Omicron is Spreading Fast – What You Should Know if You Test Positive

Yesterday my college roommate texted me that she tested positive. Her daughter is giving birth to her first baby on Thursday, and she planned to be in the operating room as her mother was when her daughter was born. That is now not to be. The new Omicron variant is spreading like wildfire. If you haven’t yet gotten fully vaccinated including the booster, get it now. A new report says that the J&J vaccine is not very effective for the new variant and those who received it should get either the Pfizer or Moderna booster. If you do test positive, the information below will help you.

Testing and Quarantine

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention are the same whether you are unvaccinated, vaccinated or boosted. If you test positive from a rapid or PCR test you must quarantine immediately for 10 days.

Isolation

Isolation is necessary. Ideally in a room with a private bath. Avoid or limit contact with other household members. Everyone in the household should wear a high-quality mask. To isolate properly, you should have a thermometer, pulse oximeter (measures oxygen level), ibuprofen or acetaminophen and plenty of fluids.

Should I Call My Doctor or Go to a Hospital?

If your symptoms are mild, there is no need to call your doctor unless you want reassurance. IF you have a high fever for several days, difficulty breathing or chest pain, or an inability to eat or drink. The loss of smell and taste may last more than 10 days. You should go to the emergency room if you have severe shortness of breath or chest pain. You should also check your oxygen levels several times a day even if you are not short of breath. According to the CDC, normal oxygen level is between 95% and 100%.

Negative Test Result During the 10 Day Quarantine Period

Do not stop isolating; continue through the 10-day period.

Day 11 Forward

According to the Cleveland Clinic, patients often have fatigue and other symptoms beyond 10 days but if they are improving, isolation is not necessary. People who have compromised systems or are severely ill may need to isolate longer.

Who Needs to be Informed and Quarantined?

The new metric is anyone the patient was within six feet of for 6.5 (not 15) minutes or more within 24 hours must be informed. Those contacts who are vaccinated or boosted do not have to quarantine unless they are symptomatic. Contacts who are unvaccinated need to quarantine for 10 – 14 days depending on their local health jurisdiction.

What to do Next

There is support that the booster is key to protection against the Omicron variant. If you do have COVID you’ll need to wait until you’re fully recovered to get the vaccine. Other variants are coming. Make sure you and your family are safe by being up to date with the vaccines and boosters.

Whatever it takes, Personal Affairs Management Group is here to make your holiday as joyful and carefree as possible.

Our mission is to make your life simple, secure, reduce stress and get things done. We specialize in helping all aspects of the day-to-day of busy professionals, families and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life simple, secure and stress-free. We are available 24/7. Call us at 305-646-1833 or email us at Corrine@mypersonalaffairsmanagement.com.

Holidays are Here! Do You Need Another You?

The holiday season is here! We are traveling to visit family and friends and they are traveling to visit us. This time of year can be overwhelming. Personal time is always in short supply and during the holiday season there is almost none to be had. Mom, dad or even you used to “do it all” but now it may be to be too much. The traffic has returned and there is less time to get work completed, medical appointments done, other personal tasks and the myriad of our ever-growing “to do” list.

Family members have a list too. Their list is long throughout the year but even longer now. Seniors want to be as independent as they used to be. But now they may no longer drive or they need help making sure there is enough money in their checking account for the gifts they want to give to family, friends and charities. They want to have their house working in proper order and looking festive. Some ask their children for help but often they live far away or, being the “sandwich generation,” are busy with work and their own children.

More than any other, this is the season of family, friends and good cheer. Rather than being overwhelmed or exhausted and not able to fully enjoy it, you or your parents may need “another you.” We can help.

In the past few holiday seasons, the Personal Affairs Management Group has been asked by families to help when they are too overwhelmed to get tasks done on time in the way they want. We become the other “you.” We are “life managers” who do the work and take over the worry so mom, dad or family can spend all of their time enjoying each other’s company. We wanted to let you know that we are here for you or your family during this holiday season or in the future.

