ArcaMax

Toni:

In October, I enrolled in Medicare but did not enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan. I went to my doctor in April for my annual physical and had to pay $200 when I received a shingles vaccination. My doctor’s office told me that I needed to be enrolled in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan for the shingles shot to have a $0...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Wayne Lin feels most alive when writing poetry.

Originally from Taiwan, Lin came to the United States in 1970 as a graduate student. Decades later, after raising three children, welcoming eight grandchildren and building a career as a physicist, he still sees himself first and foremost as a student.

“In retrospect, I’...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Anna, who asked to be identified only by her middle name because she fears her mother would disown her if she learned the truth, still hasn’t told her mom that she sparked an investigation into her driving last year.

“She still brings it up,” Anna said. “She’s just pissed.”

Anna’s mother, then 85, was living ...Read more

LONDON — HIIT training could be recommended for people with high blood pressure to help them bring their levels down to a healthy range, a new study suggests.

Researchers said that they have shown for the first time that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and combined training can bring down a person’s blood pressure.

The study also ...Read more

Hello Toni,

My wife’s friend told her that she is receiving a free gym membership from the Medicare Supplement Plan G that she is enrolled in. The Medicare Supplement that we have does not include a gym membership.

I thought a Medicare Advantage Plan was the only way to get a gym membership at no cost. Any truth to this, as I never heard ...Read more

Dear Toni:

I recently retired and have always received my diabetic supplies from a mail-order program through my employer benefits. Last week, I received a letter stating the diabetic supplier will no longer be covered by Medicare. Does this mean that if I continue with my current supplier, Medicare will not pay for my diabetic supplies?

Toni,...Read more

I'd like to congratulate Mel Brooks on making it to the age of 100, but I'm not sure I want to duplicate his achievement.

I try not to focus on aging, not that there's anything wrong with getting older. But sometimes I feel exhausted by the daily trials of modern living, and I'm not sure I can manage 27 more years of it.

I'm writing this ...Read more

I'd like to congratulate Mel Brooks on making it to the age of 100, but I'm not sure I want to duplicate his achievement.

I try not to focus on aging, not that there's anything wrong with getting older. But sometimes I feel exhausted by the daily trials of modern living, and I'm not sure I can manage 27 more years of it.

I'm writing this ...Read more

Sunbathers who wish to bask poolside and shade seekers in pursuit of a good read, interactive game show lovers and arts and crafts fans, night owls and early risers, picky eaters and one self-professed gourmand; it can be a challenge to find a vacation that pleases everyone. But when the destination is a cruise, and the cruise line is one that ...Read more

Hi Toni:

I enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan with a $0 monthly premium that began June 1 because I turned 65 on June 5. I disenrolled from my husband's employer benefits since the Advantage plan’s monthly premium was lower than what my husband was charged.

Now I am in shock because a Medicare premium of $732...Read more

Hello, Toni:

My husband and I are currently enrolled in Medicare with a Medicare supplement and Part D prescription coverage, and we will be moving to Italy, then returning to the United States in a few years. I understand that there is no coverage from Medicare for overseas expenses and that we should seek a medical plan in Italy if we have ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Older Californians are becoming homeless faster than any other age group, advocates told a state commission this month, warning that the state’s housing system is failing people who often need more support than a shelter can provide but do not belong in hospitals or nursing homes.

People with the common issues of aging �...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — At 80, Leni Siegel’s rich life is visible throughout the Berkeley, California, home she’s lived in for 20 years — in family photos, old theater programs from performances she attended and books she’s collected over the years. Now, feeling overwhelmed by it all, she’s facing the difficult task of deciding what to ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif.— Older adults are losing billions of dollars to scammers as fraud schemes grow more sophisticated, more personal and harder to spot — leading to a fourfold increase in losses over four years, federal data shows.

Financial fraud comes in a variety of forms — whether it’s someone promising to work on a home or a phishing ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- As a general rule, Sam Marshall is not used to drawing a crowd.

At 70 years old, with glasses and a plop of silver hair, the Haverford, Pennsylvania, grandfather is a semiretired regulatory lawyer with a fondness for trains and the print version of the Wall Street Journal.

Yet, there he was last month, at a wedding in Big Sky, ...Read more