FOCUS ON SENIORS

BENEFITS

MEDICARE OR MEDICAID?While both are government plans, there are some major differences between the two.PAGE 8

HEALTH

FLU SHOT OPTIONSNew lineup gives seniorsa choice.PAGE 2

INSIDE

Fashion 3Retirement 4Wills 5Social Security 6Recipes 9

Supplement to The Oklahoman, August 18, 2010

FOCUS ON SENIORS

Focus on Seniors is published three times a yearas a promotional supplement to The Oklahomanand is produced by OPUBCO CommunicationsGroup.

Vice president, Newsand Information Center: Kelly Dyer FryDirector of Presentationand Custom Publishing: Yvette WalkerSection Coordinator: Don GammillSection Designer: Judy Hooper

Senior News Editor: Amy RaymondDirector of Photog-raphy: Doug HokeArt Director: Todd PendletonAdvertising SeniorAccount Executive: Jama Patton

ON THE COVER:Virgil Rifenbark carries a headboard for a bed to acustomer’s vehicle in Norman. Rifenbark works atthe Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, which sellsreusable and surplus building materials to thepublic at a discounted price. Story, Page 7.

PHOTO BY TETONA DUNLAP, THE OKLAHOMAN

ONLINE

“know it: Retirement”If you’re looking for Information about retirement,go to our “know it: Retirement” page to see whatis available and read personal stories.KNOWIT.NEWSOK .COM/RETIREMENT

Looking for something to do? Go to wimgo tocheck out opportunities. There are dozens ofevents relating to seniors.WIMGO.COM

HELPFUL LINKSSenior Magazinewww.seniormag.comTax resourceswww.ok.gov/tax_resource.htmlMedicare helpwww.medicare.govInternet Public Libraryhttp://vlib.orgTips for grandparent,fun activitieswww.grandparents.comSenior resourceswww.seniorresource.comAmerican SeniorsOrganizationwww.americanseniors.org

Senior InternetCommunitywww.senior.comSenior travel advicewww.nc.cdc.gov/travelFinding a pen palwww.writeseniors.comYour 55-up lifestyleportalwww.myseniorsite.caAARPwww.aarp.org/National Council on Agingwww.ncoa.org/Staying fitwww.seniorfitness.net/

Health officials predictthis year’s flu season won’tbe as bad as last year’s, butthey don’t want to take anychances.

The Centers for DiseaseControl and Preventionrecently issued a healthadvisory announcing sea-sonal flu infections wereunder way in severalstates. Iowa already hashad two outbreaks.

New flu vaccines thatcombine seasonal andH1N1 viruses in single dos-es should help avoid a re-peat of last year’s scramblefor immunizations.

High doseA new lineup of vaccine

options is available, in-cluding a seasonal flu vac-cine that includes H1N1and — for the first time — ahigh-dose vaccine for se-niors ages 65 and older.

Seniors have a higherrisk of developing seriouscomplications from flu,health officials say.

According to the CDC, an-nual vaccination is the mosteffective strategy for pre-venting flu. Experts adviseeveryone to seek one early.

Less impactLast year, Americans in

areas hard-hit by flu out-breaks searched for twoimmunizations, the sea-sonal shot and the H1N1.The double injection wasdue to H1N1 emerging afterthe seasonal vaccine wasdeveloped.

The 2009-10 pandemicshut down school systems,businesses and collegedormitories, but expertsexpect the flu’s 2010-11 runto sicken, hospitalize andkill far fewer people.

Medical authorities be-lieve this year’s seasonalflu vaccine (with H1N1, an-

other Influenza A strainand Influenza B) has theright ingredients to protectagainst the likely viruses aswell as slight variants.

Flu seasonThe flu season typically

begins as early as Octoberand lasts through May.Vaccinations usually startin September. The peak ofthe flu season in general isin January or soon after.

Baylor University Medi-cal Center flu researchersin Texas have been devel-oping super-antigen fluvaccines for decades andworked on Fluzone beforeit had that trade name,said Dr. Wendy Keitel, aprofessor of molecular vi-rology and microbiology.

Fluzone High-Dose, ashot, has been proven toprovoke a better immuneresponse in seniors, Keitelsaid, and there’s a clinicaltrial under way to deter-mine if those who receivethe new vaccine are betterprotected from flu thanother seniors.

Fluzone High-Dose iscovered by Medicare with-out a deductible or co-payment, according to theCenters for Medicare and

Medicaid Services. The listprice is $25, a Sanofi Pas-teur spokeswoman said.

No free shotsOklahoma is ending the

practice of offering free flushots to all residents athealth department sitesstatewide, although somewill still qualify for thevaccinations at no charge,officials announced re-cently.

The Oklahoma Depart-ment of Health will nowcharge $25 for the seasonalflu shot. The fee is project-ed to raise about $750,000for the agency, which ex-perienced budget cuts likeother state agencies thataveraged 7.5 percent lastyear.

The state spent $1.5 mil-lion last year for 195,000seasonal flu shots, saidDorothy Cox, vaccinemanager for the health de-partment.

There will be no chargeto people on Medicare andwithout an HMO, those onMedicaid (SoonerCare), orchildren eligible for theVaccines for Children pro-gram. Others may be eligi-ble for fee waivers based ontheir income.