For mom or dad, we make sure their bills are paid, that their RMD’s are requested, donations are made, a budget for the new year is revised, backup for tax preparation is ready, doctors, labs and other appointments are made and kept. We work with them to make sure their home is exactly the way they want it for their guests. We help with sticky situations such as family members not wanting to sit next to their sibling, and more.

For adult children we help with family arrangements, schedules and appointments. We make sure insurance claims are processed and medical bills are reviewed for possible errors. We make certain no card or gift is missed. We manage lists of special projects so they get done rather than dropping to the bottom of the list. These include arranging family visits and other needs, annual pest control, roof/home inspections, vacations.

Whatever it takes, Personal Affairs Management Group is here to make your holiday as joyful and carefree as possible.
Our mission is to make your life simple, secure, reduce stress and get things done. We specialize in helping all aspects of the day-to-day of busy professionals, families and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life simple, secure and stress-free. We are available 24/7. Call us at 305-646-1833 or email us at Corrine@mypersonalaffairsmanagement.com.

80% of Medical Bills Have Errors – What to Do

80% of Medical Bills Have Errors – What to Do
The error rate in medical bills is a staggering 80%. Errors happen at all levels of healthcare and the pandemic drove overworked healthcare workers to the brink. The errors are often simple human mistakes. But they are costing patients hundreds or thousands of dollars each year. Although insurance often covers these costs, sometimes they don’t.
You can take charge. Many of these errors can be corrected if patients and their families know what to look for. The most common errors are below.
  • Incorrect patient information: Just one letter or number can mean the difference between being charged correctly and having a claim denied or the full amount paid by the insurance company.
  • Duplicate charges: This occurs when services or procedures are billed multiple times. For example, two different medical personnel state a certain medication was provided, but it is provided once and charged twice. An itemized bill should be requested and reviewed carefully.
  • Incorrect quantity: Once again, check the itemized bill. Typos such as a 10 instead of a 1 are possible.
  • Upcoding: Hospital charges that are coded for a treatment that is more serious, and thus more expensive, than the actual diagnosis and treatment. This practice is illegal and fraudulent. Ask the hospital to change it immediately. Common examples are administering generic drugs but charged as branded and receiving the lowest level of care at an emergency room and being charged at a higher, more expensive level.
  • Unbundling of charges: When services that normally are charged under the same billing code and thus in a ‘package’ are listed separately.  These mistakes can be difficult to identify unless you are a medical bill coder who thoroughly understands codes. The National Correct Coding Initiative prepared by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides information for anyone who wants to access coding information. It can be accessed at: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/NationalCorrectCodInitEd/index.html?redirect=/nationalcorrectcodinited/
  • Duplicate billing: This occurs when a patient receives a “final bill” after their insurance company negotiates the price with the hospital or medical provider. Check the amount against the Medicare Summary provided by Medicare and the Explanation of Benefits Statement (EOB) provided by the insurance provider. If in doubt contact the insurance company and/or the medical provider.
By just checking for the most common errors on medical bills, hundreds, even thousands of dollars can be saved.
Whatever it takes, the Personal Affairs Management Group is here to make your life simple, reduce your stress and get things done. We specialize in helping all aspects of the day-to-day of busy professionals, families and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life simple, secure and stress-free. Call us at 305-646-1833 or email at Corrine@mypersonalaffairsmanagement.com.

How to Help Your Loved One’s Manage Their Financial Lives

Since last year, we have received many calls from boomers who are suddenly faced with a crisis involving a parent or relative that they are now in charge of solving. They are ill-prepared for this moment and often don’t know what to do. When this happens, they are faced with a myriad of issues and tasks.

According to a Harris Poll Survey, 20% of boomers said they have an aging family member who has diminished financial capacity; 42% have assumed at least some responsibility for financial decision making, 43% have had someone else assume responsibility for their family member’s finances and nearly half of all adult children have not discussed their parent’s post-retirement care.

