Friday, 22 November 2024

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Can you keep a secret? That’s exactly what Jesus instructs His disciples to do when He is transfigured on a mountain near Jerusalem (Mark 9:2-9, Matthew 17:1-13, Luke 9:28-36). So, I’ve got to ask you this, “Can you keep a secret?” Seriously …

Secrets, rules, and commands.

Pastor Klaus of Lutheran Hour Ministries tells the following story about a little girl in his congregation.

He writes, “Pastor Klaus, Pastor Klaus. My mommy and daddy told me a secret." That was what a kindergarten student told me years ago. She was almost bursting with the news of her secret. Then she added, "Do you want to know my secret?"

I said, "Honey, if your folks told you a secret, I think you probably ought to keep it." She looked at me like I was dense as a post. "But do you wanna know my secret?" Then, before I could answer, she said, "Mommy is going to get fat. And do you know why?" Since we had gone that far, I played along, "Well, if you won't get into trouble for telling me, no, I don't know why your mommy's going to get fat."

She giggled and said, "I can't tell you why mommy's going to get fat. I can't tell you for another seven months." Then she smugly added, "You see, I know how to keep a secret."

Secrets. Some people can keep them, most can't. Some secrets are worth keeping; others are too good to keep to yourself.

Do you remember the secrets, rules and commands of your past? The secrets that we all broke, “don’t tell anyone about what I am about to say, do you promise?” “Of course, I promise.” And what happens five minutes later? “Guess what John or Sarah or Michael or whoever told me, you won’t believe it … promise you won’t tell anyone?” “Certainly, I won’t say a thing.” Next thing you know, the secret is the cover story of the Daily News!

And how about the rules you had to follow as a kid? You will eat what is put before you, don’t talk back to me, do what you are told, be home by 10:00 p.m. or else, etc., etc., etc.. And of course, the commands … the guidance we receive from our Lord to live a sanctified life. The Ten Commandments.

As such we have secrets, rules, and commands in our lives just as the people in Jesus’ time had.
This is where the Transfiguration readings in Scripture give us an example of all three wrapped up into one. It is all about a secret … Jesus commanding His disciples, “Keep this secret, do not tell anyone what you have just seen.” And to this I have a problem from a human perspective.

Please join us at 11 a.m. at First Lutheran Church in Lucerne. Worship is followed by a hearty lunch and a time of fellowship for all.

Chris DelCol is pastor of First Lutheran Church in Lucerne, Calif. It’s located at 3863 Country Club Drive, telephone 707-274-5572.
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Sutter Lakeside Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Dan Peterson. Photo by Nathan DeHart.


LAKEPORT, Calif. – As 2017 came to a close, the team at Sutter Lakeside Hospital enjoyed celebrating successes and the hard work we’ve done to continuously improve the way we care for our Lake County neighbors.

We’ve made drastic strides in quality, innovation and access – and our patients have noticed!

Innovation and access

– The Sutter Lakeside Community Clinic and Family Medicine Clinic nearly tripled the number of patients we care for while also decreasing appointment wait times.

– The Heroes of Health and Safety Fair, a free event executed by SLH in partnership with a number of community organizations, served over 2,500 community members by providing 400 flu vaccines, 150 diabetes screenings, 43 HIV screenings and a number of other health services.

– Our Family Birth Center nurses have educated over 140 families about safe sleep practices. Each family who completes the free safe sleep seminar receives a free Smart Start bundle which includes a Pak N Play, a digital thermometer, a safe sleep sack and a number of other essentials to ensure a safe, smooth transition home.

– SLH leveraged system support to introduce technology such as e-ICU monitoring, video interpretation services and tele-psych to bring advanced care to our community.

Patient-centered, best in class care

– SLH has the second lowest readmission rate in the Sutter Health system. When we send our patients home, we equip them with the care and knowledge they need to stay healthy.

– SLH boasts the lowest sepsis rates in the system. Sepsis, a hospital-acquired infection, kills more than 250,000 people per year. Hospitals throughout the country struggle to battle sepsis, but SLH has consistently led the system in the lowest rates of sepsis by screening for and treating the condition as early as possible.