New lineup of flu vaccinesgives seniors some optionsFROM STAFF AND WIREREPORTS

While there are manysights and events in whichseniors can participate atthe Oklahoma State Fairevery day, Sept. 22 will be aspecial day at the state’sannual event.

That will be Senior Citi-zens’ Day at the GreatState Fair of 2010.

On that day only, all se-niors age 55 and up will beadmitted to the fair free.

There is one catch: youmust show proof of age.

But once that little detailis taken care of, you’re in.

The fair offers enter-tainment for all ages, fromexhibits and contests to avariety of performances

from featured entertainers.There also are many

foods to sample and lots ofactivities to keep thingsmoving.

This year’s fair (Sept. 16-26) will feature Disney onIce “Let’s Celebrate,” TNAprofessional wrestling“Lords of the Ring,” thePRCA Extreme Bulls Tour

“Bulls and Brawn” andperformances by JoshTurner and Jake Owen.

Regular admission tick-ets are adults $8, children6 to 11 $5 and kids under 5are free.

Advance tickets, avail-able through select metro-area retailers, are adults $7and children 6 to 11 $4.

Seniors get free day at state fairFROM STAFF REPORTS

Fashion magazines of-ten break down fashion in-to what’s appropriate forwomen in their 30s, 40s,50s, 60s and older.

It’s not always that blackand white.

Certainly most womenage 50 and older don’twant to dress like theirdaughters. But like theirdaughters, they wantclothes that are comfort-able, flattering and stylish.

While a 20-year-oldmay wear crop sweatersand miniskirts, a moremature woman mightreach for a classic cardiganand a slim skirt thatstretches to the knee.

“They want the look,but they want the fit fortheir body type,” said MarkWarner, owner of Jerome’sin Northpark Mall. “It’sjust a matter of makingsure it’s a fit for a missycustomer, not a contem-porary customer.”

Women are living longerwith better physical andmental health, and theystill have a young-at-heartfeeling, Warner said.“When you still have thatfeeling, you want to dressthe part, too.”

And therein is the prob-lem, at least for manywomen who say there’s anabundance of clothing foryoung women and not asmany stylish choices formature shoppers.

Retailers suggestsearching for clothes thatfit your image, your per-sonality and your lifestyle.Seek out stores that caterto your needs.

Though many maturewomen are looking forclothes that look good andfeel good, they are notboring in their approach tofashion. They’ve honedtheir style and know whatlooks good on them.

As they get older, theydon’t like clothes that areconstricting or fussy. Theywant fabrics that wear welland are easy to care for.

“With technology,that’s easier today than itwas five to 10 years ago,”Warner said.

Mature shoppers alsolike color and accessories,said Pat Jensen, owner ofPat’s Of Course. For fall,key colors are blue and

green. These shoppers alsoexpect good service.

While many older wom-en reach for pants, they’resteering away from tight-fitting tops, she said.

“They’re more casual,”she said. “Many of themare retired and more care-free. They’re not reallylooking for business suits,even the women whowork.”

Whatever the style, re-tailers suggest maturewomen look for qualityclothing in a design thatbest fits their body type.

“The whole key is thefit,” Warner said. “If it fitsher right, it’s going to lookgreat on her.”

Style won’t go outof fashion with age

Toula fashions from Jerome’s, Northpark Mall. PHOTO PROVIDED

BY LINDA MILLERFashion Editorlmiller@opubco.com

MATURE SHOPPERS KNOW WHAT LOOKS GOOD ON THEM

IRAs (individual retire-ment accounts) long havebeen a staple of retirementsaving, and this year, theInternal Revenue Service(IRS) introduced a newrule that makes Roth IRAsavailable to more inves-tors.

The IRS has removedthe $100,000 modified ad-justed gross income limitfor conversions from tra-ditional IRAs or 401(k) ac-counts to Roth IRA ac-counts. For conversions in2010 only, investors havethe option to pay the re-sulting taxes from a con-version in full in 2011, or tosplit in half the tax pay-ments in 2011 and 2012.

While the new optionscould be beneficial tomany Americans, a recentsurvey commissioned byonline investing firm Scot-trade found most Ameri-cans are unaware of the2010 Roth IRA conversionoptions.

Understanding IRAsScottrade, like many

other financial servicescompanies, is educating itscustomers about thechanges, as well as theoverall benefits of IRAs.

Kristin Grupas, cus-tomer education managerat Scottrade, overseesScottrade’s initiative tohelp investors understandtheir options when open-ing an IRA.

“An IRA can be a simpleway to build a solid finan-cial base for your retire-ment dreams,” Grupassaid.

“It’s essential to do yourhomework and take an in-depth look at the recentchanges and the differ-ences among the types ofIRAs to ensure you selectthe one that best matches

your investing strategy.”To help new investors

understand IRAs and therecent changes, Grupasanswered three commonquestions she finds inves-tors typically have whenopening an IRA account:

Q: How do I determinethe right IRA for me?

A: There are severalIRAs available for inves-tors, such as traditional,Roth, SEP (simplified em-ployee pension) and rol-lover. Choosing and un-derstanding the IRA that’sright for you is important.

