Gary Christenson (ward1info@yahoo.com)

Ward 1 update‏
From:
Sent: Wed 10/01/08 2:09 AM
To: councillor@comcast.net

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Dear Ward 1 Neighbors,

Here is the latest from around the neighborhood and city:

UPCOMING WARD AND CITYWIDE EVENTS:
* Every Thursday throughout October, the Heritage Apartments, 195 Pleasant Street (next to City Hall) will host a Farmer's Market and Yard Sale in the parking lot from 10 am - 7 pm. For more information, please call 781-321-3485.

* 59 Green Street's Annual Flea Market will be held this Saturday, October 4th from 9 am - 4 pm in the community room and gazebo. Please stop by as proceeds will go back into residential programs in the building.

* The First Joe Croken 5K walk/run will be held this Saturday, October 4th starting at Anthony's at 10 am. Joe was the Clerk Magistrate for Malden District Court and he did so much for our community.

* The Annual Bread of Life "Walk for Bread" will be held this Sunday, October 5th from 1-3 pm at Pine Banks Park. For more information about the walk or to make a donation, please call the Bread of Life at 781-397-0404.

* The Malden Planning Board will be meeting next Wednesday, October 8th at 7 pm in City Hall, Council Chamber. There are two items on the docket that affect Ward 1. Both items pertain to the 188 Commercial Street plaza. First, Super 88 will be looking to sell limited alcoholic beverages and the second item has to do with the Social Security Administration relocating from City Hall to the plaza. These items were tabled at the September 10th meeting.

* Halloween Craft Time will be held at the Malden Public Library, Children's Program Room on Saturday, October 11th from 2-4 pm. For more information, please call the libary at 781-324-0218.

* The Ferryway School PTO will be having its monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 14th beginning at 6:30 pm in the school library.

* Malden Senior Action Council will be hosting a fundraiser at the Dockside Restaurant, 229 Centre Street on Tuesday, October 23rd from 4-8 pm. 10 percent of all purchases will go back to this great organization.

* You are invited to crash CladdaghBing, the original Irish Italian Comedy Wedding on Friday, October 24th from 7-10 pm at Anthony's. The cost for a ticket is $45 and the proceeds will be dedicated to the Malden Holiday Parade which will be held on Saturday, November 22nd at 4:30 pm. For more information, please visit www.claddaghBing.com or contact Meghan Drummey at 781-974-2345.

* Malden Public Library's Annual Book and Bake Sale will take place on Saturday, October 25th from 10-4 pm. For more information, please call the libary at 781-324-0218.

* The Annual Friends of Oak Grove (FOOGI) 5K Haunt Jaunt will take place on Sunday, October 26th beginning at 10 am at 6 Grove Street (Oak Grove Community Building). For more information about this fun-filled event, please visit www.friendsofoakgrove.org.

* Mayor Howard's Hunter Moon Dinner Dance for Malden's seniors will take place on Thursday, October 30th from 5-9 pm at the Irish-American Hall.

* The Malden Chamber of Commerce Annual Trick or Treat with Malden businesses will take place in Malden Square on Thursday, October 31st from 3:30-5 pm.

CITY COUNCIL NEWS:
The Ordinance Committee voted to amend city council rules to require a public hearing before we adopt our budget. I recommended this change along with a number of my colleagues...On my recommendation, the Malden Traffic Commission has increased the fine for parking cars on sidewalks from $50 to $75...City job postings are now online and can be found on the city's website by looking under "Human Resources"...As a result of our meetings on the city's switch from a quarterly to a monthly billing cycle for all water bills, the city will be abating ratepayers who were bumped up to another step due to the extending billing cycle. You should see a credit on an upcoming water bill...Don't forget that "pay-as-you-throw" starts in Ward 1 this Monday, October 6th. Bags are now on sale and attached are two memorandums regarding the new program. Enforcement will begin a few weeks after October 6th with fines starting at $50 for non-compliance. Also, the DPW has received an order of 5,000 new recycle bins. Everyone who does not have a bin is entitled to one for free. If you want additional bins, the DPW is selling them for $5. The DPW also had stickers printed (one says co-mingled and the other says paper/cardboard). These stickers are free and can be used to convert existing trash barrels or containers into recycling bins. The hotline for residents who have questions about the "pay-as-you-throw" program is 781-397-7186...Curbside yard waste pick-up schedule will be weekly in October and November. For more information, please contact the DPW at 781-397-7160...The city is looking to hire 3 temporary/part-time winter parking enforcement officers. The positions will work between Nov. 1st through April 1st between 11 pm and 4 am (15 hours per week and weekends are a must). The salary is $11.72 per hour and duties are to enforce parking regulations throughout the city. You need a valid MA drivers license and an excellent driving and clean criminal record. For more information, please contact Mary Lewis of the Malden Traffic Commission at 781-397-7190 or mlewis@cityofmalden.org...A neighbor asked that I let you know that a busy holistic office offering chiropractic and nutritional health is looking to hire a position. Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, answering phones, collecting co-pays, verifying insurance benefits, and bringing patients to treatment rooms. They are looking for a candidate that is detailed oriented, able to multi task and friendly to our patients. This position is 28 to 32 hours per week. Experience in an alternative health care office preferred, but they will consider other healthcare backgroundsor educational certificates. Please fax your resume to 781-324-6836. They are looking to hire immediately...Don't forget that October 15th is the last day to register to vote for the upcoming presidential election to be held on Tuesday, November 4th. For more information, please contact the City Clerk's Office at 781-397-7116 or cityclerk@cityofmalden.org...The School Committee recently voted that to competitively bid cleaning services on certain shifts at Malden High School and the Ferryway School. The City Council will be looking at this issue in the near future...2008 MCAS results for Malden can be found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/results.html...I sponsored a resolve that the Malden Police Department post its daily police logs online...Don't forget that the Winter Parking Ban begins on Saturday, November 1...The Park at Riverʼs Edge is now open to the public. Hours, for now, are 10 am - 4 pm, Monday through Friday. The entrance is on the path near the Citizens Bank building at the Wellington Business Center. There are also several parking spaces there for the public.