Don’t wait for a crisis – get prepared now. There are many facets of being prepared: legal, financial, real estate, pets, day-to-day living,t and more. Making preparations while the loved one is alive and sound of mind will greatly reduce the pain of managing this process when the time comes.

Older seniors grew up in a world of paper and of keeping all possessions. They have paper checks, paper bills, paper records, photographs, newspapers, magazines, and more everywhere in their home. They are not online and neither are their documents. As they age, they have greater difficulty remembering where their accounts are, what needs to be paid and when; their stamp, coin, or gun collections, or that they put dollar bills into books in the bookcase. If they have emails, user names, and passwords, it is unlikely they remember them. There may be tax or water liens on their home not because there isn’t money to pay them, but because they put the bill in a drawer and/or didn’t open the mail.

 

What to do:

Divide and conquer. Identify all bills (annual, monthly, quarterly, intermittent). Pay those that need immediate attention, set up a payment schedule for all others; use autopay. Look at your own bills as a guide for categories that might be missing from your parent’s list, especially the annual ones such as real estate taxes, insurance, and water. Create a financial inventory of accounts. Make a list of IRA rollovers and annual mandatory minimum distribution requirements. Create a list of important documents such as legal documents, military records, titles, deeds, bank accounts, and assets such as stock certificates. If you can’t find the documents, file for replacements. If there are trusts, make sure all assets are listed in the trust, as often people forget to add new assets such as a vacation home to their trust.

Contact all advisers for your parents – attorneys, bankers, asset manager, CPA to ensure everything is accurate, up to date and ‘on-file.’ Most importantly, make sure the legal documents are up to date (will, living will, durable power of attorney, medical power of attorney, trusts, etc.). If not or you don’t know, contact their attorney to schedule a review. And, of course, if you do not have a durable power of attorney, your loved one must be present in any discussions.

Helping seniors and their families prepare in these times can take a village. To assist families in preparing this all-important information, we have created a Personal Affairs Record, which we are happy to provide. And, we offer a wide range of information and guidance to families. As daily money managers, we provide oversight of banks and other financial accounts. We are licensed, bonded, and insured and keep the family informed. We at Personal Affairs Management Group are here to make your life simple, secure, and stress-free.

Trip Next Year? Renew Your Passport NOW!

After a long pandemic, people can’t wait to travel, but those in the know will be the stress-free travelers. If your passport has expired or will expire in the next several months, you are in for a rude awakening.
Two weeks ago, a client of mine said his adult son needed to quickly renew his expired passport. After many hours calling the passport agency and searching the internet, he was finally able to secure an appointment in New Orleans. He had to fly to New Orleans for his appointment!  Don’t let this happen to you, find out when your passport expires. It could result in less stress and heartache.
The State Department currently has a backlog of 1.5 to two million passport applications! Renewing a passport now takes approximately 18 weeks. If you can reach a passport agent, you may be able to get an appointment, but that appointment may be in another state. There are limited in-person appointments at passport offices for travelers who are within 72 hours of their trips. But obtaining an in-person appointment is most successful by speaking to a passport agent. There are limited restricted appointments for “life or death” emergencies but you will need an official letter from a hospital or a death certificate.
Many foreign countries allow entry if your passport is valid within six months of the departure date. Check the airline requirements too. For example, Mexico and Costa Rica only require that your passport be valid for the length of your stay (i.e. can be within the 6-month window). But some airlines, such as American Airlines have a blanket 6-month rule in place for all international travel and may deny you boarding. You may still get a boarding pass and then be denied entry by the gate agent.
A little-known fact is that you may be able to get a second passport. That’s right, a second passport. If you travel often and have experienced the time crunch of obtaining a travel visa, obtaining a second passport is highly recommended. It is issued to U.S. citizens who meet one of the eligibility requirements. The second passport will have a new passport number and is valid for only four years. Travelers falling into the following categories may be eligible to obtain a second passport:
Your passport needs to be in two places at once. If you have the need to travel out of the country AND are in need of a travel visa for an upcoming trip, a second passport is an option
Your passport stamps from past traveled countries are not accepted in upcoming travel countries.
What to do about passport renewals?
Submit your passport for renewal well ahead of any planned international travel
Check Facebook or other social media groups as they share advice on how to get through to customer service agents, and which agencies have in-person appointments
Reach out to your congressional office, which can submit an inquiry into the status. it takes time to process a congressional inquiry, but the process might be expedited
And, while you’re at it, look up your TSA Pre-Check to see when that expires so you don’t have to wait in long security check-in lines.
We at Personal Affairs Management Group specialize in helping all aspects of the day-to-day of busy professionals, families, and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life simple, secure, and stress-free. Call us at 305-646-1833 or email at Corrine@mypersonalaffairsmanagement.com.