– SLH has had the most dramatic improvements in emergency room wait times within the Sutter Health system.

– Our hospital’s overall rating has increased by 10 percent according to patient surveys.

– The Center for Medicare Services gave Sutter Lakeside Hospital four out of five stars for quality care, including safety, patient experience and surgical outcomes.

The path forward

– Sutter Lakeside will continue to play an integral role in improving the wellness of Lake County. Community benefit goals will continue to focus on increasing access to healthcare, preventative health education, substance abuse education and services, and housing and homelessness.

– Sutter Lakeside Family Medicine Clinic will relocate to Creekside Medical Plaza this spring. The new space will be home for an increased number of providers, and has been designed with patient comfort in mind. The Family Medicine Clinic will also welcome Dr. Elyse Donald, a long standing community physician, later this month.

– Our team will continue to improve patient experience, as well as lead the way in clinical excellence.

Dan Peterson is chief administrative officer of Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport, Calif.
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The fiction section of the Upper Lake Library in Upper Lake, Calif. Photo by Christopher Veach.

Make your New Year’s Resolution this year easy and fun by making a resolution to read more in 2018.

Besides enjoyment there are a host of other benefits that make a resolution to read something that can really have a positive impact on your life.

If your resolution is to get healthy in 2018 reading can assist with that. Not only can you read books about health such as “The Whole30” by Melissa Hartwig, but the act of reading itself has many health benefits.

Stress has a negative impact on your health. Research done at the University of Sussex found that reading was one of the most relaxing ways to combat stress. Just a few minutes of reading was enough to slow heart rate and ease muscle tension.

It also only takes a few minutes a day of reading to provide serious brain stimulation. Researchers have found that the things you read about can stimulate your brain in the same ways as if you live those experiences.

Research conducted with a grant from the Medical Research Council used neuroimaging to figure out that reading words like “cinnamon” caused activity in the same regions of your brain that process smell.

A different experiment found that reading action sentences related to movement activated the sensory-motor system in the brain.

Reading an action thriller might get your motor neurons pumping just like you were the main character in Dan Brown’s “Origin” and on the run from a homicidal secret society.

The stimulating effects of reading on the brain also helps build something called “cognitive reserve” that may help prevent a slowdown in our thinking as we age.

The Yale School of Public Health studied data about the reading habits of people over 50 and found that people who read books lived longer than those who didn’t.

The researchers speculate that reading helps forge new pathways between all the different regions of the brain. These extra pathways may help promote overall brain health and slow any age or disease related decline.

Getting lost in a story is good for more than just brain stimulation. It helps build literacy skills which in turn help you get more enjoyment out of life. Literacy is more than just the ability to read and write.

A high level of literacy allows people to communicate effectively and to understand complex ideas. People with a higher level of literacy tend to be more creative and have a positive outlook on life in general. The easiest way to increase your personal literacy skills is to make a habit of reading.

Building literacy skills is a lifelong endeavor and the best way to build a strong reading habit is to start when you are young.

Parents who read to children, even when they seem too young to understand the words, build a strong parental bond with their child and help them develop a love of reading. Clever picture books like “I Want My Hat Back” by Jon Klassen make reading fun for both children and adults.

The Lake County Library can help with your resolution to read.

The library has titles in multiple formats including eBooks, audiobooks, and large print so you can read however you prefer.

Visit the library’s Web site at http://library.lakecountyca.gov to request any of the books mentioned in this article and also check out information about getting a library card, library services, and library events.

Christopher Veach is the librarian for Lake County, Calif.
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Greg Dill, Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Territories. Courtesy photo.


Let’s hope it never happens, but there may come a time in your life when you need mental health care. Your Medicare covers a wide variety of such services, in both hospital inpatient and outpatient settings.
 
If you have Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), you’re eligible for mental health services when you’re admitted to a hospital as an inpatient. You can get these services either in a general hospital or a psychiatric hospital that only cares for people with mental health conditions.
 
If you're in a psychiatric hospital (instead of a general hospital), Part A only pays for up to 190 days of inpatient psychiatric hospital services during your lifetime.