WARD 1 NEWS:
Our 8th Annual Back-to-School Bowling Party was a great success. Thank you to Peg Crowe and the Ferryway School PTO on another fun-filled event for the kids...Thank you to the Regent Road residents led by Jimmy Nash for recently having me over for coffee. We had a good meeting and covered alot of issues...Condolences to the Decourcy family on the passing of Don...I met with a few neighbors about the Green, Medford, and Bell Rock Street intersection. A study suggests closing off Bell Rock Street. The neighbors and I are meeting again this Thursday, October 2nd at 6 pm at Dunkin Donuts, 54 Eastern Avenue to further review the proposal...The wall at the Converse Street entrance of Bell Rock Cemetery is going to be repaired this fiscal year...Congratulations to the Ferryway School for an award by the George Lucas Foundation for integrating technology with lessons on history, science, and language...Recent Ward 1 foreclosures occurred at 61 Walnut Street, 34-36 Judson Street, and 12 Fairmont Terrace...The final phase of repairing Belmont Street between Walnut and Ferry Street will happen before the winter sets in...Asahi America has added additional lighting at their own expense to help at night...17 Wilson Avenue has been taken under receivership by the Malden Redevelopment Authority meaning that the property will be fixed up and resold...We had another productive neighborhood crime watch meeting. Thank you to all who participated and there will be another meeting in the future...Police incidents involving Ward 1 residents showed Bart Rosher, 11 Berry Street, being arrested on Friday, August 29th on a charge of breaking and entering a motor vehicle and Paul Bey, 27 Howard Street, for driving a car with a suspended license and reckless operation...Thank you to Ellen O'Leary and Deb Gelzenes who joined me in cleaning up the Green Street Park area...Kudos also go out to everyone who helped with the summer concert at Bell Rock Memorial Park...MATV's Neighborhood Dish led by Ward 1 residents Paula Spizziri and Karen Yates was recently awarded for the best new show on MATV although we'll see if that changes once my cooking skills are televised! Paula is also to be congratulated for winning the election to become MATV's newest board member...The Green Street Park rehab of the basketball courts has just a few punch list items left...I attended the following meetings and events on behalf of Ward 1 during the past month: Irish-American Road Race; Annual Senior Citizens' Cookout; Pay-as-you-throw forum; Housing Families Networking Night; Bread of Life Board meeting; River's Edge Commission meeting; MATV annual meeting; Ferryway School Open House; Malden Pop Warner Comedy Night; Malden High School Flea Market; Bread of Life Yard Sale; Sacred Hearts Parish Church Festival; Harvest Moon Festival; Window Arts Malden 2008 Reception; "Run for Wednesday's Child;" and the MBTA's 2009 Service Plan meeting...Please continue to report any street light outages, graffiti issues, and/or abandoned shopping carts to me as soon as possible...Peg, Loretta Sullivan, and I continue to call BINGO at 59 Green Street on Monday nights so please stop by and say hello. All games start at 7 pm and are held in the Community Room...Finally, don't forget to bookmark the city's website, www.cityofmalden.org if you haven't already done so.

That's it for now! Please e-mail me back or call me with any further questions at (781) 389-3148.

Sincerely,


Gary Christenson,
Ward 1 City Councillor






























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About SCM Transportation

At first glance, SCM appears to be an average transportation agency. But think twice about that. Our real goal is to make it a relief to give up the car keys.

Yes, we run a fleet of twenty-six fully equipped para-transit vehicles. But what we really care about is maintaining lifestyles. Beyond the mere provision of rides, SCM is making it possible for people to live independently in their own homes. We know that you can't continue living in your house if you cannot also get out and about.

SCM's offering is impeccable and intimate. We provide truly door-to-door service, greeting our riders at their doorway and escorting them back and forth to our vans. Our greatest pride is our highly-trained, friendly, and professional driving staff. You've never seen a more safety-oriented bunch. And it won't be long before you are on a first-name basis with us.

To meet our riders’ needs, SCM partners with more than thirty local municipalities, councils on aging, commissions for persons with disabilities, and elder service agencies. We can also set up a private account for you or someone you look after.

Call our reservations staff at 617.625.1191 between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm for more information.

Notice Regarding Parking Regulations on Exchange Street

To print: Click here or Select File and then Print from your browser's menu

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This article was printed from http://www.cityofmalden.org
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By: Mayor Office
8/4/2008


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Effective Monday, August 18, 2008, the Malden Police Department will begin enforcing the parking regulations on Exchange Street. Signs will be installed advising all visitors, shoppers and diners to Malden Square that on-street parking in many of these newly-created spaces will be limited to one hour between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. (Parkers who violate the rules will be subject to a fine.)



Exchange Street was recently repaved and an additional 33 on-street parking spaces were added under a publicly financed construction program, authorized by the Office of Mayor Richard C. Howard. The goal is to make Malden Square more convenient for shoppers, diners, visitors and residents by encouraging a frequent turnover of on-street parking.