Post Pandemic – To Drive or Not to Drive. That is the Question

The pandemic is nearly over and driving has begun. During an appointment a few months ago, one of my 90+ clients told me she had stopped driving. Before the pandemic, I had my standard conversation with her that it is one thing if she hit the mailbox on the way out of the driveway, but it is entirely something else if she hit a three-year-old – something for which she’d never forgive herself (not would her family for not taking action). But she kept saying she only went to the supermarket, post office, and bank – which are all less than one mile from home. So, I asked her what changed to which she responded she “bumped” an Amazon truck. She waited for the driver so she could tell him and called her son who went immediately. The police were called and she was cited. I asked her when her car would be repaired and she told me the insurance company declared it a total loss. I thought that was quite a bump, but said I was glad no one was hurt.

In 2018 there were 45 million licensed drivers in the U.S. 65 and over – a 50% increase over 1999. That year 7,700 seniors were killed and nearly 300,000 went to emergency rooms! According to research, adult children would rather talk to their parents about sex or funeral arrangements than driving.

Adult children need to have the dreaded conversation with their parents about driving, when to stop, and how they will live their life in a post-driving world.  Families with older drivers should keep an eye out for signs that could indicate its time for “the talk.”  Signs are scrapes on the side of the car, broken exterior lights, someone calling and saying the senior was driving in the wrong lane, etc. The conversation needs to take place before the “sign” they are looking for arrives and it is not the mailbox or the Amazon truck that is hit.  

Studies found that 75 – 95% of adult children think this is the most uncomfortable conversation they will have with their parents. And a frightening 25% of adult children say they won’t have the conversation at all no matter what. Only 38% of boomers think their parents will understand and be open to a conversation about driving. They believe their parents will be angry or hurt (46%), say it’s too hard to find other transportation (31%), and will be more determined to keep driving (22%).

Children’s top concerns regarding their parents’ driving are poor eyesight, driving too slow, driving too fast, slow reaction time, poor hearing, and driving distracted. Health issues can severely impact senior driving. The most serious are arthritis, diabetes, and blood sugar levels. Arthritis (80% of people in their 70s) weakens muscles, reduces flexibility, and limits the range of motion so as to restrict senior drivers’ ability to grip and turn the steering wheel, press the accelerator or brake, or reach to open doors (AAA). Diabetes may affect how drivers interpret and react to the driving environment (AAA). Blood sugar levels can cause dizziness, sleepiness, confusion, blurred vision, loss of consciousness, seizures, nerve damage in hands, legs, feet, etc. (American Diabetes Assn)

So, what can adult children do?

Look for Signs

•Scrapes on the car’s bumpers or doors, garage door, or mailbox
•Any moving violations or warnings

Before Your Conversation

•Ride with them and observe. How aware they are of the situations around them. Do they seem confused or unsure? How slow are their reaction times? Are they running a stop sign or other drivers honking more than usual? Observe how they park and leave the parking space

•Look into local options and be prepared to discuss

•Alternative transportation such as local shuttles, family, friends, neighbors, caregivers, services like Uber/Lyft.

