One day when I was swimming in the Puget Sound doing my usual mile, I was on my return leg and my internal engines just gave out.  I felt like my arms and legs were moving but Iwas standing still.  I felt exhausted and sick.  I had to swim to shore and walk back.  My husband who was waiting for me said I looked grey.  I was cold and it took me most of the day to warm up.  I still didn’t think anything except I needed to take a few days break from swimming.

Luckily, I had a physical scheduled with my primary care doctor.  She did labs.  My protein was high.  She sent it for more testing that returned with an abnormal result. However, without further specific testing, the diagnosis could not be determined.  I was referred to a hematologist/oncologist. I live in Seattle and couldn’t get an appointment at the major cancer center or other center for two months.  My brother in law knew the head of the myeloma department at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City. I was going to New York for a family reunion and was able to see the doctor within the week.  He was kind, knowledgeable and scheduled me for the appropriate tests three days later. The day after the testing, I had the diagnosis; Multiple Myeloma. One week later, I started treatment in Seattle with a doctor recommended by my Sloan doctor who personally called.

Hearing the words “you have cancer” changed my world forever.  Multiple Myeloma is not curable but is treatable with hope of long remissions.  It took  over three months for me to say the word cancer in my brain.  Every time it would come up, I would deflect it.  It took six months to say it out loud.  Eight months later, I still can’t believe it but accept the reality of living with cancer.  I have been through six months of chemotherapy and am 50 days post stem cell transplant.  It has been an arduous journey, a journey I have done with the support of friends, family, colleagues and my medical team.

Having spent the last eight years as a patient advocate helping clients navigate the healthcare system, it was my turn now. I have cancer, my world has changed and I am going to share in my blogs what that is like personally and also dealing with the healthcare system.

Eileen is a CPA and many of her clients are elderly with no family.  Besides being the best CPA I have ever worked with, she cares for her elderly clients like they are family.  One of her elderly clients was supposed to receive a $16,000 refund from her federal taxes.  It never showed up.  Her client as many elderly do, lived on a fixed income and the refund was critical to manage her budget.

Eileen began her investigation and discovered that her client’s social security number had been stolen and she was a victim of identity theft.  She looked at different ways her client’s SSN could have been stolen. She realized how easy it was for the SSN to be stolen simply by viewing the Medicare card.

Eileen in her methodical and determined fashion, decided that she was going to fight for justice.  She was going to get the social security numbers removed from Medicare cards and replaced with different identification numbers.  A fight she knew would be difficult but she could not understand how our government could put every senior at such risk of identity theft and financial ruin.

She started by writing to her federal Congressperson and Senators.  Everyone agreed it was a problem but not high on any political agendas.  She sent out emails to all her contacts including friends, clients and professional colleagues to contact their representatives.  She then wrote letters to every states Congresspeople and Senators.  Same response and no interest.  She wrote to Medicare.  Nothing happened.

Eileen does not give up.  She believes when there is an injustice, it needs to be corrected.  She will fight until there is a change no matter how long it takes.  Two years passed and she started to write to federal department Directors.  She got a response from the IRS who agreed this was a major problem and supported her efforts.  He then told her of the exact departments and the names in government who could get this changed (she didn’t want to share that information).

One month ago, I got a call from Eileen.  As is her style, we were talking about other issues and she she said” Oh by the way, Medicare is going to remove social security numbers as IDs.”  She continued talking about the next subject.

What, I screamed!  You did it! You are my hero.

I really was overwhelmed by what she had accomplished and the millions of seniors who will now be protected.  She told me that as of January 1, 2016 new cards will not have the social security number.  Current enrolled Medicare members, will slowly be given new ID numbers.  This is such a victory.

Eileen, thank you for your commitment to fighting injustices and being an advocate for the elderly.

 

 

I was reading Ben Carson’s policy on healthcare.  Create health savings accounts for those on Medicare and let them pick their own insurance. This idea is so bad and not thought out, it makes me scream.  I had higher hopes for someone who had interfaced with the medical system his entire career.  But wait, his job was surgery not who was going to pay for that surgery nor how people make decisions about insurance.

The problem with this idea is a portion of the elderly on Medicare are unable to make decisions for themselves.  Either they are ill, have dementia or Alzheimer’s, can’t speak for themselves or dying. Many don’t have family to act as caregiver or advocate. Who is going to control the  accounts?  Who will decide which insurance is best?  My concern is the scammers and con artists will find this concept very profitable.  As it is now, many elderly without family or advocates are left to the mercy of long term care administrators and conservators who milk their personal accounts dry in the name of good care.  Let’s add another account for them to pilfer.

Medicare offers a safety net.  It provides basic services to everyone irregardless of financial standing. Even if a person does not get a supplemental or prescription plan, basic care remains available. If that is taken away, how will a new system guarantee the same safety net?  It won’t.  Millions of people will be thrown into the insurance hopper and many will not have the resources to make the necessary decisions.

I ask the GOP candidates, why do you wish to put millions at risk?  I agree Medicare needs some fixing but this is not a viable solution.