If you have any questions about the program, you may contact the office of Mayor Howard at 781-397-7000 or City Councillor James Nestor at 781-324-2672. This is just one of many public improvements that the City and its officials will continue to bring to Malden Square.




News Home| Search| News Archives

CHECKLIST UTILITY CONSUMERS

CHECKLIST OF KEY PROTECTIONS FOR UTILITY CONSUMERS

1. SERIOUS ILLNESS: ALWAYS ask your client if there is ANY person in the household (adult or child) who has a serious illness. Utilities cannot shut off (and must restore) utility service if anyone in the house has a serious illness. An illness can be physical (pneumonia, etc.) or mental (depression, bipolar, ADHD), short-term (e.g., flu) or long-term (cancer). The utility company does NOT get to decide what is a serious illness. All you need is a letter from a doctor. A phone call from the doctor to the company is initially ok, if later followed by a letter. We should expect and demand that utility service be restored the same day (at worst, the next day) whenever we document a serious illness, by phone, fax or letter from a doctor. You will also need to document that the client has a “financial hardship” in paying bills. The regulations are 220 CMR 25.03 (see #8 below). Any client who receives LIHEAP (fuel assistance) is automatically presumed to have a financial hardship.

3. CHILD UNDER 12 MONTHS: ALWAYS ask if there is a child under the age of 12 months in the household. A utility company cannot terminate service if there is a young child in the home, and must restore service that has been terminated if the child was in the home at or prior to the time of termination. The child’s age can be documented by birth certificate, baptismal certificate, or any other reasonable means. “Financial hardship” must also be shown. 220 CMR 25.03 (see #8 below).

4. WINTER MORATORIUM: Utilities cannot terminate service that is heat-related (meaning: natural gas service, if used to heat the home; or electricity, if the tenant pays for heat because electricity is needed for furnace/boiler controls) between Nov. 15 and Mar. 15, if the household has a “financial hardship.” These dates are often extended to April 15 or April 30. 220 CMR 25.03 (see #8 below).

5. ELDERLY CLIENTS: If every person in the household is age 65 or over, the company needs the explicit approval of the DPU to terminate service, which is almost never granted. ALWAYS notify the company if everyone in the household is age 65 or over. If service has been terminated, it should be restored. 220 CMR 25.03 (see #8 below).

6. DISCOUNT RATES: ALWAYS determine if your client is on the low-income discount rate. However, many clients will not know. When in doubt, call the company to see if your client is on the rate. It’s very easy for the company to check. Many advocates have been able to get their clients on the rate retroactively to the date that the client became income eligible. This can be extremely helpful if the client has been terminated and owes a large amount because a retroactive adjustment will reduce or eliminate the arrearage. However, get advice from NCLC if you are trying to do this. Discount rates are mandated by law, and all companies have them. Clients on LIHEAP and with income at or below 200% of poverty are eligible for the discount and will usually get the discount automatically via the fuel assistance agency notifying the utility (but worth checking). Clients on TAFDC, Food Stamps, Mass Health, WIC, and other income-tested programs with income at or below 200% of poverty are also eligible, but may have to apply to the utility directly; some of these are being automatically enrolled as of 2005. Some of the companies post their discount rate applications on the web).

7. PAYMENT PLANS: ALL clients are entitled to PAYMENT PLANS. This allows a client who is behind on her bills to spread the payments over several months. If the client has NOT yet been terminated, the company MUST offer a payment plan of AT LEAST four months. Some payment plans go 12 months or longer. If the client has been terminated, the rules are not as favorable, and are strictest during the fall (because the winter moratorium is about to begin and companies are most aggressive in trying to shut off service). ALWAYS insist on a payment plan that your client can afford. 220 CMR 25.01(2), 25.02(6).

8. GO TO http://www.mass.gov/Eoca/docs/dte/cmr/220cmr2500.pdf AND BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. (If you don't know how to bookmark, ask someone in your office). This page includes the most relevant state regulations governing the billing and termination practices of utility companies. In this Checklist, the regulations are referred to as “220 CMR, (section #)” because these regulations are found in Title 220 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations.

9. If you have trouble getting a utility to comply with any of the protections or programs described above, call the DPU’s Consumer Division at 800 392-6066. The front-line phone representative should intervene on your client’s behalf. If not, ask to speak to his or her supervisor. Ultimately, you can speak to Karen Robinson, Director of the Consumer Division. If you need to take the complaint this far, contact Charlie Harak (see below).



Charles Harak, Esq.
National Consumer Law Center
77 Summer Street, 10th flr.
Boston, MA 02110-1006
617 542-8010 (voice)
617 542-8028 (fax)
charak@nclc.org

Old man McCain

view of democratic party?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages

Fannie and Freddie of effectively buying off activist groups by making charitable contributions to them. By providing much-needed grant money to the nonprofit groups, it made it hard for them to criticize the mortgage titans, said Jonathan GS Koppell, an associate professor at the Yale School of Management

Malden Government registered voters

GOVERNMENT

Municipal Offices
Main Number: (781) 397-7116
Telephone Numbers for Public Information

Form of Government
Mayor-Council
Year Incorporated
As a town: 1649
As a city: 1882
Registered Voters (Secretary of State 1994)

Number %
Total Registered 25,319


Democrats 12,853 50.8 %
Republicans 1,793 7.1 %
Other parties 2 0.0 %
Unenrolled Voters 10,671 42.1 %
Legislators
Senators and Representatives by City and Town

Firing bad teachers

Firing bad teachers may seem like a rather obvious solution, but it requires some gumption to take on a teachers union. And cleaning house isn't necessarily the only answer. There are three basic ways to improve a school's faculty: take greater care in selecting good teachers upfront, throw out the bad ones who are already teaching, and provide training to make current teachers better. In theory, the first two should have more or less the same effect, and it might seem preferable to focus on never hiring unpromising instructors—once entrenched, it's nearly impossible in most places to remove teachers from their union-protected jobs. But that's assuming we're good at predicting who will teach well in the first place.