•Coordinate rides with others who are going to the same event such as religious services/events, community events, book clubs, bingo, bridge, poker, etc.

•Delivery for groceries, laundry, and other items

Your Conversation

•Choose a stress-free time and setting – not during a holiday meal!

•Choose the right person to initiate the conversation – the best person may be outside the family such as a family friend, neighbor, advisor, or doctor

•If the person having the talk is outside of the family, provide them the information you have collected and discuss with them ideas and approach

•Respect is key – approach the parent with the utmost respect and dignity – they are your loved ones; the tone of voice is imperative

•Consider beginning the conversation with a question about how they feel when driving

•Listen to what they say and truly hear their concerns

• Frame the conversation in a positive light

•Highlight your concern for their safety and the safety of others – especially children – which will resonate with them

•Don’t get drawn into an argument, be kind and patient

•If needed, suggest an evaluation from a driver’s rehabilitation specialist or professional driving instructor

•When the conversation moves in the direction of alternatives, use the research you have already done

•And, have realistic and reasonable expectations; they’ve been driving for more years than you’ve been alive –this may be only the first of a series of conversations

This IS one of the most important conversations adult children will have with their loved ones. Let me know how your conversations go. And if you need help starting the conversation call us – we are here for you.

We at Personal Affairs Management Group specialize in helping all aspects of the day-to-day of busy professionals, families, and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life simple, secure, and stress-free. Call us at 305-646-1833 or email at Corrine@mypersonalaffairsmanagement.com.

Tax Day Delayed to May 17 – What It Means To You

A few days ago, the IRS moved the federal tax filing day for 2020 from April 15 to May 17.

What it means to you:

•32 extra days to file without penalties and interest

•But estimated tax payments are still due on April 15 – you need to pay them

•Date for filing an extension remains October 15 – but the extension is for filing only, taxes due must be paid by May 17

Of course, if you expect a refund, file early so you get your refund as soon as possible.

And, don’t forget about the tax credit for those of you that did not receive the first or second stimulus checks.

After last year, we all can use a break and the government is giving us one.

We at Personal Affairs Management Group specialize in helping all aspects of the day-to-day of busy professionals, families, and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life simple, secure, and stress-free. Call us at 305-646-1833 or email at Corrine@theseniorsanswer.com.

Didn’t Get One of Your Stimulus Checks? There’s a Tax Credit for That

2020 was a very difficult year that put individuals and families in need of help. The Stimulus payments provided the help. Congress enacted two stimulus payments last year. The first ($1,400) was last spring. The second ($600) was at the end of the year. The IRS set a deadline of January 15, 2021, to have all stimulus checks mailed. A number of Americans didn’t receive one or both. The government doesn’t want to add more work than is necessary so they are offering a tax credit to anyone who has not received the checks due to them. It is called the Recovery Rebate Credit.

How to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit

The IRS stated, “Eligible individuals who did not receive the full amounts of both Economic Impact Payments may claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR. To determine whether you are an eligible individual or the amount of your Recovery Rebate Credit, complete the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet in the Instructions for Form 1040 and Form 1040-SR.”

According to the IRS

· Generally, you are eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit if you were a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien in 2020, not claimed as a dependent of another taxpayer for the tax year 2020, and have a Social Security number valid for employment that is issued before the due date of your 2020 tax return (including extensions).

· You must file Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit even if you are normally not required to file a tax return.

IRS Free File Program

Anyone with an income of $72,000 or less can file their federal tax return electronically for free through the IRS Free File Program. Free File is a public-private partnership between the IRS and many filing and tax preparation software providers who provide their brand-name products for free. The safest and fastest way to get a tax refund is to combine electronic filing with direct deposit.

