8/7/2019 Summer break: 14? 15? Eyes on college? You get a job (Part 1)

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Just a few years ago, North CarolinaMedicare enrollees who wanted coveragethrough a private carrier had just twochoices — Partners National Health Plansand United Healthcare. That changed af-ter Congress in 2003 passed legislationthat dramatically increased what the gov-ernment pays private Medicare insurers.

Today, depending on what part of thestate you live in, there are as many as fivedifferent private insurers offering up to 20different Medicare plan options. Providersare actively marketing their products. Thefederal agency that runs Medicare has had

at least one complaint that private Medicare

plan sales representatives in North Carolinahave gone door to door to solicit business,which is forbidden under Medicare rules.

What’s a private Medicare plan any-way? When enrollees opt for private cov-erage, they take that coverage in lieu of tra-ditional Medicare. Medicare pays privatecarriers a set amount per enrollee per yearfor providing the coverage. If seniors haveretiree medical coverage from a formeremployer, a private Medicare plan can fillin gaps in that plan.

Who might benefit from a privateMedicare plan? Many private plans offer

expanded benefits not available through

traditional Medicare, such as prescriptiondrug benefits, covered wellness visits, dis-ease management programs and 24-hournurse advice lines.

Who won’t benefit from a privateplan? Private insurers say almost everyonecan benefit. But consumer advocates advisecaution, especially if private coverage willcost money. Plans offered in North Carolinarange from “zero premium” products thatcost nothing to plans costing as much as$105 a month. Most private plans cost be-tween $28 and $49 a month. That adds upfor a person on a fixed monthly income.

What carriers offer Medicare cover-

age in North Carolina? Humana, Part-ners National Health Plans, Sterling, Uni-care Life & Health and United Healthcareall offer private Medicare plans, thoughplans are not available in every county.Plans may solicit business through news-paper and television advertising, directmail, at public meetings. Some carriers askcurrent members for referrals to friendsor family who may be interested. The fed-eral government forbids “cold” calls or vis-its, a provision intended to protect seniorsfrom high-pressure sales tactics.

JEAN P. F ISHER

WHAT’S GOING ON

The inside scoop on ‘door to door’ solicitation of private Medicare plans

Private Medicare reps shouldn’t knock on your door

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2005

C M Y K

C M Y K

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

1E, SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2005

ETHENEWS&OBSERVER

WorkMoney&

ALAN 8985 (FILM 2)

INDEX

Week Ahead . . . . . . . . 2E

Color of Money. . . . . . 3E

Money Matters. . . . . . 3E

Technology. . . . . . . . . 4E

Markets . . . . . . . . . 8-11E

Wall Street Journal:The vacation homemight be a reunionspot for your fam-ily now, but itcould turn intosore spot for yourheirs. PAGE 6E

www.newsobserver.com/business/

As computer literacy and lawyers’

ranks grow, the space firms devote

to law libraries is shrinking.

Commercial Real Estate

A CHAT WITH

Christopher J. Ruhm

Economichighs holdhealth risk

If Christopher J. Ruhm could 

slap a warning label on the U.S.

business cycle, it would read like

this: Good economic times may

be dangerous toyour health.

R u h m , a n

economist at 

the University

of North Car-

o l i n a a t  

Greensboro,

has discovered that a 1 percentage

point drop in the unemployment 

rate leads to an additional 12,000

deaths nationwide, or 370 deaths

statewide, each year.

So consider yourself warned:

North Carolina’s unemployment 

rate has fallen more than a per-

centage point since 2003.

Ruhm, 50, began studying the

health risks of economic expan-

sions about 10 years ago. His find-

ings have been published in peer-

reviewed academic journals.

Ruhm spoke by phone with staff 

writer Amy Martinez.

Q:Why do deaths increaseduring an economic ex-

pansion?

A:We know that peopledrive more, so there are

more traffic accidents and fatali-ties. Pollution levels increase. Wealso know people consume morealcohol. They smoke more. Itseems like people exercise less.They probably eat out in restau-rants more, and they tend to eatless healthy. People have moremoney but less time.