Caring for America Elders‏
From: Howard McGowan (maldensenior@gmail.com)
Sent: Wed 4/16/08 7:51 PM
To: Malden asst to Mayor Debbie Burke (dburke@cityofmalden.org); Pam Edwards (topamedwards@hotmail.com)
Cc: Hcmgowan@hotmail.com

I hope you have looked over the Geriatric Center material that I left with you. This information plus a worksheet have been furnished to all the City Councilors (Now they don't need to "be in the dark" need more information etc.
When I was at the Statehouse for "Senior Action Day{ I was able to talk to M Festa the Secretary of Elder Affairs after he informed the assembled that he was funnelling money directly to the council on aging for general support of the Senior Centers and a travel program for Seniors. I invited him to the Senior Center when it opens to let him know we are getting the church ready. I cleared it with Chis DePietro on return
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE THE MAYOR as soon as the dust clears on the city hall issue. MSAC have some Senior issues to discuss regarding the Senior Center and their concerns. Hope we have your support!
We need better service from the non-profits charged with serving Malden
Here is what is happening on the national level.:
1. Sen. Boxer Introduces Health and Long-Term Care Workforce Bill
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced S. 2708, the Caring for an Aging America Act, on March 5. The bill would address the emerging gap between the increasing number of older Americans and the serious lack of providers trained in caring for their medical, health, and social support needs. NCOA supports the proposal.
The bill would provide $130 million over five years to recruit and retain trained healthcare professionals and direct-care workers by providing them with loan forgiveness and career advancement opportunities. Specifically, the legislation would:
• Establish a Geriatric and Gerontology Loan Repayment Program for health professionals who complete specialty training in geriatrics or gerontology and agree to provide full-time clinical practice and service to older adults for a minimum of two years.
• Expand eligibility for the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program to include registered nurses who complete specialty training and provide nursing services to older adults in long-term care settings.
• Offer specialty training in long-term care services through the existing Career Ladders Grants Program.
• Create a Health and Long-Term Care Workforce Advisory Panel for an Aging America to identify incentives for recruitment and retention of new populations of clinicians and providers to serve vulnerable older adults

Howard McGowan
349 Pleasant Street
Malden Ma 02148
781 324 8076

Masachusetts Health Care Reform Act

Health Care Access and Affordability
Conference Committee Report
Summary:
This Conference Committee Report contains a comprehensive plan for increasing
health insurance coverage for all residents of Massachusetts. This bill is a bridge
between principles in the House and Senate bills, H 4479 and S 2282. The bill
would redeploy current public funds to more effectively cover currently uninsured
low-income populations, and would make quality health coverage more affordable
for all residents of the Commonwealth. The bill promotes individual
responsibility by creating a requirement that everyone who can afford health
insurance obtain it, while also responding to concerns about barriers to health care
access. Provisions in the bill aim at achieving nearly universal health insurance
coverage, but also maintain a strong safety net that has historically distinguished
the state. Finally, the bill would ensure that the Massachusetts Medicaid program
complies with the terms of the new federal waiver, maintaining continued receipt
of annual payments from the federal Medicaid program.
A) Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector
The bill creates the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector, to connect
individuals and small businesses with health insurance products. The Connector
certifies and offers products of high value and good quality. Individuals who are
employed are able to purchase insurance using pre-tax dollars. The Connector
allows for portability of insurance as individuals move from job to job, and
permits more than one employer to contribute to an employee’s health insurance
premium. The Connector is to be operated as an authority under the Department of
Administration and Finance and overseen by a separate, appointed Board of
private and public representatives.
B) Insurance Market Reforms
The bill merges the non- and small-group markets in July 2007, a provision that
will produce an estimated drop of 24% in non-group premium costs. An actuarial
study of the merging of the two insurance markets will be completed before the
merger to assist insurers in planning for the transition. The bill also enables
HMOs to offer coverage plans that are linked to Health Savings Accounts,
reducing costs for those who enroll in such plans. Young adults will be able to
stay on their parents’ insurance plans for two years past the loss of their dependent
status, or until they turn 25 (whichever occurs first), and 19-26 year-olds will be
eligible for lower-cost, specially designed products offered through the Connector

Social Security

“Social Security is a contract between the American people and the American government, and it reflects the duties and values we share as Americans. We owe it to our grandparents, our parents, ourselves, and most importantly, our children, to ensure its vitality.” - Representative Mike McIntyre (NC)

Seeking Medical Care

Medical Tourism: Seeking Affordable Healthcare Overseas
Medical tourism provides high-quality care with less financial suffering
Published on:
Monday, March 10, 2008
Written by:
Melana Yanos

