Pediatric battery-related emergency room visits increased significantly from 2010 to 2017, with children aged 5 years and younger having the highest rates. An estimated 7,032 battery-related emergency room visits occurred annually in children under 18 from 2010 to 2019, more than twice the number from 1990 to 2009. Read more →
Scammers are targeting Medicare recipients with fake offers to get “free covid tests.” They’re calling, using TV and online ads, and setting up websites to try to get people to give them their Medicare information. If scammers get the information, they'll bill fraudulent charges to Medicare. And, the consumers never get any free covid tests. Read more →
Access to hearing aids is being improved, which may lower costs for millions of Americans. The FDA issued a rule Tuesday that establishes a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids, enabling consumers with mild to moderate hearing impairment to purchase hearing aids from stores or online retailers. Read more →
It seems like a miracle. The Democrats finally came together and passed major legislation to benefit American consumers. It’s called the Inflation Reduction Act. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said the law will have a lasting impact on the planet and will help lower costs for Americans across our country. Read more →
Today, the first Sunday of August, is National Friends Day. I’m very thankful for my friends and the support and joy they bring in my life. Some of your relatives may be pleasant and supportive. However, they may live far away. Other relatives may not like you no matter what you do. Read more →
One thing I’ve noticed about being an older adult is that you lose friends and relatives, and the older you get, the more often people your age pass away. Last week, my former husband died. At the left is our wedding photo. Divorced in 1986, we were married for 23 years and had two daughters. Read more →
Only a small number of funeral homes allow consumers to look at their price lists on their websites so they can compare prices. Just 191 of 1,046 funeral homes or 18 percent in a survey posted their prices online, according to a report by the Funeral Consumers Alliance and Consumer Federation of America. Read more →
Best wishes on Father’s Day. I hope you and your loved ones will have a great day with your plans for brunch or dinner, an outing, and/or gift giving. My dad, Minor H. Slingsby, passed away in 1990 at age 80. A farmer, he died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which is linked to pesticide exposure. Read more →
When life gets tough, I tell my family and friends not to let it steal your joy. That philosophy got me through the Trump years fairly well. However, the massacres this month are weighing heavy on my heart. I hope taking my own advice will help me bounce back soon. Read more →
On Memorial Day, I’m remembering my uncle Frank Gilliam who died at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. I’m also remembering my uncles Richard Telecky and Orval Telecky who also served in World War II. While President Biden will speak today and parades will be held, processing losses is difficult. Read more →