The most common are

traditional and Roth, withone of the biggest differ-ences being the tax bene-fits. With a traditionalIRA, contributions may betax-deductible.

In a Roth IRA, contribu-tions are made with “af-ter-tax” dollars, or alreadyhave been subject to in-come tax. Overall, a tradi-tional IRA puts more mon-ey in your pocket fromyour paycheck, while aRoth IRA provides morecontrol over withdrawalsbecause it allows with-drawal of contributiondollars at any time, gener-

ally tax-free.More information can

be found at www.irs.gov/retirement/.

Q: I regularly contrib-ute to a 401(k). Can I stillconsider an IRA?

A: Yes, if you are alreadycontributing to a 401(k), anIRA account can act as anadditional vehicle for yourretirement savings, and insome instances, offer more

freedom to diversify anduse investment productsthat may not be offeredthrough your 401(k).

In addition, thanks tothe new conversion rulesfor 2010, a 401(k) can berolled over into a Roth IRAfor those who earn morethan $100,000 modifiedadjusted gross income.

Q: How much should Icontribute?

A: The amount an IRAholder is eligible to con-tribute is based on incomeand age. For a traditionalIRA holder, contributionsare taken pre-tax. For aRoth IRA, contributionsare made with after-taxdollars.

The IRA holder canmake a contribution to anIRA based on their yearlyearned income, up to amaximum of $5,000 or$6,000, depending ontheir age. Investors cancontribute regularlythroughout the year.

Contributions betweenJan. 1 and April 15 may beapplied to the prior taxyear.

“Investors should beaware that there are manydifferent options for re-tirement savings,” Grupassaid. “Education is thefirst step toward findingthe investment vehiclethat’s right for you.”

Scottrade Inc., its repre-sentatives and affiliates donot make investment rec-ommendations or other-wise provide personal in-vestment, tax, accountingor legal advice.

Consult with your fi-nancial, tax and legal advi-sors regarding any specificinvestment, tax, account-ing and legal issues.

Rule shift eases Roth IRA investingMONEY | SURVEY SHOWS SOME AMERICANS STILL ARE NOT AWARE OF SHIFT THAT COULD BENEFIT THEM FINANCIALLY

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

ONLINE

IRASInvestors can learn more about IRAs and accessplanning tools and calculators at Scottrade’s on-line Knowledge Center at www.scottrade.com.

SURVEYFor more information about Scottrade’s 2010American Retirement Survey, visit www.scottrade.com/researchstudy.

Investors should be aware thatthere are many different optionsfor retirement savings. Educationis the first step toward findingthe investment vehicle that’sright for you.”

KRISTIN GRUPASCUSTOMER EDUCATION MANAGER AT SCOTTRADE

Did you know that yourwill does not cover everyaspect of your estate?Having a last will and test-ament is an important partof the estate planningprocess, but there are sev-eral things your will can-not do, some assets it willnot control.

If you and your spouseown property as joint ten-ants with rights of survi-vorship, your will cannotleave this property to any-one besides your spouse aslong as he or she is alive, assurvivorship joint tenancyproperty automaticallypasses to the survivingspouse by operation of law.

When the survivingspouse does pass away, itwill be his or her will thatdetermines how the prop-erty is distributed becausehe or she is the sole ownerof the property at thatpoint.

For this reason, you andyour spouse may wish todiscuss whom your prop-erty should go to after youare both gone.

Your will can also notaffect any property that isheld within a trust. Uponyour death, the trust willdetermine how the assetshould be distributed, andcan do so whether yourwill has been probated ornot.

And if your will contra-dicts the designations ofyour trust, the trust willreign supreme because it“owns” the property.

This is also true withother legal documentswhere you have named abeneficiary.

This includes life insur-

ance policies, IRAs, 401Ks,annuities and pensionplans. These assets trans-fer to the beneficiary youhave designated.

To change a beneficiary/recipient, you must updatethe corresponding docu-ment for each account orproperty. Making thechange in your will doesnot override the contentsof the other document.

Be sure to name a sec-ondary beneficiary, as fail-ure to do so could result ina probate.

Unless it contains spe-cific tax planning lan-guage, your will also can-not change or lower thetaxes on your estate.

There are ways to mini-mize taxes on your estate,but you’ll need to employdifferent estate planningtools for that to happen.

A good estate planningattorney can help youchoose the right strategiesfor you.

You should also leaveyour funeral arrangementsout of your will. If this isthe only place you makeyour wishes known, thereis a chance your requestsmay not be honored. Willsare often not read until af-ter your funeral.

Ask your attorney tocreate another documentfor your funeral plans.

Property that passes byyour will cannot help yourfamily avoid the probateprocess after you’re gone.You can, however, make

probate easier by updatingyour will regularly to avoidany confusion.

Your will also cannotleave conditional gifts.Sure, you may have seen amovie with an older gen-tleman stipulating that hisson cannot inherit the es-tate until he has married,but in reality these condi-tions would be thrown outduring estate probate.

If you have loved ones oreven a pet that will needspecial care, create a trustin their name.