Medicare pays for inpatient hospital stays on the basis of “benefit periods.” A benefit period begins the day you’re admitted to a hospital as an inpatient. It ends when you haven’t received any inpatient care for 60 days in a row.

If you go into a hospital after one benefit period has ended, a new benefit period begins. You must pay the inpatient hospital deductible ($1,340 in 2018) for each benefit period.

There’s no limit to the number of benefit periods you can have. But remember, there’s a lifetime limit of 190 days for inpatient psychiatric hospitals.

After you pay the deductible, Medicare covers inpatient hospital care for the first 60 days with no coinsurance on your part for each benefit period.

For days 61-90, your coinsurance is $335 per day of each benefit period.

If you’re in the hospital beyond 90 days, your coinsurance is $670 per "lifetime reserve day" for each benefit period (you have up to 60 reserve days over your lifetime).
In addition, you’ll pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for mental health services you get from doctors and other providers while you're a hospital inpatient.
 
Your Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers partial hospitalization in some cases.
 
Partial hospitalization provides a structured program of outpatient psychiatric services as an alternative to inpatient psychiatric care. It’s more intense than care you get in a doctor’s or therapist’s office. This treatment is provided during the day and doesn’t require an overnight stay.
 
Medicare helps cover partial hospitalization services when they’re provided through a hospital outpatient department or community mental health center. Along with partial hospitalization, Medicare may cover occupational therapy that’s part of your mental health treatment and/or individual patient training and education about your condition.
 
Medicare only covers partial hospitalization if the doctor and the partial hospitalization program accept Medicare as full payment.
 
For Part B to cover a partial hospitalization program, you must meet certain requirements, and your doctor must certify that you would otherwise need inpatient treatment.

Under Part B, you pay a percentage of the Medicare-approved amount for each service you get from a doctor or other qualified mental health professional if they accept Medicare rates.

You also pay coinsurance for each day of partial hospitalization services provided in a hospital outpatient setting or community mental health center. The Part B deductible ($183 in 2018) applies as well.

Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend you get services more often than Medicare covers. Or they may recommend services that Medicare doesn’t cover. If this happens, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. It’s important to ask questions so you understand why your doctor is recommending certain services and whether Medicare will pay for them.
 
All of the above applies to people with Original Medicare. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) health plan, check with the plan for details of how it covers mental health care.
 
For more information on your Medicare mental health benefits, I recommend this detailed brochure:
https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10184-Medicare-Mental-Health-Bene.pdf .
 
Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
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Just as job hunters use LinkedIn to connect with former colleagues and potential employers, scammers also use the networking service to find targets.

If you have a LinkedIn account, watch out for suspicious “recruiters” and job offers.

The scam works like this: You get a LinkedIn message asking you to apply for a job. It comes from someone who appears to be a recruiter. You check out their LinkedIn profile, and it looks legitimate. You may even have several connections in common!

From here, the scam works in a couple of different ways. Sometimes, the message contains a link that appears to point to an online job application. You’re supposed to upload your resume and provide personal information, anything from your address and phone number to your Social Security number.

Other times, you respond to the message and are immediately “hired” for the job – without an interview or even a phone call. Then, you’re asked to pay upfront for training, supplies or other expenses.

A consumer in Sonoma County reported a similar employment scam to BBB Scam Tracker in June. They wrote that they were “contacted via text” about a job and were put in touch with a hiring person who they emailed with. They were offered a job even though they “had zero skills for the position.” Then they were asked to “purchase software for a computer [the company] was allegedly going to send me.”

It’s important to always be careful when looking for a job, because employment scams can happen anywhere – over email or text, and on social media and job sites.

In 2016, more than 2,000 reports of employment scams were collected through BBB Scam Tracker, and according to the BBB Risk Index, they’re the third riskiest scam for consumers.

No matter the details of the scam, the job never materializes. The scammer takes the money or information and disappears. Victims who share personal details are at risk for identity theft.

