All Posts in "The Senior Scene"

New Rx law will pay off for some Medicare enrollees

(New legislation can save money for people with a Medicare prescription drug plan, writes Marguerite Ro, director of AARP Washington.)

By Marguerite Ro

Medication doesn’t work if you can’t afford it, and too many Washingtonians continue to struggle to fill prescriptions because of their cost. But that’s about to change for some.

A new law took effect on Jan. 1, 2025 for people with a Medicare prescription drug plan, capping out-of-pocket Rx expenses at $2,000 per year. An estimated 42,000 Washington seniors will see these new savings, an average of $1,500 in 2025, and that number will steadily increase over time.
It’s a victory we all share. Thanks to the unwavering dedication of AARP members across the country who have worked hand in hand with AARP’s efforts, we succeeded in passing a prescription drug law in 2022. Your stories and your voices made a difference. We couldn’t have done it without you. 

Between 3 and 4 million Part D plan enrollees nationwide are estimated to benefit from the new out-of-pocket cap every year between 2025 and 2029, according to a report published by AARP.

A 2023 survey from AARP shows that 60 percent of older adults are very or somewhat concerned about being able to afford the prescriptions they or someone in their family need. Rising drug prices have left some older adults with no choice but to skip doses or go without needed medication altogether.
AARP fought tirelessly for the prescription drug law because we knew it would bring much-needed relief to Medicare enrollees trying to keep up with rising costs for everyday essentials like housing, groceries, and utilities. This law is a step toward easing that burden.

Limiting out-of-pocket expenses for medication is just one part of the 2022 law.  It also makes many important vaccines, such as shingles and pneumonia, free. It limits insulin costs to $35 a month for Medicare beneficiaries and gives Medicare the power to negotiate with manufacturers to lower prices for certain high-cost prescriptions. 

AARP’s work doesn’t end with the passing of this law. We will continue to ensure it is fully implemented and benefits older Americans for decades to come.

Marguerite Ro is AARP Washington’s director.

The Senior Scene by — February 26, 2025 in Health & Fitness
98-year-old sculptor was also a postal worker and a sportswriter

(Pictured: Thaddeus Mosley and some of his wood sculptures. Photo credit: karmakarma.org/Jason Schmidt)

By Jas Keimig

CascadePBS.org

For the past year, Alexander Calder’s mobiles have been gently twisting and swaying in the Seattle Art Museum’s second-floor gallery, thanks to a generous donation of the famed sculptor’s work by the Shirley Family Calder Collection. Now, that exhibition has been given a refresh with a new show called “Following Space” (running through June 1), which pairs 17 large-scale wooden works by contemporary sculptor Thaddeus Mosley with five of Calder’s spindly creations.

Though you’ve probably heard of Calder, it’s imperative to learn about Thaddeus Mosley. The surprisingly spry 98-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native has been a sculptor for more than half a century, originally inspired by art sources including Isamu Noguchi, Constantin Brâncuși, and West African tribal masks. 

As a student at the University of Pittsburgh in the 1950s, Mosley encountered the work of big names in sculpture like Giacometti and Calder. After a short stint as a sports journalist covering pro baseball’s Negro League  (now defunct), he decided to throw himself into sculpture in earnest while working at the post office to support his creative pursuits. 

At a recent press preview, the sharply dressed Mosley said he and Calder had a “mutual interest in how space works” in their respective art practices. The difference “is inorganic versus organic material,” Mosley said. “I utilize the natural colors of the wood, the natural properties. I try to enhance the grains and color – it can be the same wood but have different tones and thickness.”

Using salvaged wood from sawmills in Pittsburgh, Mosley carefully maneuvers his chisel and gauge to construct abstract works that appear to defy physics in their carefully balanced compositions. 

One untitled work Mosley finished in 2024  greets visitors at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) exhibition’s entrance with two angular, perpendicular plinths of wood miraculously balancing on a U-shaped base. (Despite his age, he has no assistants or helpers in his studio. It’s just him, the wood, and his vinyl record collection.) Often he leaves raw tool marks on his sculptures, creating what he calls a rhythm and pattern for viewers’ eyes to follow, which is partially influenced by his love of jazz music. 

“Jazz takes a standard tune and they play pretty much on the chord changes of the music,” Mosley said. “I see something in those logs, but I have a concept of weight in space. The idea is that the piece should look like it’s levitating, there’s a floating quality. If there’s an improvisational mood, it’s just from the fact that I take a basic idea and impose my vision on that.”