Many states now havepet trust statutes. Sinceyour pet is consideredproperty by law, it cannotinherit, so you must leaveany funds for its care to theperson you’ve designatedto inherit your pet.

But once the will hasbeen probated and thosefunds are distributed,there’s nothing to ensurethat your pet actually re-ceives the benefits of thatinheritance.

With a trust you havemuch more control overthe future care your pet re-ceives.

LARRY PARMAN IS FOUNDINGATTORNEY AT PARMAN & EASTERDAY

IN OKLAHOMA CITY. HIS FIRM HASBEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PRACTICE

SINCE 1985. FOR MORE INFORMATIONON THIS AND OTHER AREAS RELATED

TO SENIOR CONCERNS, CONTACTPARMAN & EASTERDAY, 13913-B QUAIL

POINTE DRIVE, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK73134, CALL 843-6100, OR GO TO THE

FIRM’S WEB SITE,WWW.PARMANLAW.COM.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE AFREE REPORT DISCUSSING THIS

IMPORTANT ISSUE IN MORE DEPTH,CALL 843-6100.

Understand whatyour will can’t doBY LARRY PARMANParman & Easterday

Leave your funeral arrangements outof your will. Wills are often not readuntil after the funeral.

The massive Oklahomaand national baby boomgeneration is staring re-tirement right in the faceand that’s a scary thought.

Who would ever havethought that baby boom-ers and retirement couldactually be spoken in thesame sentence. This is thegeneration of the Beatles,Woodstock and demon-strations against war.

Unlike prior genera-tions, the lines betweenworking and retirementare much grayer (no punintended) than they werefor boomer parents andgrandparents.

Because of poor savingand even poorer spendinghabits, it may be that boom-ers will continue workingeven though that wouldn’tbe the first choice. Sadly,this generation has been the

poorest saving generation inrecent memory.

A growing number ofretirees are including work— either full or part-time— in their retirement life-style. Some of these reti-rees work because theyneed the income; otherswork because they find ithelps them to stay physi-cally and mentally active.

Whatever their reasonsfor working, all retireesneed to understand the re-lationship between work-ing and their Social Secu-rity benefits ... includingwhen to let Social Securityknow about their earnings.

For workers who are be-tween age 62 and full re-tirement age: The earliestyou can apply for SocialSecurity retirement bene-fits is age 62.

And if you are youngerthan full retirement age,

there is a limit to howmuch you can earn andstill receive full Social Se-curity benefits.

If you are younger than

full retirement age duringall of 2010, we must deduct$1 from your benefits foreach $2 you earned above$14,160.

And we do not countpensions, savings or in-vestment income towardthese threshold amounts –only wages or self-em-ployment income.

If you reach full retire-ment age during 2010, wemust deduct $1 from yourbenefit payment for each $3you earn above $37,680, un-til the month that you reachyour full retirement age.

Because we adjust theamount of your Social Se-curity benefits based onwhat you have told us youwould earn this year, it isimportant to let us know ifyou think your earnings for2010 will be different thanwhat you originally told us.

If other family membersget benefits based on yourwork, your earnings afteryou start getting retire-ment benefits could re-duce their benefits, too.

However, if your spouseand children get benefitsas family members, theirearnings affect only theirown benefits.

It’s important to notethat if a retiree’s earningscause benefits to be with-held before they reach fullretirement age, Social Se-curity will increase thatretiree’s monthly benefitamount starting at full re-tirement age.

This also will increasethe benefit amount paid tohis or her survivors.

For more informationabout Social Security re-tirement benefits andworking, read the pam-phlet, How Work AffectsYour Benefits. Go towww.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10069.html

LARRY G. JONES IS A PUBLIC AFFAIRSSPECIALIST WITH SOCIAL SECURITY

IN OKLAHOMA CITY

Baby boomers still working, yet retiredBY LARRY JONES

DID YOU KNOW?

SOCIAL SECURITYHere are a few brief reminders if you or someoneyou know is a “semi-retired” beneficiary.› For workers who are “full retirement age” orolder: If you work and are full retirement age orolder, you may keep all of your benefits, no matterhow much you earn.› The full retirement age for workers born in theyears 1943 through 1954 will be 66 years of age,and then gradually rise by two months each yearto age 67 for people born in 1960 or later.

ONLINEYou can find out exactly what your full retirementage is by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ageincrease.htm and typing in your year of birth.

NORMAN — Virgil Rifen-bark is 59, but workers halfhis age struggle to keep upwith him.

Rifenbark zips aroundthe lot of Habitat for Hu-manity’s ReStore in Nor-man. ReStore is Habitat forHumanity’s outlet storethat sells reusable and sur-plus building materials tothe public at a discountedprice.

Rifenbark pushes awheelbarrow full ofhousehold items into a ga-rage. Then, he emergescarrying a headboard for abed to a customer’s truck.

Along the way, Rifen-bark greets customersmilling about the store.Following behind him is ayoung worker who tries tokeep up with his fast pace.

“Just try to keep up withhim,” said Larry Goodwin,58, chuckling as he an-swers phone calls and as-sists customers.

