Disabled
American Veterans
Blind
Veterans National Chapter #1
WEB
SITE: http://www.davbvnc1.com/contents.htm
January/February 2013 Newsletter
Editor: Dennis O’Connell
"IF I CANNOT SPEAK GOOD
OF MY COMRADE,
I WILL NOT SPEAK ILL OF HIM
OR HER."
OFFICERS
OF THE BLIND CHAPTER
Commander
Richard Bugbee (AZ)
Phone 480 986-0304
Email:
dadbug37@gmail.com
Senior
Vice Commander Dave May (OH)
1st Junior Vice Commander Carroll Prosser (SC)
2nd
Junior Vice Commander Gary Traynor (WI)
3rd Vice Commander James Hogan (CA)
4th
Junior Vice Commander Stephen Moffitt (RI)
Judge
Advocate & Immediate Past Commander Dennis O’Connell (NY)
Chaplain Rev. Tony Martino (IL)
Phone
847 736 2111
email: Deaconmart@wi.rr.com
Phone
904 291-0576
email: pkjax@kaminsky.com
If
you know of any member who is sick or deceased please inform one of the
officers whose contact information is listed above.
WELCOME ABOARD
Denis
Backus, White River Jct, VT
Rommel Dacanay, Beaver, PA
Velven Wooldridge, Jacksonville, FL
R I P
Eddie Walker Roanoke, VA
DANGEROUS
DRINK and DRUG INTERACTIONS
Always
check with your doctor before you wash down medication with just any beverage,
watch out; common drinks, from fruit juice to coffee, can lessen the
effectiveness of certain drugs as well as pose serious health threats when
combined with some prescriptions. Medical toxicologist Lesile Dye, MD, FACMT
outlined the top alarming combos.
Grapefruit
juice negatively interacts with more than 50 medications, including statins.
Because the effects of the citrus juice last more than 24 hours, simply taking
your meds at a different time won't solve the problem.
An
enzyme found in pomegranate juice can break down several blood pressure
prescriptions.
Calcium
can interfere with the effectiveness of thyroid medication. Wait at least 4
hours after dosage to drink any calcium-rich beverages.
Caffeine
can pose a serious health threat when taken with stimulants. Avoid a cup of joe when taking ephedrine (appetite suppressants), asthma
prescriptions, and amphetamines (such as Adderall).
The
potassium in these drinks can be dangerous when coupled with some heart failure
or hypertension drugs. Bananas are also very rich in potassium.
Skip
the dinnertime glass of wine when taking antidepressants; the combo can cause
hypertension, headaches, fast heart rate, and stroke. The same goes for energy
drinks.
Vitamin
K, also found in broccoli and kale, can decrease the effect of blood thinners
such as coumarin or warfarin.
2013
THROUGH the LOOKING GLASS SCHOLARSHIP
Through
the Looking Glass and its National Center for Parents with
Disabilities
and their Families are pleased to announce new scholarships specifically for
high school seniors or college students who have parents with disabilities.
A
total of fifteen $1000 scholarships will be given out Fall
2013. These
scholarships are part of Through the Looking Glass's National Center for
Parents with Disabilities and their Families. There are
separate eligibility
Page 3
requirements for high school seniors and for college students:
1.
High School Seniors. To be eligible, a student must be a high school
graduate (or graduating senior) by Summer 2013, planning to attend a
two-year or four-year college in Fall 2013 in pursuit of an AA, AS, BA or BS
degree, and have at least one parent with a disability.
2.
College Students. To be eligible, a student must be currently enrolled in
a
two-year or four-year college in Fall 2013 in pursuit of an AA, AS, BA or BS
degree, be 21 years of age or younger as of March 11, 2013, and have at least
one parent with a disability.
All
application materials must be postmarked by March 11, 2013. Individuals may
submit only one application per award period.
Selection
criteria for all scholarships include academic performance,
community activities and service, letter of recommendation and an essay
describing the experience of growing up with a parent with a disability. Five of
the fifteen scholarships will also consider financial hardship and academic
potential in addition to the other selection criteria.
Please
go to our website:
http://www.lookingglass.org
for more information,
including the application form, complete application directions and an FAQ page
that answers many common questions as well as offers helpful suggestions.
GETTING
ANSWERS TO YOUR HEALTH COVERAGE QUESTIONS
by
Ron Pollack (He is the executive director of Families USA.)
No
matter how savvy you are, if you've ever used the health-care system, there's a
good chance that you've been confused by something relating to your health
coverage at one point or another. It could be a letter from Medicare or a
private insurance company saying that a service you need isn't covered, or that
your coverage is changing. It might be a bill from a doctor or lab that you
didn't expect and don't understand. It might be a brochure you read or a sales
pitch you heard that left you with a lot of questions.
Health
coverage can be confusing. Over the past decade, the number of coverage choices
has increased. Television, mail, and the Internet now bring us an overwhelming
amount of information, and it's not always reliable. So where can you turn for
personalized, unbiased help with health insurance problems? Fortunately, there
are free resources in every community that can provide you (or a loved one)
with individualized counseling and assistance.
If
you have a question about Medicare coverage, a good place to start is the
1-800-MEDI-CARE hotline. The staff is trained to answer the most commonly asked
questions about Medicare benefits, including individualized questions about
your coverage. It's a great way to get basic personalized information.
If
you need one-on-one counseling to take a closer look at your problem and help
you figure out your options, you can contact your local state health insurance
assistance program (SHIP). SHIPs exist in every state, though the names of the
organizations vary from state to state. They are designed to provide free,
unbiased counseling and assistance to people with Medicare. This help can be as
simple as explaining how benefits work. It can involve meeting face to face or
over the phone to figure out which prescription drug, Medigap, or Medicare Advantage
plans make the most sense for your particular situation, and which additional
benefits you might be eligible for.
Or,
if you disagree with a bill you got or with a decision by Medicare or your
Medicare Advantage or drug plan, SHIP counselors can help sort it out and file
a request for an exception or an appeal (if needed). Many SHIP counselors are
trained volunteers who are members of the community.
To
contact your SHIP, call 1-800-MEDICARE and request a referral to your local
SHIP, or go to www.shiptalk.org and click on "Find a State SHIP."
Need
more help? Local area agencies on aging can connect you with legal services
organizations in your area. Check www.eldercare.gov for a list of resources.
National non-profits like the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org)
and The Center for Medicare Advocacy (www.medicareadvocacy. org) can also help.
What
if you're not covered by Medicare? Many states have consumer assistance
programs staffed by insurance experts that focus on other health insurance issues.
For example, these programs help you file an appeal if your private insurance
plan denies a claim. They can advise you on Medicaid issues or help you
understand your rights and choices if you lose job-based coverage. You can find
contact information for consumer assistance programs online at
www.familiesusa.org/resources/ program-locator. The health care law provided
much-needed funding to strengthen consumer assistance programs, and they are
going to have an increasingly
important role to play in the next few years.
So
the next time you or a loved one feel baffled by the complexities of Medicare
or other types of health insurance, take a deep breath. It's perfectly normal.
And remember, you're not on your own - there's help out there for you!
ARTICLES
NEEDED
Feel
like writing an article, or sending one from somewhere else that members might
be interested in? Just send them to bvnc1@verizon.net
and they just might appear in a future issue.