Here are some tips for spotting and avoiding job scams on LinkedIn:

– Set your LinkedIn privacy settings. You can limit which LinkedIn users can send you messages or connection requests. To do so, log in to your LinkedIn account, click “Me” at the top right of the page, and then click on “Settings & Privacy,” and then “Communications.” There you can edit what types of emails you’d like to receive and who can send them.
– Don’t accept every request you get. Check out the user’s profile for completeness and correct grammar. Just because you have several connections in common does not mean that they are real. Scammers frequently create a large network to look more legitimate.
– Ask to talk on the phone. If a recruiter contacts you through email, ask to speak by phone. Scammers will try to dodge this with excuses, such as being out of the country.
– Know the signs. Many job scams use very similar techniques, such as vague job titles, work from home positions, and on-the-spot hiring. Learn the red flags at www.bbb.org/employmentscam.

If you encounter an employment scam, make sure to report it to BBB Scam Tracker at www.bbb.org/scamtracker. To learn more about scams, go to BBB Scam Tips at www.bbb.org/scamtips.

Rebecca Harpster is community outreach coordinator for the BBB serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern Coastal California.
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Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Territories. Courtesy photo.

How much will your Medicare cost in the coming year? The numbers just came out, so let’s go over them.

We’ll start with the Medicare Part B premium. Part B covers doctor services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and other items.

The standard monthly premium for people with Part B will be $134 for 2018, the same amount as in 2017.

Under the law, people with Part B pay 25 percent of the costs of running the program, with the government picking up 75 percent.

A statutory “hold harmless” provision applies each year to about 70 percent of Part B enrollees. For these enrollees, any increase in Part B premiums must be lower than any cost-of-living increase in their Social Security benefits.

After several years of no or very small increases, Social Security benefits will increase by 2 percent in 2018 due to a cost-of-living adjustment. Therefore, some beneficiaries who were held harmless against Part B premium increases in prior years will see a higher premium in 2018.

Part B enrollees held harmless in 2016 and 2017 will see an increase in their Part B premiums from the roughly $109, on average, they paid in 2017. An estimated 42 percent of Part B enrollees are subject to the hold harmless provision in 2018 but will pay the full premium of $134, because the increase in their Social Security benefit will be greater than or equal to an increase in their Part B premiums up to the full 2018 amount.

About 28 percent of Part B enrollees are subject to the hold harmless provision in 2018 but will pay less than the full $134 premium. That’s because the increase in their Social Security benefit isn’t big enough to cover the full Part B premium increase.

The remaining 30 percent of Part B enrollees aren’t subject to the hold harmless provision and will pay the full $134 per month in 2018. This group includes beneficiaries who don’t receive Social Security benefits; enroll in Part B for the first time in 2018; are directly billed for their Part B premium; are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid and have their premiums paid by state Medicaid agencies; and pay higher premiums because their incomes are higher.

Since 2007, beneficiaries with higher incomes have paid higher Part B premiums. These higher premiums apply to about 5 percent of people with Part B.

For a chart showing premiums at higher income levels, go to https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2017-Fact-Sheet-items/2017-11-17.html.

The annual deductible for Part B will be $183 in 2018, the same amount as in 2017.

Now let’s take a look at Medicare Part A, which covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing services, and some home health services.

About 99 percent of Medicare beneficiaries don’t pay any Part A premium since they’ve worked for at least 40 quarters in Medicare-covered jobs.

The Part A deductible that beneficiaries pay when admitted to the hospital in 2018 will be $1,340 per benefit period, a rise of $24 from 2017. The Part A deductible covers beneficiaries’ share of costs for the first 60 days of Medicare-covered inpatient hospital care in a benefit period.

Beneficiaries must pay a coinsurance amount of $335 per day for the 61st through 90th day of a hospitalization (versus $329 in 2017) in a benefit period, and $670 per day for lifetime reserve days ($658 in 2017).

For beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities, the daily coinsurance for days 21 through 100 of extended care services in a benefit period will be $167.50 in 2018 ($164.50 in 2017).

You can find an explanation of benefit periods (and lots of other valuable information) in the “Medicare & You” handbook, at https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-and-you/medicare-and-you.html .

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!

Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Territories. You can always get answers to your Medicare questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

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