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Because the cost of U.S. healthcare remains high, medical tourism could save an American patient thousands of dollars on procedures such as cosmetic or dental surgeries—as long as they are willing to travel to a foreign country where the costs are considerably lower. Foreign real estate investors can also indirectly benefit from the medical tourism industry, which appears to have a positive impact on the economies of developing destination countries.
The concept of traveling for medical care is nothing new, but the modern concept of medical tourism—traveling to foreign countries specifically for lower cost of care—has only emerged in the past 10 to 15 years, David E. Williams, cofounder and principal of MedPharma partners, and author of HealthBusinessBlog.com, said.
But “in a mainstream way it’s really only started to take off in the past year or two,” because more people are traveling around the world than they were ten years ago, and because the Internet has made long-distance communication more practical, he said.
The numbers of clients for MedRetreat, an American medical tourism services company, have nearly doubled each year since 2005, with approximately 200 clients in 2005, 350 clients in 2006 and 650 clients in 2007, Patrick Marsek, the company’s managing director, said.
Most clients are paying for health care procedures out of their pocket, specifically uninsured or under-insured American patients in need of costly medical surgeries, and clients who seek elective cosmetic or dental procedures, Marsek said.
“There’s a huge range of potential cost savings, anywhere from 50 to 80 percent depending on where [they] go and which procedures [are done],” Marsek said.
Medical tourism is most often for cosmetic surgeryIt is possible for patients to pay for foreign medical expenses with money from their health savings account (HSA). As the number of people with HSAs increases, and people have to take more responsibility for their medical costs, medical tourism could grow even more.
Cosmetic and dental surgeries are the most popular procedures because “those are services that typically are not covered by insurance,” Williams said. Many patients travel to South or Central American countries such as Brazil, Argentina or Costa Rica for cosmetic procedures, where it is cost effective to travel and cosmetic surgery is advanced. For example, a full face and neck lift procedure could cost $12,000 in the U.S., while the same procedure could cost as little as $3,800 abroad, Marsek said.
In vitro fertilization procedures are also becoming popular because the cost of the procedure is high in the U.S., Williams said.
The savings for uninsured clients in need of cardiovascular or orthopedic procedures are perhaps the most dramatic because costs for those procedures are so exorbitant in the U.S. Hip replacement surgery, for example, could cost anywhere between $40,000 and $65,000 in the U.S., whereas a patient might pay between $8,000 and $18,000, which includes travel costs, to receive the procedure overseas, Marsek said.
Marsek said some of the least expensive destinations to receive hip replacement surgery are in India; however, “there’s [a different] price to be paid for going [there],” he said.
“It’s a huge culture shock for Americans to go to India,” Marsek said. “Patients should know that medical tourism is not only about receiving a high-quality procedure...it’s [also] about the total experience of when [they are] there. You have to be emotionally and psychologically prepared...as well as physically prepared.”
Quality of care
Patients might have questions about the quality of care overseas; however, one quarter of physicians in the U.S. are foreign-born, “so the concept of having a Thai...or an Indian physician is really nothing very new or very foreign to an American patient these days,” Williams said.
Furthermore, “people are also coming to realize that the U.S. health system, despite being the most expensive, is not perfect,” he said.
It’s difficult to figure out the quality of any particular overseas provider, and “if anything goes wrong you’re far away from your support network,” Williams said.
Consequently, patients should “do their homework” and work with a professional organization that has experience with overseas medical travel, Marsek said.
MedRetreat, for example, has performed extensive, on-the-ground due diligence on foreign hospitals that wish to participate in the medical tourism industry and has turned down more than half of candidate hospitals because they fell short of the company’s quality standards, Marsek said on a MedRetreat.com podcast.
Medical tourists can find high quality of careHospitals that participate in medical tourism usually reserve the highest quality of care and best physicians for international patients, Marsek said.
In terms of the actual procedure, “they really err on the side of caution overseas,” Marsek said.
“The absolute worst thing that could happen to a hospital overseas is to have a procedure go bad, and [for that patient to] come back to the U.S. and talk to CNN the next day,” he said. “That hospital could potentially be out of the medical tourism industry...forever.”
MedRetreat clients generally spend three times as much time in a hospital overseas than they would in the U.S. after having a similar procedure performed, Marsek said. Clients also tend to experience more hospitality—friendliness, compassion and caring—overseas.
“They’re not trying to push you out of the hospital,” Marsek said.
In a paper issued by MedPharma and MedTripinfo.com last fall, Williams and his colleague John Seus predicted that U.S. physicians, in general, will not object to medical tourism. Many U.S. physicians are familiar with foreign doctors, or are originally from foreign countries themselves, and understand the credibility of receiving care abroad, Williams said. Furthermore, physicians are probably not worried about losing business because of a shortage of physicians in the U.S. that is causing many patients to be turned away.
Thus far, the prediction seems accurate and there doesn’t seem to be any “huge outcry” by doctors against medical tourism, Williams said.
Considerations and risks of medical tourism
Quality of care abroad is not necessarily cause for concern, especially for patients who book their medical tour through a reliable company. However, other considerations about medical tourism should be taken into account.
First, patients need to decide whether or not opting for a medical tour makes sense, financially and physically. MedRetreat's website recommends “The $6,000 Rule.” A procedure that costs $6,000 in the U.S. would probably “realize a break-even scenario” if the patient elected to go abroad, because the overhead created by travel costs would cancel out the money saved for the actual procedure.
Nevertheless, some clients choose to go for the experience as well as the care, and Medretreat has “perpetual medical tourists,” Marsek said.
“Many people still choose to travel abroad to achieve complete privacy and anonymity, peaceful recuperation, and the avoidance of daily hometown distractions,” according to the MedRetreat website. The company’s clients enjoy a two- to three-week vacation in luxury accommodations following their procedure.
American patients with a medical condition should have their diagnosis performed in the U.S., Marsek said. After finding out what procedure needs to be done, they can ask the approximate cost and their physician should be able to give them “a ballpark figure,” he said. That figure can then be compared with the cost of having the same procedure performed overseas.
In addition to financial considerations, medical tourism is not physically appropriate for all patients, especially patients in need of high-risk medical procedures.
“We can’t [take patients in need of] quadruple-bypass [surgery] and facilitate those [procedures] overseas,” Marsek said.
Communication barriers are one cause of concern for medical touristsOnce a patient has traveled to a foreign country for care, he or she may face the risk of miscommunication resulting from a lack of familiarity with a foreign culture and language barriers, Williams said.
Because of all the risks involved, clients might want to have the option of canceling their procedure after they arrive in their destination country without taking a huge financial hit, Marsek said. MedRetreat promises to return the 20 percent deposit for a procedure if the client should change their mind after arriving. As a result, the financial risk to the client is only the cost of travel and cost of stay.
But none of their clients have ever felt the need to use this option, according to the MedRetreat podcast.
Refund policies vary between companies, so consumers should research multiple companies before making a decision.
Impacts on economic health
Foreign real estate investors might be interested to know that the impact on medical tourism destination economies should be “very positive,” according to Williams. Popular medical tourist destinations include developing countries such as India, the Phillipines and South and Central American countries, as well as fairly developed countries, such as Singapore and South Korea.
One important benefit of medical tourism for these countries is that the influx of international patients will create career opportunities that encourage foreign physicians to remain in their home countries as opposed to moving to the U.S. to make a living.
Furthermore, medical tourism has a positive impact “all the way down the economic ladder,” from high-educated occupations in medicine and hospital administration to the unskilled trades.
Overall, medical tourism will have a positive impact “directly by improving the health care infrastructure within a country, and indirectly because of all the new economic activity that’s generated and opportunity for growth,” Williams said.
Destination countries are realizing the value of medical tourism, and “there are [initiatives] at the government level or at the individual hospital level...to try to lure tourists from the [U.S.], Western Europe or Canada,” Williams said. As a result of the increasing supply of participating hospitals, an increasing number of medical tourism companies are emerging onto the scene to get between care providers and consumers to arrange medical tours.
As for the effects of medical tourism on U.S. health care costs, the direct impact will probably not be large, Williams said.
“At the end of the day...most procedures are not suitable for going abroad, and most patients, even if offered the opportunity, won’t take advantage of it,” he said.
Still, the secondary impact on the U.S. health care industry will be substantial; for instance, an increasing number of “mini-med plans” will begin covering medical procedures performed overseas. According to the results of a survey called Health Care Benefits: Eligibility, Coverage and Exclusions, medical tourism is already being covered by 11 percent of organizations surveyed—a surprisingly large number, Williams said.
“U.S. hospitals and physicians [will be] competing for the first time on an international basis and not just on a local or regional basis,” Williams said.