Rifenbark and Goodwinare employees at ReStorethrough ExperienceWorks, one of three pro-grams that work with theOklahoma Workforce In-vestment system to helpfind jobs for low-incomeworkers who are 55 and ol-der. The other programsinclude AARP and Nation-al Indian Council on Ag-ing.

“A lot of them (seniors),their Social Security is notenough to live on,” saidRosemary Isom, projectdirector with AARP. “Andsome want something todo.”

For Goodwin, it is nice

to have a steady job and in-come. He used to work as aloan signing agent and realestate appraiser.

“Age is the biggest bar-rier,” Goodwin said. “It re-ally is. I’m almost 60.Someone who is 20 mightbe more physically capa-ble, but I’m more mentallycapable.”

Jana Castleberry, exec-utive director of ClevelandCounty Habitat for Hu-manity, calls Rifenbark andGoodwin “essential.”

Because an outside pro-gram is paying their wages,this saves a nonprofit likeHabitat money. Before, thegroup only could pay oneor two employees to runthe store, which soon be-came overwhelming.

“With the addition ofthe Experience Worksstaff, we’ve been able tokeep our shelves stocked,increase donations re-ceived from the communi-ty and enjoy the increasedrevenue to do more work inthe community,” Castle-berry said.

In the Experience Worksprogram, workers receivetraining and are paid noless than minimum wage.

Rifenbark spent the pastfive years working odd jobs

and finding temporaryemployment.

Before that, he workedas an electronic technicianfor more than 16 years inCalifornia and Oklahoma.He has worked at ReStorefor two years and loves hisjob.

“Back in the ’60s and’70s, you could get dismis-sed from a job or dismissyourself, but you couldfind another in a couple ofweeks,” Rifenbark said,noting the lack of jobs to-day.

Government officialshave projected that within10 years, baby boomers willbegin retiring. Accordingto the U.S. Census Bureau,between 2010 and 2030,the number of people age65 and older is expected togrow by 79.2 percent.

But Rifenbark andGoodwin aren’t thinkingof retirement.

“I doubt I will ever re-tire,” Goodwin says. “I’vealways worked, sittingaround just idle would justdrive me crazy.”

At the beginning of thisyear, the U.S. Departmentof Labor provided an addi-tional $225 million infunding for Senior Com-munity Service Employ-ment, which addresses theunmet needs for employ-ment and job trainingamong low-income, olderworkers.

Oklahoma was not oneof the states that receivedadditional money becausefurther funds were notneeded, said John Cole,program administrator ofthe Oklahoma Employ-ment Security Commis-sion.

Cole said the state is stilltapping into last year’sfunds, in addition to two

grants it received.“This is the wonderful

instance of a federal pro-

gram working with a non-profit to make it work,”Castleberry said.

Employers investin seasoned help

Larry Goodwin talks with another Habitat for Humanity employee inside the Re-Store. Goodwin is employed at the ReStore through the Experience Works. Thisprogram finds jobs for low-income workers who are 55 and older.

PHOTO BY TETONA DUNLAP, THE OKLAHOMAN

BY TETONA DUNLAPStaff Writer ONLINE

CareersLearn more abouthow to go aboutlooking for a job.KNOWIT.NEWSOK.COM/CAREERS-OKLAHOMA

PROGRAM HELPS PEOPLE 55 AND OLDER FIND JOBS

There is a lot of confu-sion between Medicareand Medicaid, and thoughthey are both govern-ment-sponsored health-care plans, there are somemajor differences betweenthe two.

MedicaidThis plan is sponsored

by the federal governmentand is intended to provideassistance to those with alow-income. If you have afinancial need, Medicaidwill cover you, even if youare over the age of 65.

Many seniors who arelow income will haveMedicaid in conjunctionwith Medicare, simplybecause it covers manyexpenses that Medicarewill not, such as eyeglasses, preventative care,and prescriptions.

Medicaid also will coverMedicare premiums andthe 20 percent co-pay thatMedicare doesn’t cover.

MedicareUnlike Medicaid, there

are no income restrictionsto qualify for Medicare;each person has alreadypaid for this programthrough their employ-ment taxes, or self-em-ployment taxes.

There are age restric-tions due to the fact thatthe purpose of this pro-gram is to address theincreased need for med-ical care for seniors, aswell as their decrease inincome.

To qualify for Medicare,you must be at least 65years old or have a qual-ifying disability. Unlike

Medicaid, which is over-seen by individual states,the federal governmentadministers this medicalcoverage program.

To obtain informationabout Medicare, you needto contact the Social Se-curity Administration.

Medicare is adminis-tered in three parts: Part Afor hospital insurance; partB for routine doctor ap-pointments and lab tests,plus in some cases it willpay for medical equip-ment; and with part C youget some coverage forprescription medications.

The premiums and outof pocket cost for thiscoverage can be high,

though not what youwould pay with a privatehealthcare insurance.

If you are having prob-lems covering the cost ofyour medical expenses,despite qualifying for

Medicare, you might wantto find out if you also willqualify for Medicaid.

Those that qualify forboth programs can save agreat deal of money on thecost of their healthcare.

The difference betweenMedicare and MedicaidBY LARRY PARMANParman & Easterday

WASHINGTON — ActorAndy Griffith has a newrole: pitching PresidentBarack Obama’s healthcare law to seniors in a ca-ble television ad paid for byMedicare.

