Good News, Bad News

So, the nation may have a little extra time to deal with the...timebomb...that is Social Security and Medicare, but once again, we Baby Boomers are inadvertently causing a problem and, once again, we'll be penalized.

Once again, something we were promised , something on which we depended, will be reduced, curtailed or withdrawn.

Yesterday delivered news that, as the Associated Press put it, "Fewer benefits, more tax money and some accounting magic have bought an extra year of life for Social Security and Medicare, trustees of the government's two largest benefit programs said Monday."

Still, the article said, the Medicare trust fund could crash by 2019 and the Social Security trust fund could run dry by 2041.

"Today's report reinforces the need for Congress to address runaway entitlement spending that will bankrupt future generations of Americans," said House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio.

Yep, that's you he's talking about, Mr. and Mrs Runaway Entitlement Spending. That's where we're wasting money. Not on an ill-conceived war gone bad. Not on Halliburton. Not on bridges to nowhere in Alaska or tax cuts for the super-rich. You. You and your oh-so-precious Social Security and Medicare funds, those safety nets you've been buying on the installment plan for the last 40 years or so.

Shame on you.

So, what's the plan? Should we end that expensive war? Rollback those tax cuts? Nah. Here's the preferred plan, according to the Social Security trustees' latest report:

"An immediate increase of 16 percent in payroll tax revenues or an immediate reduction in benefits of 13 percent or some combination of the two."

Between and Betwixt

OK, the phone rings at 10:30 p.m., and that means someone needs help, and as a Boomer, you play the little mental game we all play or have played: "Who's On My Line - The Kid or The Parent?"

That is, is it my young-adult-of-a-child or my aging parent or parent-in-law?

With the kids (they're never too old to be "the kids"), you at least have some clue. Whatever the problem, you've probably seen and dealt with it before.

But for the other side of the spectrum, for your elders, that's another story. Doctors who are supposed to care for patients but instead seem overly impatient. Hospitals and their baffling bills and schedules. Insurance companies (don't even get us started there). Pharmacies. Social Security. Transportation issues. Groceries. Nursing homes, ALFs, and on and on and on.

At one point a few years ago, I and Mrs. BoomVista found ourselves dealing with those issues nearly simultaneously for my mother, her husband and my mother-in-law and my father-in-law. The word 'nightmare' doesn't begin to capture it. But what do you do? They cared for us, now we must care for them.

A friend and loyal BoomVista-ista, Coop, also went through it and he found a place that might help. He recommends that we take a look at Elder Care Online. I haven't been completely through the site, but it certainly seems like an excellent resource.

This is Elder Care's welcome message:

ElderCare Online is a beacon for people caring for aging loved ones. Whether you are caring for a spouse, parent, relative or neighbor, we are committed to providing an online community where supportive peers and professionals help you improve quality of life for yourself and your elder.

It looks like a great place to start. If you have tips to share or an observation, please click the "Comments" link right below this post.