News Release Home Care Rally

Malden - Senior Notes
Locals rally at State House for elder independence
Local seniors and members of organizations that support elder independence converged on the Statehouse on Tuesday, Feb. 26, to tell legislators that elders should have a choice when it comes to long-term care services.
The group of more than 300, including 25 people from the Mystic Valley area, said that the state continues to be overly reliant on nursing home care when most elders want to live independently in their own homes.
“We invest 66 percent of our MassHealth long-term care dollars in nursing homes,” said Mystic Valley Elder Services Executive Director Dan O’Leary. “Yet our official state policy is ‘Community First.’ It’s time to rearrange our budget to reflect what seniors want: care at home. Let the money follow the person back home.”
To emphasize the needed shift in funding, group members waved “Deval Dollars” in support of the governor’s plan to “rebalance” money from nursing homes to community-care programs. Legislators were urged to implement the Equal Choice law, passed in 2006, that guarantees seniors live in the “least restrictive setting” possible.
Silver Legislator Senate President Sally Hoyt also spoke about the importance of independence for elders. The rally took place while lawmakers prepare the Fiscal 2009 budget.
Attended by Mass Senior Action North Thanks to Mystic Valley Elders for transportation!!

Universal Health Care

Wed Feb 27, 7:48 PM ET
Hillary Clinton opened fire on Barack Obama across an array of issues, but saved the really big guns for health care: "Of all our differences," said Hillary in Rhode Island (the forgotten primary state), "the one that is just inexplicable to me is his refusal to put forth a plan on universal health care and his continuing attacks on my plan to do so."
How hard can it be to offer a universal health care plan? "John Edwards had a plan, I had a plan, Chris Dodd had a plan, Dennis Kucinich had a plan, Bill Richardson had a plan. Because we're Democrats ..." Clinton said.
But Obama, in his Bob the Builder campaign designed to appeal to the toddler in every American, offers a plan that is all gain and no pain: subsidized health insurance for anyone who wants to buy it, whenever they want to buy it. More money, more choice, no cost. Gee, what's not to like?
Nothing, except that Hillary is correct. Obamacare can't possibly work, because it doesn't make sense to buy insurance when you are young and healthy if you are guaranteed access anyway when you are older and sicker.
And that's the problem.
The exchange between the two Democrats highlights the dirty little secret that not even Hillary will tell you about a universal government health insurance program. The problem with our current system that mandatory national health insurance will solve is not that people don't get health care -- it's that they don't pay for it.
Young healthy folks are more and more likely to go without health insurance. That means the pool of insured people is older and sicker and, therefore, more expensive to insure. Health insurance premiums rise, which makes health insurance an even worse deal for the relatively young and healthy, guaranteeing that more and more twentysomethings are uninsured, and health insurance costs for us middle-aged and older folks skyrocket.
What kind of people in the U.S. are uninsured? A whole lot of people like Brandy Coons, a 23-year-old Atlanta waitress highlighted on the front page of The New York Times as the new face of the "free rider" problem. Brandy admits she could probably afford a policy if she cut back on her gym membership and her photography hobby, but why should she do that?
"I'm young and in pretty good shape ... The insurance premium was more than what I would pay for my prescriptions, so I just decided not to deal with it," Coons said.
But even The New York Times cannot admit the real "free rider" problem here. It's not that the health care needs of uninsured twentysomethings like Brandy are bankrupting the system. It's that not enough twentysomethings like Brandy are paying for the health care of fortysomethings and older. That's the only way insurance makes sense: We pay into it when we are young and healthy, and we get something out of it when we are older and more likely to get sick.
But try running on that as your platform: Make the young people pay more!
Here's the other dirty little secret: National health insurance is going to cost Brandy and other taxpayers a whole lot more than either Hillary or Obama admits. Just ask Gov. Deval Patrick in Massachusetts, where just two years into operation, the state's mandatory health insurance plan is already costing $400 million more than budgeted.
Meanwhile we have a Medicare system that is going to go bankrupt.
Here's a question neither Hillary nor Barack will answer: How can we justify spending billions to insure the Brandys of the worlds, when we haven't yet secured the health care financing for our existing promises to senior citizens?

