Ask Our Experts
By: Source: AARP Bulletin Today Date Posted: 2003-10-22 13:53:05
The AARP Bulletin's Ask Our Experts column provides answers to important questions affecting older Americans. Read below for this month's column, or review our archive of previously published questions and answers sorted by topic. (Note: Recent news or changes to regulations may affect the guidance offered in this previously published column.)
Submit your own question to the Ask Our Experts column via our easy-to-use online form.
Q. My mother, who's approaching 90 and lives in another part of the country, would benefit from having meals delivered to her. How can I find out if there's such a service in her town?
The place to start is by contacting the Eldercare Locator, a free public service, and asking for the area agency on aging (AAA) nearest your mother. Call the locator at (800) 677-1116 or visit www.eldercare.gov.
The local AAA can tell you about services it administers as well as those provided by other local agencies. In addition to meal programs, you may want to inquire about other services in your mother's community, such as homemaker assistance, help with shopping, even adult day care.
You should be aware, however, as you begin your search that all of these programs have eligibility requirements that your mother may or may not meet.—Expertise provided by Enid Kassner
Q. I've just started collecting Social Security. When can I expect my first cost-of-living adjustment, and how is it calculated?
Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are made automatically every January. The COLA for 2004 is expected to be announced after the middle of this month.
The COLA is equal to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third quarter (July through September) of last year to the third quarter of this year.
Cost-of-living adjustments have increased each year since they began in 1975. The lowest increase was 1.3 percent in 1986 and in 1998, and the highest was 14.3 percent in 1980. The 2003 Social Security COLA was 1.4 percent.
Many beneficiaries say the COLA does not reflect how much their cost of living has increased. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which compiles the CPI, says that's understandable, given that the index measures what a "market basket" of specific goods and services costs the average household, not any specific family or individual.—Expertise provided by Laurel Beedon
Q. I'm told that Medicare will pay for an influenza shot. Can I get the flu shot anywhere it's offered—say, at a pharmacy—and then send the bill to Medicare for reimbursement?
No, Medicare will accept claims for flu shots only from Medicare-certified providers. Before getting your shot, therefore, make sure that whoever provides it is certified and has made arrangements to submit claims for Medicare reimbursement.—Expertise provided by Craig Caplan
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