At first blush, “Following Space” is a study in contrasts. Mosley’s abstract wood sculptures are textured and warm, where Calder’s mobiles are smooth and cold. But upon closer inspection, the similarities between the two artists become more clear. Both have a keen understanding of balance and space. And in their visual differences, the works provide a compelling tension for viewers to circumambulate and enjoy.

More information about the exhibit and others currently on display at SAM is available at seattleartmuseum.org and 206-654-3100.

Cascade PBS is a non-profit journalism newsroom covering the Pacific Northwest.

The Senior Scene by — February 20, 2025 in Food, People
Lots of Lunas among these dogs and cats

If you live in King County and have a dog or cat named Luna, you’re in plenty of company.

In 2024, that was the most popular name for those kinds of pets licensed there, according to

Regional Animal Services of King County’s annual list of top names.

County residents last year registered 59,834 dogs and 26,532 cats with the Department of Records and Licensing Services. The most frequent names of the furry were:

  • For dogs, in order, Luna, Lucy, Daisy, Bella, Charlie, Coco, Ruby, Max, Buddy, and Lola.
  • For cats, 1 through 10, Luna, Milo, Lucy, Kitty, Loki, Mochi, Oliver, Pepper, Coco, and Daisy.

A most-popular list for Pierce County pets wasn’t available, at least not for last year. But nationally, the names people gave their dogs most often in 2024 are Luna for females and Milo for males, according to the American Kennel Club (AKC). Rounding out the top five on the female side are Bella, Daisy, Lucy and Willow, and on the male side, Max, Teddy, Charlie and Cooper.

“People put a great deal of thought into naming their dogs and often spend hours trying to pick the perfect name,” said Gina DiNardo, the AKC’s executive secretary.

In King County, officials say whether or not critters have popular monikers is secondary to them being licensed and thus having a much better chance of finding their way back home should they ever get lost.

“The pet license on a pet’s collar or a pet’s microchip registered in our system is the best way to ensure a quick ticket home,” said Norm Alberg, director of Records and Licensing.

If a licensed pet is lost, the finder can call the phone number on the pet’s tag – a service that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week – to reunite them with their owner. Pets receive a free ride home the first time they’re found, allowing owners to skip a trip to the animal shelter. Pet licenses also help fund the shelter and rescue services, including animal neglect and cruelty investigations, a pet food bank, spay/neuter programs, and pet adoptions.

Pet licenses can be purchased online at kingcounty.gov/pets or at 70 convenient locations around the county, including QFC grocery stores and many city halls. The latter include Enumclaw’s, where Mayor Jan Molinaro notes “no appointment necessary” and wishes “everyone in your family, including pets, a safe and healthy 2025.”

The Senior Scene by — February 20, 2025 in Lifestyle, Home, Adventures

Military retirees and disabled veterans will receive 2.5 percent increases to their monthly paychecks for 2025, thanks to the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) that’s tied to inflation.

While that may look low compared to recent years’ adjustments of 3.2 percent in 2024, 8.7 percent in 2023, and 5.9 percent in 2022, it’s still close to the average of about 2.6 percent for the past decade.

The U.S. Department of Labor determines the annual COLA by measuring the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, a measurement of a broad sampling of the cost of consumer goods and expenses. The CPI is compared to the previous year; if there is an increase, there is a COLA. If there is no increase, there is no COLA, and benefits remain the same — they don’t decrease. For 2025, retired military members will receive a $25 increase for each $1,000 of military retirement pension they receive each month.

Retirees who entered military service on or after Aug. 1, 1986, and opted for the Career Status Bonus (CSB/Redux retirement plan) will have any COLA increases reduced by a percentage point, so they will receive a smaller increase of $15 per $1,000 in 2025. Recipients of Survivor Benefit Plan payments will receive increases to their payments by the same amount as retirees.

Service members who retired in 2024 will receive a slightly reduced COLA in 2025. Their COLA is prorated based on which quarter they retired in (January-March, April-June, etc.). The prorated amount may also be adjusted based on when a member entered the service and which retirement plan they elected.

Disabled veterans will also receive increases to their benefit payments in the upcoming year. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability checks will go up about $4.28 per month for those with a 10 percent rating and $93.45 for those rated at 100 perent who don’t have dependents.

Meanwhile, the VA has announced its 2025 Veterans Pension income limits. The new limits change veterans’ individual rates. The actual amount paid depends on a veteran’s income; the pension payment makes up the difference.

Veterans of wartime service who are 65 or older and on a limited income may qualify for a veteran’s pension without being disabled.

More information is available at military.com.

The Senior Scene by — February 20, 2025 in Personal Finance/Consumers