Notch
The Senior Citizens League members and supporters tend to be older, less affluent seniors. They are also, to a large extent, Notch babies - those individuals who receive lower Social Security benefits because they were born in the years 1917 and immediately thereafter. TSCL feels that this is an inequity that was brought about because of the Social Security Act Amendments enacted and signed into law in 1977. Just years before they were set to retire, these individuals discovered they would have significantly lower benefits than originally anticipated. And the problem only grew and compounded with the inflation that occurred in the early 1980s. Thus, in order to make the Social Security program more equitable in general, and to correct a wrong done to Notch babies, we believe that some recompense for that injustice should be provided.
TSCL strongly supported legislation introduced in the 109th Congress that would have provided either a lump-sum payment or an increased monthly benefit calculation to Notch babies. We were pleased to see that Congressman Ralph HallТs legislation, H.R. 615, got 118 co-sponsors in the last session - more than in any other session of Congress since the lump-sum proposal has been before Congress. We will continue to educate new Members of the House and Senate about the Notch and to work with past supporters of the Notch. With an increasing number of Notch co-sponsors during each of the last three sessions of Congress, we are hopeful that some type of Notch reform will take place in the 110th Congress.

A minority neglected

Most people share the same limited notion of diversity. Nowhere is the population of persons with disabliities and elders considered in many issues before our government bodies. Is it because they lack a political action committee to make campaign contributions to politicans?
Upper-class persons of color, upper-class woman and upper-class homosexuals show they are diverse. The ethic lobby shows its diversity as well. The also exclude poor persons, persons with disabilitities and older persons.
That is bad enough. But upper-class journalists who ignore this overt bias show that they share the predudices toward those two groups and have no shame about doing so
Roy Bercaw.Cambridge (letter to paper)
HOWARD MCGOWAN
MALDEN SENIOR

FILING 1040A FOR STIMULUS PAYMENT

Q: I normally don't need to file a tax return. How do I know if I'm one of those people who may be eligible to receive an economic stimulus payment?A: This group includes some recipients of Social Security, Railroad Retirement or veterans' benefits as well as taxpayers who do not make enough money to normally have to file a 2007 tax return. For example, this can include low-income workers, those who receive Social Security benefits or veterans’ disability compensation, pension or survivors’ benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2007. These people will be eligible to receive a payment of $300 ($600 on a joint return) if they had at least $3,000 of qualifying income.Qualifying income includes Social Security benefits, certain Railroad Retirement benefits, certain veterans’ benefits and earned income, such as income from wages, salaries, tips and self-employment. For people filing joint tax returns, only a total of $3,000 of qualifying income from both spouses is required to be eligible for a payment.




Special Guidelines for Recipients of Certain Social Security, Veterans and Railroad BenefitsCertain people who normally are not required to file but who are eligible for the stimulus payment will have to file a 2007 tax return. This includes low-income workers or those who receive Social Security benefits or veterans’ disability compensation, pension or survivors’ benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2007. These taxpayers will be eligible to receive a payment of $300 ($600 on a joint return) if they had at least $3,000 of qualifying income.Qualifying income includes Social Security benefits, certain Railroad Retirement benefits, certain veterans’ benefits and earned income, such as income from wages, salaries, tips and self-employment. For taxpayers filing joint tax returns, only a total of $3,000 of qualifying income from both spouses is required to be eligible for a payment.The special version of the Form 1040A unveiled today on IRS.gov shows taxpayers in these groups the specific sections of the form they need to fill out to qualify for the stimulus payment. The mock-up is designed to be used as a guide for filling out an actual Form 1040A."People who don’t normally need to file have a roadmap on how to fill out the Form 1040A quickly and easily," Stiff said. "We encourage recipients of Social Security and veterans’ benefits who don’t normally need to file a tax return to use this mock-up of the form as a guide to help them get their stimulus payment."The Form 1040A illustration on IRS.gov shows the limited number of lines that will need to be filled out for recipients of Social Security, certain Railroad Retirement and certain veterans’ benefits. A key line is reporting their 2007 benefits on Line 14a of Form 1040A. The IRS reminds taxpayers they can also use Line 20a on Form 1040 to report these same benefits.In addition, taxpayers in these groups should write the words "Stimulus Payment" at the top of the 1040A or 1040.For now, taxpayers in this group filing a tax return can only file a paper copy of the Form 1040 or Form 1040A. The IRS is working to update its systems to accept electronic versions of these limited-information returns for taxpayers who otherwise have no need to file a tax return. The IRS is also working with the software community to handle these returns electronically at a future date.The IRS also reminded taxpayers with Social Security, Railroad Retirement or veterans’ benefits who have already filed but did not report their qualifying benefits on either Line 14a of Form 1040A or Line 20a of Form 1040 that they may need to file an amended return in some situations to receive a larger stimulus payment.Taxpayers who already have filed but did not report these benefits can file an amended return by using Form 1040X, which can only be filed with a paper form.The IRS reminded taxpayers who don’t have any other requirement to file a tax return that submitting a tax return to qualify for the economic stimulus payments does not create any additional tax or trigger a tax bill. In addition, the stimulus payments will not have any effect on eligibility for federal benefits.The IRS is working with the Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs and other organizations to ensure that recipients are aware of the need to file a tax return to receive their stimulus payment in 2008.