The TV star — whoserole as sheriff of Mayberrymade him an enduringsymbol of small-townAmerican values — tellsseniors that “good thingsare coming” under thehealth care overhaul, in-cluding free preventivecheckups and lower-costprescriptions for Medicarerecipients.

Polls show that seniorsare more skeptical of thehealth care law than areyounger people becauseMedicare cuts providemuch of the financing toexpand coverage for theuninsured. That could be aproblem for Democrats inthe fall congressional elec-tions, because seniors votein large numbers.

Medicare says the na-tional ad is not political,

but part of its outreach toeducate seniors about newbenefits available nextyear. The ad is set to run onchannels seniors watch,such as the WeatherChannel, CNN, Hallmarkand Lifetime, at an initialcost of $700,000.

Not even the 84-year-old Griffith could keep thead from being pulled intothe partisan politics ofhealth care.

Said Senate RepublicanLeader Mitch McConnellof Kentucky: “It’s going totake more than slick tax-payer-funded ads to con-vince skeptical seniorsthat cutting a half-trilliondollars from Medicare isgood for them.”

But presidential adviserStephanie Cutter said thelaw strengthens Medicareby reducing wastefulspending.

“Seniors were the targetof a major misinformationcampaign,” she wrote onthe White House blog,saying the ads will helpcorrect the record.

A video image provided by Medicare.gov shows actorAndy Griffith pitching President Barack Obama’shealth care law to seniors, in a cable television ad paidfor by Medicare. AP PHOTO

Andy Griffithnew pitchmanfor health careBY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LEARN MORELarry Parman is founding attorney at Parman &Easterday in Oklahoma City. His firm has beeninvolved in this practice since 1985. For moreinformation on this and other areas related tosenior concerns, contact Parman & Easterday,13913-B Quail Pointe Drive, Oklahoma City, OK73134, call 843-6100, or go to the firm’s Web site,www.parmanlaw.com. If you would like to receivea special free report discussing this importantissue in more depth, call 843-6100.

It’s that frantic time ofday — after work, afterschool, after day care andafter sports events — whenyou have to get dinner onthe table.

Overwhelming! It’smore than enough to driveyou to the fast-food lane.

Relax — you own a mi-crowave oven. In mereminutes, you can zap a nu-tritious, home-cooked,family-friendly dinner —even if the meat is still inthe freezer when you gethome.

The microwave oven hasbeen called one of thegreatest inventions of the20th century. More than90 percent of homes inAmerica have at least one.

In fact, if you have everbeen without one for a fewdays, you find out just howmuch you rely on it. Butmost folks are using theirsonly for reheating left-overs, defrosting food ormaking popcorn.

Loyalists testify that themicrowave is great forcooking ground meats,poultry, and vegetables —three items that can makea fast, family dinner. TheU.S. Department of Agri-culture would like to add“safe” to that.

Microwave ovens cookfood to temperatures hotenough to kill bacteria, butthey can cook food un-evenly and leave “coldspots” where harmful bac-teria survive.

According to the U.S.Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention, notcooking food to highenough temperatures todestroy bacteria is one ofthe top two causes of food-borne illness.

For this reason, it is im-portant to use a food ther-mometer to verify thatfoods reach USDA-recom-mended temperatures.

Know the wattageIt’s important to know

the wattage of your ovenwhen using cooking direc-tions from various sourc-es. Microwave ovens varyin wattage, and the higherthe wattage of a microwaveoven, the faster it will cookfood.

If you don’t know thewattage of your microwaveoven, try looking insidethe door, on the back of theoven or in the owner’smanual.

Read the publication“Microwave Ovens andFood Safety” at www.fsis.usda.gov to learn how touse a “Time-to-Boil” testto estimate your oven’swattage. This publicationalso tells how to determinewhether a utensil is safe touse in a microwave oven.

Microwave frozen con-venience foods until safelycooked

In addition to micro-waving home-cookedfoods safely, it’s also veryimportant to follow hand-ling and cooking instruc-tions on frozen conven-ience foods. Some frozenfoods, such as breadedchicken cutlets, can lookfully cooked.

However, many peoplehave gotten sick from suchproducts that were under-cooked. Just thawing themin the microwave isn’tenough to make them safe.You must microwave suchfoods to a safe minimuminternal temperature of 165degrees for them to besafely cooked.

Microwave safetyFollowing the USDA’s

microwave recommenda-tions will help you get din-ner prepared speedily butsafely.

Before freezing a pack-age of ground beef, form itin a doughnut shape tothaw faster.

Remove frozen meat andpoultry from packagingbefore thawing to avoidchemical contamination.Transfer the frozen meator poultry to a microwave-safe dish.

Remove thawed por-tions of ground meat andtransfer them to a plate;return frozen portion tothe microwave for addi-tional defrosting.

When thawing chickenparts, break them apart asthey defrost and rotatethem in the dish so that thefrozen areas are to the out-side of the dish.

Cook meat and poultryimmediately after micro-wave defrosting becausesome areas of the frozenfood may get warm or be-

gin to cook during the de-frosting time. Do not holdpartially cooked food touse later.