If you qualified for a stimulus check and the IRS has sent out that payment, you should have received a letter from them within 15 days acknowledging that the payment was issued. It will be mailed to your last known address and it will detail your payment information. For the second stimulus payment, the letter is called Notice 1444-B.

The IRS advises that if you are not sure if you are missing a payment, or if you are one of the people owed money from the first stimulus payment, you can use the IRS Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet to determine how much to ask for in the credit. The worksheet is part of the instructions for the 1040 and 1040-SR forms. The Recovery Rebate Credit appears on line 30 of the form.

After last year, everyone can use more money. Make sure you and your family get the stimulus checks that are warranted.

We at Personal Affairs Management Group specialize in helping all aspects of the day-to-day of busy professionals, families, and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life simple, secure, and stress-free. Call us at 305-646-1833 or email at Corrine@theseniorsanswer.com.

The Pandemic is Ending – Your Old Spending Habits May Need to Change

Pre-pandemic, were you overspending your income; maxing out your credit cards; poor credit rating; facing bankruptcy?  We’ve been living in a plastic/Apple pay world and have had no idea what we were spending. As a result, too many are overspending, have too much credit card debt, and poor credit ratings. The quarantine gave us a break from our spending habits. We were buying from Amazon, but restaurants, shops, and other places we used to spend money were off the list.  All of a sudden, we found more money in our bank accounts. The pandemic is ending and to protect our future we need to have better spending habits and controls. The best way is an easy-to-use budget and now, of course, there are apps for that.

Budgeting has many benefits including less stress – which all of us need! Budgets and accompanying reviews give people a grasp of what’s coming in and what’s going out.

They help you organize spending, ensure you spend only what you can afford, don’t max out your credit, and much more. Budgeting help people of all ages manage expenses and create and build funds for the future. Budgeting put you in control of your life.

As we come out of the pandemic it’s now or never. You don’t want to have a poor credit rating or worse, bankruptcy as it will be a huge weight on your back and follow you as you build your career and life.

Of course, you’ll need help.  And help is available.  The answer is budgeting apps which will require a slight change in habit but provide much relief. Most people use either “You Need a Budget” (YNAB) or Mint.

YNAB is designed to “help you break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, get out of debt, and save more money.” New users have saved up to $600 in the first two months of using the app and more than $6,000 in the first year. You can try the app for free for 34 days, and then you pay either $11.99 per month or $84 per year to continue using it after the free trial period has ended. Signing up for the annual rate instead of paying monthly will save you about $60. YNAB has stood out to be the best app for serious budgeting.

YNAB syncs to your bank accounts automatically along with credit cards and investment accounts. YNAB users choose where their money goes according to their needs and priorities. Categories include: eating out, memberships, rent, savings, and more. Since you are assigning every dollar a purpose, you’re becoming financially aware and have a visual plan laid out for you. The YNAB app helps you to adjust your wants and needs according to your budget. Users can change their budgets at any time and also set saving goals.

The Mint app is free and offers you various ways to save and track your money. Mint will send you alerts when you go over your budget and allows you to track spending by category or look at your cash-flow to get an overall sense of where your money goes monthly. Mint also lets you track your bills in one place and reminds you when upcoming payments are due. All of Mint’s services are free, including its credit monitoring service, but this app includes ads. According to many reviews, Mint is considered the best free budgeting app.

 

You deserve a better life but to do that you must manage your daily money and bills well.  Don’t wait until your financial life is bleak.  We at Personal Affairs Management Group specialize in budgeting for busy professionals, families, and seniors. We have a team devised to tackle and manage concerns that many may have. We are experts in daily money management and can help make sure you or your loved ones are spending and saving what is best for you.

If you have questions or need information about you or your loved one’s life management issues, please reach out to us. We at Personal Affairs Management Group are here to make your life simple, secure, and stress-free. Call at 305-646-1833 or email at Corrine@theseniorsanswer.com.

 

Corrine Markey

Founder and CEO