(NAPSI)-Seniors and people with disabilities who rely on home medical equipment and services will pay a steep price under Medicare's controversial and mislabeled "competitive" bidding program for durable medical equipment.

Currently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' use of competitive bidding to set reimbursement prices for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies is inefficient. It involves what the Southern Economic Journal called "overly complex rules for choosing winners and setting prices [that] distort the incentives that bidders face and may actually result in increased prices for some consumers."

Unintended consequences of the bidding program can include:

• Reduced access to care and service disruption--The bidding program restricts choices for home medical items and services, and it may trigger a race to the bottom in terms of quality.

At the Texas Attorney General's Office, Texas' senior citizens are a top priority year round. This month they are getting heightened attention nationwide because it is Older Americans Month.

Like all law enforcement agencies, we rely on our fellow Texans to help deter crime. So this month, we are focusing on educating Texans about scams that target their senior friends and family members.
Fraud against seniors is more widespread than most people realize, but well-informed and vigilant citizens can help prevent all fraudulent schemes, including two new ploys that have emerged in recent weeks.

Identity Theft Scams
With the arrival of April, the 2010 U.S. Census is officially underway. Texans should quickly complete and return the forms to the Census Bureau.

Hope for an Alzheimer's Cure

New research has shown just how Alzheimer's disease spreads, and from that could come a cure!

A study done at the University of Massachusetts took a close look at a protein in the human brain called Tau. It was always thought that this Tau protein was a by-product of cells that had died due to Alzheimer's. Not necessarily so, say the researchers.

What made them wonder was that Tau cells were found in spinal fluid of Alzheimer's patients. How did they get there? It turns out there are two ways for Tau cells to migrate. One is that those cells are secreted in a pattern -- and therein lies a potential cure. Follow the pattern, interrupt the movement of those toxic cells and stop the spread of the disease to different parts of the brain.

So hopeful are these researchers that they've taken out a patent on using this new information to diagnose Alzheimer's at a much earlier stage, when a cure is more likely.

MedMinder Is Nifty Pill-Reminder Device

You have to love an inventive mind. There's a man in Maine who has developed a nifty pill-reminder device called a MedMinder. He's even given the device a pet name: Maya.

Maya has 28 compartments, each containing a small pill cup. When filled, Maya holds a week's worth of medication to be taken up to four times per day. The device plugs into the wall and runs over wireless technology from MedMinder's server, but you don't have to have a computer or any kind of Internet service.

The refill trays can be filled by you, your caregiver or even your local pharmacy.

When it's time to take a pill, the correct compartment will flash. You open the lid and remove the cup with the pills and return the empty cup. If the medication isn't taken, an alert will sound as a reminder. After a little while, if the pill still isn't taken, a caregiver or relative will get a phone call, e-mail or text message.

Scammers Will be Out in Force in 2010

One of my neighbors recently received a phone call from a well-known charity organization asking for donations. At least she thought it was the same organization calling. It wasn't. It was a scam, with the thieves using well-known charity names to bilk people out of money.

Rule of thumb: If someone is pressuring you to make a purchase or donation by phone, hang up. It's your phone and you can take charge of whom you're willing to talk to. Unless you make the call, you can't be sure who's at the other end. The Internet continues to be a nightmare of potential scams if you accidentally put in too much information or if you make a purchase online.

Rule of thumb: Have two e-mail addresses. Use one for family and friends. Use a second one for everything else and where an e-mail address is required.

Chase Those Winter Blues

There's one sure-fire way to get through a cold winter and fight the blues: Think spring. This is the perfect time to start planning for warm weather.

Here are some ideas:
Plan a garden, whether that means pots on your balcony, a bigger space in your yard or a spot in a community garden. Send for catalogs and lay out your plans on paper.

Meanwhile, a green plant or two in your living space can help you think "spring," as well as cleaning the air. (If you have pets, be sure that you can put the plants where they can't get to them.)

Design the perfect cruise or vacation. Check online for information, but go through a local travel agency, as it's safer than ordering anything online. For adventures closer to home, ask the senior center if it is planning any local trips.

Investigate warm weather volunteer work, such as assisting with Habitat for Humanity. Not all of its work involves heavy lifting.