Q:I would have thought thatwe can all breathe a little

easier now that the economy is onthe upswing and we don’t have tobe as worried about losing ourjobs. Doesn’t that count for some-thing?

A:We know that when theeconomy is doing better,

people’s lives are better in manyways. Their jobs are more secure.They’re more likely to get raisesand promotions. And, in fact, wehave some evidence that they’rehappier. But happier doesn’tmean healthier. And the evidencesuggests that their health actu-ally declines.

Q:So working is hazardousto our health?

A:There certainly are risksassociated with many

jobs. There could be physicalrisks. There could be environ-mental risks. But we have to lookbeyond that and ask “compared towhat?” Being poor also is bad foryour health.

Q:What got you interestedin studying the econ-

omy’s effects on health?

A: I had done a lot work inthe past looking at issues

surrounding what happens to peo-ple when they lose jobs. And Ihad seen work talking about howone consequence of job loss was

Summer breakIn Triangle,

programsunder wayBY REBECCA ROUSSELL

STAFF WRITER

Despite the national decreasein teen employment, summeryouth employment programs inthe Triangle are helping teenagersget jobs this summer.

The application and interviewprocess for this summer has endedboth for the Raleigh SummerYouth Employment program andthe Mayor’s Youth Summer Pro-gram in Durham. Applications aretypically available in March forRaleigh’s program and in Febru-ary for Durham’s.

The Raleigh program, for young people 14 to 18, receives morethan 500 applications each year;160 get jobs in city departments,parks and recreation or some pri-vate companies.

Employees work for 10 weeksand typically work 20 to 35 hoursa week. First-year employees withthe program are paid $5.15 anhour, and second-year employeesare paid $5.30.

The teenagers also attend ses-sions on saving money, workethics and skills needed to be suc-cessful on the job.

BY REBECCA ROUSSELLSTAFF WRITER

Tony Evans Jr. is juggling two ca-reer choices: engineering and law.

So, this summer he’ll work as an of-fice assistant at Legal Aid of NorthCarolina in downtown Durham. He’llsee what lawyers do, how hard theywork, and figure out whether it’s a ca-reer for him.

“It’s no use working in an atmos-phere that you don’t enjoy,” he said.

Next year, he can try engineering.Tony has plenty of time: The RiversideHigh School student is not quite 15.

College students have long workedsummer internships to prepare for ca-

reers. But more and more, high schoolstudents are realizing that summerjobs are a chance to check out poten-tial careers — and enhance their col-lege applications in the process.

As getting into college becomesmore competitive, college adminis-trators say a work history can indeedmake a difference.

“We look at what other talents astudent brings to the table,” saidThomas Griffin, director of under-graduate admissions at N.C. State

University. Summer employment, re-search opportunities, community in-volvement or non-paid experience ina specific area can be the deciding factor, he said.

Last year 19,053 students applied tobe freshmen at the University of NorthCarolina at Chapel Hill; 6,736 were ac-

cepted. The enrollees’ average com-bined SAT score was 1,321.

Steve Farmer, director of under-graduate admissions at UNC-CH, saidthe admissions staff looks at an ap-plicant’s high school coursework, test

SEE TRIANGLE, PAGE 12ESEE JOBS, PAGE 12ESEE RUHM, PAGE 3E

Ginny Carter, a camp counselor with YWCA of the Greater Triangle, holds camper Isabella Fanelli, 4. Since she was 14, she has worked in a range of jobs.

STAFF PHOTO BY ETHAN HYMAN

NEED HELP?

The state Seniors’ Health Insur-ance Information Program providesfree information and counseling toolder adults with questions aboutM ed ic are . C a l l the program at(800) 443-9354.

The federal Medicare program alsoprovides free information and help withquestions at (800) 633-4227.

Older adults or their family membersshould report unsolicited contact fromprivate Medicare plan representatives by

calling either number.

14? 15? Eyes on college? You get a job

Ashley Williams, working with the city of Raleigh, filters out spam fromemployee e-mail. ‘I thought it was a good opportunity,’ the 14-year-old said.

STAFF PHOTO BY SHER STONEMAN