Medicare Handbook missing information
I’d like to suggest two additions to the 2016 Medicare Handbook:
1) Medicare only covers occupational therapy for daily living skills (e.g., bathing and dressing) if the patient has the potential to become self-sufficient and able to learn how to perform these tasks on his or her own.
2) Besides Medicare’s criteria for covering Hospice services for terminally-ill patients, Hospice has separate requirements of its own which must be met regarding admission and discharge (which are not listed in the handbook).
I found the 2016 Medicare Handbook lacking this important information, which seniors and the disabled might find useful. Without this information, the handbook gives false impressions about coverage.
Hal D. Zendle
Niskayuna
Postal Service slow to respond to change
Anyone who converts a building that used to be a business into an apartment building should notify the post office of this change, and do it early.
Until I spoke to a supervisor in the Schenectady post office recently, the U.S. Postal Service was under the impression that the apartment building where I live was still a business. (It used to house an insurance agency.) Why should I care about this? Because the the post office will not forward mail from a business address to a residential address, which I learned when I tried to file a temporary change-of-address form online and the Postal Service denied me because, according to their “database,” my “old address” was not a residence.
Since we’re dealing with the U.S. Postal Service here, there’s no quick fix. The supervisor told me that it could take “at least a month.” I wanted to give him my email address for notification of when I might be able to revisit the website and file the change of address, but they don’t do email.
Roger Sheffer
Schenectady
After town expenses, tax bill is a mystery
Happy New Year. That means there is tax bill in your near future. I received mine a few days ago and, as always, it’s a bit higher than last year’s, and the year before that, and the year before that.
The town of Niskayuna describes in detail the taxes supporting town general, town highway, fire, sewer, and water — even the $40 to pick up my grass clippings. But over half of the total is for “State/fed Mandate.”
I conclude two things: If I want to know more about how that 50-plus percent is spent, I have to ask Mr. Cuomo or Mr. Obama. And the operation of Schenectady County costs me absolutely nothing. The county legislature must have pulled off some sort of real miracle here. Do you think?
James Fogarty
Niskayuna
Letters
The Gazette welcomes letters to the editor from readers.
There is no specific word limit, but shorter letters will get preference for publication and timeliness. Letters of about 200-300 words are suggested. Longer letters may be published online only.
Please include your name, community, phone number and an email address for verification. Writers are limited to one letter every 30 days.
GAZETTE COVERAGE
Ensure access to everything we do, today and every day, check out our subscribe page at DailyGazette.com/SubscribeMore from The Daily Gazette:
Letters to the Editor Friday, March 24 - Two, from readers in Schenectady and Glenville- Letters to the Editor Thursday, March 23 - Six, from readers in Rotterdam, Schenectady, Scotia, else...
Letter to the Editor: Set reasonable and safe speed limits- Letters to the Editor Wednesday, March 22 - Five, from readers in Ballston, Clifton Park, Niskayuna,...
- Letters to the Editor Monday, March 20 - Four, from readers in Niskayuna, Scotia and Charlton
Categories: Letters to the Editor
