understand that the drug lobby is very powerful, and we would be fighting the advertising lobby as well. But I worry that without such a limit, the cost of prescription coverage would be prohibitive, and taxpayers will still foot the bill through added costs for Medicare. Pharmaceutical companies claim that drug research is what keeps their prices high, but we know that advertising is the culprit. Let's come up with a solution more creative than adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare.

Janis Grosenick
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Don't Take Benefits Away
I was happy to see the letters responding to your article about the Social Security offsets ("The Tale of the Shrinking Pensions," September). However, one letter writer advised that "teachers need to plan ahead and utilize 403(b) plans and IRAs." That's not the point! No matter what kind of preparations you made for your retirement, the government does not have a right to take away part of that benefit, nor do they have the right to punish spouses by not allowing them to receive all of an earned survivor benefit.

Mary Ella Bergmann
Bridgeton, New Jersey

Call for Riders
Contrary to stereotypes, many retirees like to get out and enjoy the open road on motorcycles. I'm interested in linking up with other retirees who ride to plan tours or, perhaps, attend rallies. If you're interested, please contact me at 6823 National Pike, New Salem, PA 15468; or e-mail paulbierer@hotmail.com.

Paul Bierer
New Salem, Pennsylvania

Contributions

Many stories and features that appear in This Active Life are inspired by letters and e-mails we get from NEA-Retired members with ideas and concerns to share. Over the next month, we'd especially appreciate hearing from you if you'd like to contribute to the following story:

Avoiding Fraud and Cons. Senior citizens are common targets of mail and telemarketing fraud as well as old-fashioned con artists. We're looking for the stories of members who have been victimized, so that we can help others avoid becoming victims. Your name will be withheld at your request.

In addition, we are always looking for members with interesting hobbies, or who exemplify a commitment to service, for the "People" section of the magazine. Please send your ideas to John O'Neil, Editor, This Active Life, NEA Communications, 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036. Or e-mail joneil@nea.org.

Newsletter Editors, Take Note:
Please consider entering your local or state Retired newsletter in the 2003 NEA-Retired Newsletter Awards competition. The competition recognizes newsletters that do an outstanding job communicating with local and state Retired members. Newsletters should be well written, visually appealing, and should serve as an effective organizing tool. For an entry form, contact NEA-Retired, 1201 16th St., N.W., Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036.

News Flashes

Medicare Debate Looms
At press time, the Sunday talk shows and op-ed sections in major newspapers were heating up over the latest proposal to revamp Medicare. In his State of the Union address, President Bush formally introduced his plan to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. But the benefit is directed at those willing to forgo traditional Medicare and join privately managed plans. Moreover, the administration's estimate of the funding required is far less than what many health care experts believe would be required. Look for competing proposals to emerge from Congress as the debate continues.

Online Drug Savings Help
The National Coalition on the Aging recently launched a unique service that might help you with your prescription drug bills.

"BenefitsCheckUpRx" is a free Web-based service that can help you determine if you qualify for any state or federal programs to reduce your drug costs. It takes only a few minutes to fill in a form, and your personal information is confidential. You'll be informed of discount programs for which you qualify and told how to apply. For more, go to www.BenefitsCheckUpRx.org.

Identity Theft Rising
An estimated 30,000 people were victims in a huge identity theft scheme uncovered by authorities recently. The bust was a reminder that you should take care to safeguard your identity to reduce the chance you'll be a victim of fraud. Some suggestions: Check your credit report annually, shred documents with personal information before throwing them out, and don't give out any personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call. For guidance on how to protect yourself, browse the website of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse at www.privacyrights.org.