To remove fat fromground beef, crumble themeat into a hard-plasticcolander set over a micro-wave-safe casserole. Aftermicrowaving, discard thefat that has drained intothe casserole.

Cover food to createsteam that helps destroyharmful bacteria.

Follow package direc-tions to make sure all foodsreach safe internal temper-atures. Sometimes frozenfoods look fully cooked,but they actually requirecooking to be safe.

Microwave foods to safeminimum internal tem-

peratures as measuredwith a food thermometer(165 degrees for poultry;160 degrees for groundmeats).

After microwaving, al-low the food to rest socooking is completed.

Use cooked meat andpoultry within four days.Leftovers may be frozen.

Consumers with foodsafety questions can “AskKaren,” the USDA’s FoodService Inspection Ser-vice’s virtual representa-tive available 24 hours aday at AskKaren.gov.

The toll-free USDAMeat and Poultry Hotline,(888) MPHotline or (888)674-6854, is availablefrom 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Mondays through Fridays.

Just a push of a buttonand zap — a hot meal

RECIPE

12-MINUTESOMBREROSUPPERTested in an 800-wattmicrowave oven.

Makes 4 servings1 pound lean groundbeef or ground turkey1 small green bell pep-per, cored andchopped1 (1.25-ounce) tacoseasoning packet1 (8-ounce) can toma-to sauce1 (14.5-ounce) can darkred kidney beans,drainedRound tortilla chips1 cup shredded cheese

› Crumble ground beefinto a hard plastic co-lander set over a 2-quart microwave-safecasserole. Microwaveon high 3 minutes. Stirto break up beef andscatter bell pepper overthe top. Microwave onhigh 3 minutes.› Discard fat that hasdrained into casseroledish and transfer meatmixture into samecasserole. Stir in tacoseasoning and tomatosauce. Cover and micro-

wave on high 3 min-utes. Stir and add kid-ney beans. Re-coverand microwave on high3 minutes. Test meatmixture with a foodthermometer to makesure it reaches 160degrees. Let mixturerest 2 minutes beforeserving.› Two ways to serve:1) Transfer meat mix-ture to the center of alarge platter, or 2) di-vide the meat mixtureamong 4 plates. Sur-round the meat mixturewith tortilla chips toresemble a hat brim.Scatter cheese over themeat mixture to re-semble a straw hat, andserve hot.› Serving suggestion:To make a completemeal, accompany thedish with a salad and agreen vegetable.

SOURCE: FAMILY FEATURES

RECIPE

QUICK CHICKENNUGGETSTested in an 800-wattmicrowave oven.Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 1/2 pounds bonelesschicken breasts4 tablespoons butteror margarine1 cup dry herb stuffing1/3 cup grated Parme-san cheese1 teaspoon dry basilleaves1/4 teaspoon driedthyme

› Cut chicken into bite-size chunks. Place but-ter or margarine in aglass pie plate andmicrowave on high 1minute, or until melted.› Put dry stuffing on apiece of wax paper andcrush with a rolling pin.Add cheese, basil andthyme; mix. Dip chickenchunks into meltedbutter and then roll instuffing mixture.› Arrange coated chick-en in a single layer in a

2-quart rectangularglass dish. Cover withwax paper and micro-wave on high 3 min-utes.› Using a fork, moveless-done chicken tothe edges of the dish.Re-cover and micro-wave on high 3 to 4minutes, or until chick-en reaches 165 degreesas measured with afood thermometer. Letstand 2 minutes beforeserving.› Serving suggestion:To make a completemeal, accompany thedish with side dishes ofrice or potatoes and agreen vegetable.

SOURCE: FAMILY FEATURES

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

You may not know this,but your bones play an im-portant role in your overallhealth. Bones not only givethe body a frame that letsyou move, they also storeminerals that are vital tothe function of other life-sustaining systems.

According to the officeof the Surgeon General, anestimated 10 millionAmericans over age 50have osteoporosis or“thinning of the bones,”while an additional 34 mil-lion are at risk.

The National Osteopo-rosis Foundation says thatapproximately one in twowomen, and up to one infour men older than 50,will suffer an osteoporo-sis-related fracture in theirremaining lifetime.

Bone health needs to bea priority for people of allages. One simple way toimprove bone health is tomake sure your diet in-cludes bone-building nu-trients like calcium, vita-min D and phytonutrients.

According to a newly re-leased report by the Nutri-lite Health Institute,“America’s PhytonutrientReport: Bone Health byColor,” Americans who fallshort in meeting their dailyfruit and vegetable intakesare also likely missing outon other nutrients thatcontribute to bone health.

“It’s like a double im-pact — if you fail to eatenough fruits and vegeta-bles, you are also likely notgetting enough bone-building nutrients like cal-cium and vitamin D fromall food sources in your to-tal diet either,” said KeithRandolph, technology

strategist for Nutrilite.

PhytonutrientsAlong with vitamins,

minerals and fiber, fruitsand vegetables containplant-based compoundsknown as phytonutrientsthat research suggestsprovide a range of poten-tial health benefits, in-cluding bone health.

