Seniors Can Enroll Through December

Spokane County seniors who lost Medicare managed care coverage in the latest round of insurance cutbacks can enroll in Group Health Northwest through the end of the year.

“Earlier we were told that Group Health Northwest would take new enrollees only through Nov. 30,” says Pam Negri in the Seattle regional office of the Health Care Financing Administration, which runs Medicare. “Now beneficiaries in Spokane can enroll all the way up until Dec. 31 and still have their coverage take effect Jan. 1.

“This is really great news for beneficiaries in Spokane County who want to stay on managed care or take this opportunity to switch from fee-for-service to managed care,” Negri said.

The Project Joy Orchestra will present a free Christmas Concert Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. in the Chapel of the Salvation Army, 222 E. Indiana. The general public is invited.

Directed by Lynn Blecker, the 30-piece orchestra performs throughout the city of Spokane at care centers, retirement homes, civic and fraternal club gatherings, and special events. Project Joy is a senior cultural outreach program.

The most common complaint I hear about both the American Association of Retired Persons and the Social Security Administration is how hard it is to get answers.

AARP isn’t even listed in the Spokane phone book.

People become frustrated trying to contact AARP. They feel a need to vent. They phone me. I call AARP. Finally, we may be getting some action.

“The AARP is going to put its phone number in the Spokane phone book,” promises AARP’s top man in Washington, John Peterson, at regional headquarters in Seattle. “We’re working with US West and we are looking to put 1-800 numbers in the phone books for a total of 25 Washington cities.”

Unfortunately, the phone books for communities served by GTE won’t have the AARP number. However, readers of this column will have it.

Peterson wasn’t able to say yet which other Washington cities will receive the phone listing.

What’s the next biggest problem with AARP to be solved?

Turning to questions about Social Security, the number to call is (800) 772-1213. “Anyone with a problem, that’s where you get answers fast,” says Mary Ann Traynor, public affairs specialist in the agency’s Seattle regional office.

“We answer questions from 7 in the morning to 7 at night,” she adds. “The best time to call is the first week of the month.”

Baby Boomers are starting to find out how hard it is to find a job once you pass a certain age.

How hard is it?

Well, an Internet job search firm surveyed 400-plus executives. Exec-U-Net found that, compared to an executive who is 35 to 40 years old, one who is 41 to 45 will take 18 percent longer to find a new position.

At age 46 to 50, it takes 24 percent longer to find a job.

And at age 51 to 55, it takes 66 percent longer.

Exec-U-Net says executives should expect a job change to take nine months to a year, depending on salary requirements and - up to a point - on age.

In Exec-U-Net’s poll of how long it takes to land work, executives over 55 weren’t asked.