Shake Those Holiday Blues

You don't have to be alone during the holidays to feel lonely. You could be married or in a relationship and still feel the absence of children or grandkids that live at a distance, or even saddened by memories of holidays past.

But there is a way to fight the blues: stay busy. Plan now for things you'll do over the holidays. The key is to be around others. Here are some ideas:

* Invite others to a potluck where everyone contributes something to the feast.
* Hold a game night at your place. Have a few people bring a game and snacks to share.
* Volunteer to cook or serve at a homeless kitchen. Sign up at a hospital or rehab center to pass out gifts or read to patients who don't have visitors. Don't show up at the last minute, though. Organizers need to know in advance how much help they'll have, so call soon.
* Play Secret Santa for neighbors. Homemade treats in a tin or basket, topped with a bow and left at their door, will put a smile on their faces.
* Check church listings to see if any are holding public holiday meals, then go!

Medicare: Making Changes in Your Coverage

It's open enrollment time again. Have you reviewed your Medicare plan and made any wanted changes to your insurance or drug plans? You have a few more weeks to get this done before the deadline on Dec. 31, 2009.

Even if you've been happy with your coverage this past year, it's still a good idea to review what you have because the costs could change. Did you receive your 2010 Annual Notice of Changes? Providers are required to send it to you once a year. The information includes what you can expect for co-pays and insurance next year, as well as the costs and any changes in coverage. It's also possible that your specific drug plan might not be offered next year. If that happens you'll be shunted off to another plan -- one you might not want.

Create Your Own Family Heirloom

If you start now, you have time to make the best holiday gift your family has ever had.

What I have in mind is called Life Story Writing. You'll tell pieces of your life story, either written down or as an oral history on tape or video, and give it as a gift to your family.

Here's a suggestion for getting started: As quickly as you can, make a list of your life's early events, things your family might not know, jotting down a word or two to remind yourself later. Make the list as long as you can, and keep it handy because other things will come to mind as you get started.

By events, I don't necessarily mean big things. It's in the small, everyday life occurrences you'll find the greatest value. If you have a computer, use that. Copy the files onto CDs. If you have a tape recorder, use that to record your stories. Tapes can be duplicated.

Working Past Retirement

When we were in our 30s, most of us couldn't wait for the day we could retire. Now, at retirement age, many of us aren't doing what we expected.

There is a new study out that says many seniors actually want to continue working after retirement. Some want to continue to be around people, making work a social outlet. Some want something to do so they can feel productive. And some, 63 percent of those who responded in a survey, said they needed to keep working due to finances.

Generally, though, the majority of us are happy working -- much happier than our very young counterparts. Chances are that it's because older workers past retirement age work part time and aren't supporting families.

Another study was able to determine that continuing to work is good for our health, both physical and mental. Researchers found that those who work in "bridge employment" (part-time work in the same field as before retirement) develop fewer diseases and functional limitations.

One Flu Shot ... or Two?

Confused about whether to get a flu shot this year? You're not alone. The flu has been all over the news, and some of the "facts" don't match, depending where you get your information.

There are two versions of the flu right now: the seasonal garden-variety that comes around every year, and the swine flu, also called H1N1 flu. There are slightly different symptoms for both, with severity ranging from mild to severe. There are two different flu shots, too, one for each type. Just getting a seasonal flu shot won't cover you for the H1N1 flu, and vice versa.

The swine flu vaccine naysayers have been busy, putting out information that might not be true. There's even a question about who really needs a swine flu shot. (Do seniors really have a built-in immunity to it?) But it's possible to get correct information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a comprehensive Web site with all sorts of facts about the seasonal and H1N1 flus and vaccines at www.flu.gov. Also check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's site: www.cdc.gov.

Caffeine Could Treat Alzheimer's Disease

Can caffeine cure Alzheimer's disease? That's what researchers are wondering. In 2006, at the Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Fla., caffeine was shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease in mice that were specially bred to get it. Over time, the caffeine protected them in areas like memory and recognition.

Here's how they believe it works: The caffeine suppresses an abnormal protein called beta amyloid in the blood and brain -- at least in mice. That protein produces plaque that blocks nerve cells in the brain.
N
ow, in 2009, scientists at two research centers in Florida have shown that a certain amount of caffeine (the equivalent of five cups per day) actually can reverse the effects of Alzheimer's -- again, at least in mice. The protein levels were reduced significantly.