Kansas Senior Press Service News ArticlesKansas Senior Press Service News ArticlesBy Stephen M. Howe
Kansas Senior Press Service
Our homes are among our most valuable financial assets. So, when you are considering hiring a contractor to perform a service in your home, remember the following tips and advice before signing on the dotted line.
Contact the city in which you live, and speak to its building codes department to determine whether you need a permit for the job. This may be an added expense, but code enforcement personnel are your experts in the field, and they know when something is being done right and when it’s not.
In the interview process, any contractor you are considering should provide a Certificate of Liability Insurance, because uninsured workers can sue you if they are injured on your property. Keep a copy of the certificate in your project file and call the provider to confirm that the insurance is current. The last thing you want is to have unskilled workers doing tree removal or electrical, foundation or plumbing work at your home. Too often, that results in serious risk to the homeowner.
Before you decide on a contractor, contact your city’s codes department to learn whether the contractor you are considering is licensed appropriately. Ask whether any complaints have been filed about the contractor.
Don’t allow anyone to rush you into signing a contract. If you’re feeling pressured, you should be concerned. In addition:
When considering your choices, take time to think through the decision and do your homework before having the work done. Finding a good contractor requires homework and diligence. Talk to neighbors, family members or friends from your church, temple or synagogue who have dealt with contractors or businesses and can provide references or finished work you can evaluate.
The number-one complaint the District Attorney’s Office receives, year after year, is contractor disputes. Homeowners who are considering hiring contractors and have questions or inquiries should call the District Attorney’s Office in their area or their city codes department for more information. Information or links to offices throughout Kansas are also available through the Kansas County & District Attorneys Association in Topeka at (785) 232-5822 and on the web at www.kcdaa.org .
Stephen Howe is Johnson County District Attorney.
By Kansas Senior Press Service
A one-time payment of $250 will go to Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by President Obama in February.
More than 55 million beneficiaries will receive the payment, which should arrive by late May. No action is required on your part. To keep the process moving, beneficiaries are asked not to contact Social Security unless they do not receive their payments by June 4.
As the legislation is implemented, Social Security officials will provide updates at www.socialsecurity.gov (click on “Economic Recovery One-Time Payments”). Once you locate the site, you might like to bookmark the location and check back regularly.
Source : Social Security Administration
By Kansas Senior Press Service
The University of Kansas is accepting registrations for its first-ever “Mini College,” a weeklong learning retreat this summer. The $175 registration fee includes courses, most meals, extra-curricular activities and a graduation banquet. For an additional $25, educators may be able to receive 2 CEUs.
Mini College is set for June 1–4 at KU’s Lawrence campus and is open to any interested adult. Participants may commute or stay in a hotel or stay in a college dorm. They may enroll in up to nine classes chosen from almost 30 offerings, including Use It or Lose It: Can You Slow Down Aging?; KU at the Energy Frontier: Our Role in the Large Hadron Collider; Religion and Basketball: Naismith’s Game; and Balancing the Federal Budget: Could You Do Better?
Participants may also enroll in one of four tracks that offer an opportunity to develop deep knowledge of a topic. Options are Independent Film: Outsiders’ Voices; Meet the Authors: English Faculty Book Club; Ecology and Evolution of a Changing Planet; and The Art of Collecting: Curators Share How Museum Pieces Are Chosen.
Act quickly! Registration is open until April 1 for $175; late registrations will be accepted until May 1 for $200. Call 785-864-1767 or visit www.minicollege.ku.edu.
Source: University of Kansas, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
By Kansas Senior Press Service
Q: My Medicare drug plan replaced a brand-name drug I need with a generic version that does not work as well for me. My pharmacist suggested I ask my plan for an “exception” to continue to cover the brand-name drug. What is an exception, and how do I do ask for one?
A: Your pharmacist is right. If only the brand-name drug you have been taking will work for you, you may ask for an “exception.” When you ask for an exception, you are making a formal request of your Medicare private drug plan (Part D) to cover something it would not normally cover.
The process is fairly simple. To get started, you will make a formal, written request to your plan asking it to pay for the drug you need. You will need a supporting letter from your doctor certifying that the drug prescribed is medically necessary and that other drugs would be ineffective or harmful for you. To find out where to send the exception request, call your plan, check its Website, or look at its Evidence of Coverage booklet.
Besides the situation you described, you should always consider requesting an exception for a medically necessary drug in the following situations:
If your plan denies your exception request, you may appeal.
Source: MedicareRightsCenter
These articles are also available electronically at the Center on Aging Website: http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/Senior_Press_Article/Topic_Index.htm