“The research high-lights the importance ofthe variety of the fruits andvegetables. Everyone canbenefit by eating fruits andvegetables that span abroad color spectrum,”Randolph said.

“Bone is an active tissuein the body, and fortunate-ly just like other musclesand tissues, there are waysadults of all ages can pro-tect and keep their boneshealthy,” said Amy Hendel,Nutrilite’s phytonutrientcoach.

To help promote betterbone health, Hendel, aregistered physician as-sistant and health/well-ness expert, offers sometips for people at any age:

› Eat a calcium and vi-tamin D-rich breakfast.Start your day with break-fast foods like lower-fat

dairy, soy milk, yogurt andcalcium-fortified orangejuice and cereals for bone-healthy nutrients.

› Add color to meals.Toss some phytonutrient-rich foods into meals. Ifyou like soup, consideradding kale, broccoli orturnip greens, which alsoprovide bone-buildingcalcium.

› Exercise. Keep inmind that diet alone willnot keep your bones denseand strong. A weight-bearing exercise programthat includes walking, jog-ging or running, and use offree weights, is importantfor bone health.

› Meet the daily phyto-nutrient goal. A good goalfor most individuals is toconsume 10 servings offruits and vegetables daily.For those having troublegetting enough fruits andvegetables into their diet,natural, plant-based sup-plements that containphytonutrients can helpclose the phytonutrientgap.

For more informationabout Nutrilite NutritionalSupplements and to getmore practical tips, go towww.nutrilite.com/color.

AT A GLANCE

FOOD LISTHere are some foods that provide phytonutrients foreach color category.

Green› Phytonutrients:EGCG, lutein/zeaxanthin, iso-flavones.› Key FoodSources: tea,spinach, soy-beans

Red› Phytonutrients: lycopene.› Key Food Sources: tomatoes andtomato products.White› Phytonutrients: quercetin.› Key Food Sources: onions.

Yellow/Orange› Phytonutrients:beta-carotene, hes-peridin, beta-cryp-toxanthin.› Key Food Sources:carrots, orangesand orange juice.

Good bones equalgood overall healthNUTRITION | EATING FRUITS, VEGETABLES DAILY IS IMPORTANT

FROM FAMILY FEATURES

Bone is an active tissue in the body,and fortunately just like othermuscles and tissues, there are waysadults of all ages can protect andkeep their bones healthy.”

AMY HENDELNUTRILITE’S PHYTONUTRIENT COACH

Most people recognizethe link between what theyeat and their physicalhealth. But many don’tknow that there is a linkbetween what they eat andtheir mood.

Literally, says ElizabethSomer, M.A., R.D., whatyou eat or don’t eat forbreakfast can have an ef-fect on your happinessquotient by afternoon.

The effects also are cu-mulative: eat the rightfoods for months, years ordecades and you will bethat much happier andmentally sharp in the yearsto come.

In short, follow thesetips that come from, “EatYour Way to Happiness,”the latest book by Somer,and she promises you willsay, “I never knew I couldfeel this good!”

Eat breakfastPeople who eat break-

fast have more energy, amore sustained goodmood, perform better atschool and at work, andsleep better at night.

They also are less proneto food cravings and havean easier time losingweight and maintainingthe weight loss.

But, Somer is not talk-ing doughnuts and coffee.The breakfast must have:

› A whole grain to pro-vide needed high-qualitycarbs for the brain duringthe morning hours.

› A little protein to keepyou satiated and maintaineven blood sugar levelsthroughout the morning.

› One, preferably two,fruits and vegetables.

Somer’s favorite is abowl of whole-grain cerealtopped with berries and

low-fat milk, and servedwith sliced watermelon.

Or, a morning smoothiemade with watermelon,lemon yogurt and dash ofground ginger, served withwhole-grain raisin bread.

Keep lunch lightNot only will a heavy

lunch leave you groggy, buteat too much fat middayand it turns on a brainchemical called galanin.

According to researchfrom Rockefeller Universi-ty, the more fat we eat, themore galanin we produce.

People who eat a fattylunch are likely to eat morecalories later in the daycompared to someone whoeats a low-fat lunch.

An example would be aturkey breast sandwich onwhole wheat piled highwith spinach leaves andserved with a glass of low-

fat milk and a fruit salad,watermelon, orange slicesor pineapple.

Eat super mood foodsSomer says that it is a

style of eating, not just afew foods, that will stackthe deck in favor of feelinggreat.

The 10 secrets of happypeople discussed in herbook include habits suchas focusing on “real foods,”not processed ones, cut-ting back on the quick fixesand keeping meals light.

If you are followingthose guidelines, addingsuper mood foods givesyou an even greater nutri-tional bang for your buck.

Super mood foods areones loaded with vitamins,minerals, fiber and antiox-idant-rich phytonutrients,while being moderate incalories.

Eating right can tip scale on happinessDID YOU KNOW?

SUPER MOOD FOODA perfect example of a super mood food is wa-termelon, which is higher in lycopene than toma-toes, and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6,and C. Better yet, watermelon is 92 percent wa-ter, which means it is a natural hydrator, and itcontains two amino acids, citrulline and arginine,that maintain blood vessels in the body.

FROM FAMILY FEATURES