Stimulus Package

On Wednesday President Bush signed into law H.R. 5140, the economic stimulus package. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said that rebate checks could be in the mail as early as May. Individuals will receive $600, couples will receive $1200, and an additional $300 will be given for each child under 17. Individuals and couples earning over $75,000 and $150,000, respectively, will have their eligibility phased out. Individuals who earn $3,000, receive Social Security or are disabled veterans will receive $300.

Probate Court Reform

For Elder a loss of Control and Power Courts strip elders of their independence
Within minutes ,judges send seniors to supervised care. Massachusetts Probate and Family Court where judges routinely fast track infirm elders into the care of guardians
No opportunity to object, no right to have a lawyer representation.
No chance to be in the courtroom
No medical required by court rules
No patient long term prognosis
No independent fact finder inquiry.
Problem no relatives involved.
"Un befriended elders" no relatives or even friends, petitioners
mostly hospitals and nursing homes assert person is incapacitated.
After the court declares someone mentally ill and appoints a guardian the patients vanish.
No mechanism in place to protect their interest from unregulated guardians
Massachusetts provides no legal council for incapacitated elders "If criminal defendants are guaranteed an attorney, elders who have done nothing wrong ought to have the same protection"
Chief Justice of Probate presses for an overhaul
YEAR LONG REVIEW.
Probate Courts will begin demanding greater medical proof that the guardianship is warranted
Additional training in guardianship cases for judges, lawyers and guardians
Massachusetts not in forefront in terms of guardianship reform.
Overhauls of probate law mired in legislature for nearly a decade
Legislation should include:
1. Detailed Medical Information
2. Limit the scope of guardianship powers
3. Examine the guardianship qualifications
4. Provide for the incapacitated person to be present at the hearing
5. Have a right to council
6. Additional court approval for nursing home placements
7. Mandate guardians file detailed annual reports on physical and mental health
8, Create Public Guardianship Commission.

Keep McFadden Open

Written By Valerie Folk to the editor local paper
As many of you may recall, for the past year many of us have been working to keep McFadden Memorial Manor open. It is an outstanding facility that provides superior care to Seniors who need nursing home care. It has received to marks in all cetegories in state audits and surveys. McFaddon is home for these people.
The Board of Health will be voting on McFaddens future. Please help in our efforts to persuade city officials to keep this facility open. Join the Friends of McFadden. Let's not displace our seniors.

Marketing artists in residence project that will be housed in a vacant convent

The City of Malden/Malden Redevelopment $5000 grant to market an artists-in-residence project that will be housed in a vacant convent. Once owned by Sacred Hearts Church in Malden Square.
Nine afforable units will be located in the building Web Site to market the project to area artists
Announcement in local paper by Stephen M. Wishoski, Executive Director of the MRA

Lobbying

Health insurer Aetna Inc. spent nearly $2.1 million in 2007 to lobby on health legislation and issues related to drug importation, generic drugs and Medicare payments.
The Hartford, Conn.-based company also lobbied on numerous other issues, including the tax status of health maintenance organizations, medical malpractice, children's health insurance program and the security of electronic health data.
The company spent about $872,000 in the second half of 2007 to lobby Congress, the White House and other agencies, according to a disclosure form posted online Feb. 4 by the Senate's public records office.
It spent $1.2 million in the first six months of 2007 to lobby on largely the same issues.
Lobbyists are required to disclose activities that could influence members of the executive and legislative branches, under a federal law enacted in 1995.

Public Meeting Government Center matv

Verizon Public Hearing on Thursday, February 28, 6pm in City Council Chambers
As many of you know, Verizon is in negotiations with the City of Malden to become a secondary cable provider for the citizens of Malden. As part of these negotiations, Verizon will be asked to support MATV with a portion of the operating funds and a capital contribution. Just as we did during the negotiations with Comcast, we are asking MATV members to come to the hearing and speak in support of MATV. Let Verizon know what MATV is all about and how it benefits you, members of the Malden community. Let them know why we are worth supporting with substantial operating and capital funds. We have saved your letters that were submitted from the previous public hearing, and we'll be re-submitting these to Verizon. But we'd love to see many MATV members attend the public hearing on Thursday, February 28th and speak out on behalf of MATV. For more information, email Ron or myself. And thanks, in advance, for your support!

MEDICARE

When Lyndon Johnson devised Medicare in 1965, he didn't order senior citizens to go out and buy private insurance, adequate and affordable or not, or be fined. Medicare covered everyone, bypassing the notoriously inefficient private insurance industry.