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Show Thursday, September 30, 2004 SPRINGVILLE HERALD 7 Discount drug card program gaining momentum Dr. Jane Orient EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS Medicare recipients are finally fi-nally catching on to the benefits bene-fits of the new Medicare Prescription Pre-scription Drug Discount Card program. The program began June 1, 2004, but officials offi-cials at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Ser-vices (CMS) were concerned when only 2.3 million senior citizens enrolled in the program pro-gram in its first six weeks. But by the end of July, CMS reported that more than 4 million seniors had signed up for their card. CMS had predicted that 7.4 million Medicare recipients would enroll in the Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card program by December 2005. The U.S. Congress approved ap-proved the discount card program last year when sweeping changes in Medicare were enacted. The discount card program is being be-ing offered temporarily so that Medicare recipients, particularly those livmg on low and fixed incomes could begin receiving prescription drug benefits right away. Beginning in 2006, Medicare is scheduled to begin be-gin a new drug benefit entitlement enti-tlement program that will replace re-place the discount card pro gram. But why not take advantage ad-vantage of money-saving opportunities op-portunities now? There are private discount programs available as well as the Medicare discount card. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study and survey, seniors who are already enrolled in the discount card program are reporting savings of anywhere any-where from 17 to 32 percent over retail or mail order prices, depending on where they live. The greatest savings and discounts are available to Medicare recipients whose annual income falls below 135 of the poverty level. For an individual senior se-nior citizen, that amount is approximately $12,123. For a family, the amount is $16,362 in annual income. If you earn less than that amount, you will receive an additional $600 subsidy for your prescription pre-scription drugs added on to the other benefits of the Medicare-approved discount card of your choosing. The $600 subsidy Medicare is offering to eligible senior citizens is worth signing up for. When you enroll and qualify for the subsidy, the $600 is added to the discount card. As a result, low income seniors will have the initial funds to purchase their prescriptions pre-scriptions at discount prices. While annual registration fees vary, depending on which card you choose, the maximum fee is limited to $30, with the taxpayer dollars dol-lars covering the enrollment fee for qualified low-income assistance recipients. Medicare has made it very easy to enroll in the prescription prescrip-tion drug Discount Card Program. Pro-gram. Seniors can contact Medicare directly online at www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-6334227 or 1-800-MEDICARE. Before you begin your enrollment, en-rollment, be sure to have a list of the prescription drugs you usually use on hand for reference. Many private companies are offering a Medicare-approved discount card. Pharmacists can help recommend discount cards from companies that provide savings on the majority of the drugs you use most, allowing al-lowing you to choose the card that best serves your individual in-dividual needs. In addition, seniors may also be eligible for discount cards offered by pharmaceutical pharmaceu-tical companies that are separate sep-arate from the Medicare Discount Dis-count Card program. Many drug companies have been offering discounts to eligible seniors, as well as free prescription pre-scription drugs to low income in-come seniors who are not enrolled en-rolled in Medicaid. The Association Asso-ciation of American Physicians Physi-cians and Surgeons (www.AAPSsonIine.org) reports re-ports that pharmaceutical companies helped 6.2 million patients fill more than 17 million mil-lion prescriptions worth $3.3 billion last year alone! Word-of -mouth is the most effective means for seniors to learn about the Medicare Discount Card program, but there are additional sources of assistance to help seniors better understand the program. pro-gram. Contact the U.S. Department De-partment of Health and Human Hu-man Services (HHS) Administration Admin-istration on Aging at (800) 667-1116, the Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs at (800) 7624636, or contact www.HelpingPatients.org ! ... (, ' 't r : It 1 L-:J A Vahtoi - fifth ,.CiAfcv AOi.' mrikJfcttJBiftmMatMiJMJtMMMMBtfcAMBMllB Hobble Creek Elementary School announces the first winners of the High Flyer Award for this school year. Selected are Brooks Robinson, Robin-son, Braden Jenkins and Curtis Houston. Cm for your trees Let the people decide the fate of their flag by Maj. Gen. Patrick H. Brady, I- USA (Ret.) , CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, THE CITIZENS "' ' FLAG ALLIANCE, INC. By judicial decree in 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court amended the United States Constitution by "inserting" flag burning into the Bill of Rights. That decision took from the American people a fundamental right that had been exercised from our beginnings be-ginnings as a Nation - the right to protect our flag. Once again an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would return to the American Ameri-can people the right to protect pro-tect their flag is within reach of favorable consideration in the US Senate. Unfortunately, Unfortunate-ly, it seems once again in danger of being pushed aside, a victim of political chicanery. chi-canery. There are those who refuse to acknowledge the value in the flag. A few U.S. Senators don't want the flag amendment (Senate Joint Resolution 4) to reach the floor of the Senate for a vote so close to a national election. elec-tion. Isn't it strange that those who oppose the amendment amend-ment are so sure they are right, yet so afraid to place their convictions on record by voting? The necessity and legitimacy legitima-cy of our cause is beyond doubt, and so is the support. Eighty percent of the people want the flag protected. All 50 state legislatures want Congress to pass the flag amendment. The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the amendment five times in the last five Congresses. Con-gresses. Even an overwhelming over-whelming majority of Senators Sena-tors favor the amendment. Only a handful of US Senators stand between be-tween the people and the return re-turn of legal protection for the. flag. Let's cut to the chase. Protecting Pro-tecting the flag is not about free speech. It is not about tinkering with the Constitution. Constitu-tion. It is not about toleration of those with different views. It is about the kind of people we are. It is about different dif-ferent kinds of people wrestling for the soul of America. Right now, all that stands between the people and their flag is the U.S. Senate. It's time for those few Senators who discount the will of the people and belittle the good sense of their colleagues who champion flag protection to join with them to get the amendment to a floor vote. The question of amending the: Constitution has been debated de-bated for 15 years. Both sides have said all there is to be said. It is time for action. It's time for every Senator to make a stand. It's time for a flag amendment vote in the U.S. Senate. Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady (USA-Ret.) is the Chairman of the Indianapolis-based Citizens Cit-izens Flag Alliance (CFA). The CFA is a broad -based national coalition of 145 organizations or-ganizations committed to seeking passage of a constitutional consti-tutional amendment which would return to the American Ameri-can people the right to protect pro-tect their flag. Gen. Brady was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the Vietnam War during which time he rescued over 5,000 casualties of war. Landscape plants suffer more from water-related problems than from anything else, according to Loralie Cox, Utah State University Extension horticulturist. Plants native to Europe and the eastern United States are traditionally planted in our high mountain desert and would be unable to survive if not for irrigation. "More often than not, trees are planted in the landscape and are assumed adequately watered when sprinkler systems sys-tems turn on," she said. "This may be enough to provide for the tree's minimal needs some years, but it is important im-portant to remember that water wa-ter applied to the lawn only infiltrates into the soil about 6 inches. The root ball of a newly planted tree is usually more than 18 inches deep, and the roots from the plant are growing at least at that depth. Because of this, 6 inches of sprinkler irrigation just isn't enough." As the tree branches above ground, roots below ground are also branching and growing grow-ing through the soil saia Cox. Most grow laterally in the top 2 feet of soil, while a smaller percentage grows deeper. To adequately water the tree, the water needs to soak into the soil at least 2 feet. "The irrigation needs of trees are much different than those of turf," Cox said. "While turf is watered about twice a week in the hot part of the summer, trees need to be soaked about once a month during that period of time." To ensure the health and vigor of a tree in the landscape, land-scape, gardeners should occasionally occa-sionally soak the plant during the heat of the summer. In early spring, there is usually sufficient water for the tree. As temperatures increase, the plant needs additional irrigation. irri-gation. Then, as weather cools in the fall, intervals between be-tween watering can be increased. in-creased. It is important to have water wa-ter in the soil as the tree goes into winter. Because evergreen ever-green trees transpire throughout the winter, it is especially es-pecially important that they have enough soil moisture, Cox concluded. uvse enrollment exceeds 2 4,000 Utah Valley State College is reporting an increase in fall enrollment for the 16th consecutive year. UVSC Institutional In-stitutional Research third-week reports put student headcount at 24,149 students, an increase of 1 percent from last year. According to Michelle Lundell, UVSC dean of enrollment enroll-ment management, the slight increase will allow the College Col-lege to continue focusing on quality. "Our goal was to not decrease, but to increase modestly modest-ly and we met that goal," she said. "We will have time to concentrate on adding programs our students and employers em-ployers are requesting." With its history of enrollment increase, UVSC still maintains a personal approach to education, with a 19-to-1 student-faculty ratio and an average class size of 30. The numbers include high school concurrent enrollment enroll-ment students and Wasatch Campus students in addition to UVSC's Orem Campus. LlJ We Sell Peace of MtnJ r I mart i Wholesale to the Public I m m m m . m m m m..m m m m m m.m . Liberty & National Security ! s50" off Value Safes $75w off Deluxe Safes Best Prices In Utah! 1 'TOO00 off Premium Safes J h m m wm m RtftATi coupon w mm - 4 9 A i I I ! 4 Refrigerator -fm& fa ft Dresser 4! f'W0 T9 fT y0W'f0 Bathroom Mirror fm0 h yw p"af 4 Television ymlf i finked- 41 Closet Door Microwave FRIENDLY REMINDERS FROM QUESTAR GAS TO GET YOUR FURNACE READY FOR WINTER. With cooler weather just around the corner it's time to have a licensed heating professional perform a routine maintenance inspection on your furnace. Here are some other things you can do yourself: Clean or replace the filter. Check Hie blower belt and oil the blower motor Make sure the blower doors are replaced properly. Check to see that the vents in the house are unobstructed. Furnaces need to breathe. Keep combustion-air openings dear Keep the area around your furnace clear and uriobsfructed. Do not store combustible material such as paint thinners, gasoline, etc near your furnace. Your seasonal inspection is also an ideal time to make sure your space-and space-and water-heating equipment has a Green Sticker. A Green Sticker indicates your appliance has been properly adjusted for the gas supplies entering Questar Gas's system. Call a licensed heating contractor or visit www.questargas.com for more information and to determine whether a Green Sticker is required in your orea. Having your furnace properly maintained will bring you peace of mind and may even lower your gas bills. A list of licensed contractors in your area is available by calling: Rocky Mountain Gas Association: Salt Lake City: (801 ) 832-9490 Outside Salt Lake City: (800) 729-6791 Or you can visit their Web site at www.utrmga.org. A list of contractors is also available in your local Yellow Pages under 'Heating." Gas Quesfor Gas is celebrating 75 years of keeping Utah warm and is committed to doing everything possible to provide .safe and reliable service of rates among ff?e tewesf in fhe notion. |