THE REVERE ADVOCATE – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 Page 15 BEACON | FROM Page 14 against Baker’s amendment. A «No» vote is for Baker’s amendment.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Sen. Joseph Boncore N o N o Ye s VETOES GALORE Gov. Baker vetoed millions of dollars in funding in the $46.2 billion fi scal 2021 state budget. This is in sharp contrast to last year when, in an unusual situation, the governor signed the fi scal 2020 state budget into law without vetoing any of the $43.3 billion in spending approved by the House and Senate. Beacon Hill Roll Call talked to several Statehouse veterans at that time and not one could remember any other time in the last four decades that the governor did not veto funding in the budget. Baker said his reason for vetoing most of the funding in this fi scal 2021 budget was because it was not consistent with the budget he had fi led. Override supporters defended the funding and the programs and said cutting them would be irresponsible and result in a cut in services. Here are some of the vetoes: $500,000 TO HELP LEGAL PERMANENTS RESIDENTS BECOME CITIZENS (H 5164) House 132-25, Senate 38-1, overrode Gov. Baker’s $500,000 veto reduction (from $1,741,575 million to $1,241,575) in funding for a citizenship for “New Americans Program” to assist legal permanent residents of the state in becoming citizens of the United States. (A Yes” vote is for the $500,000. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Sen. Joseph Boncore Present Ye s Ye s $300,000 FOR COMMISSION ON LGBTQ YOUTH (H 5164) House 152-5, Senate 38-1, overrode Gov. Baker’s $300,000 veto reduction (from $800,000 to $500,000) for the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Commission (LGBTQ) Youth. The commission would use the entire $800,000 to address issues related to the implementation of the state’s antibullying law designed to combat the rising suicide rate among and incidents of violence and discrimination against LGBTQ youths. (A “Yes” vote is for the $300,000. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Sen. Joseph Boncore Present Ye s Ye s $181,801 FOR PRISONERS’ LEGAL SERVICES (H 5164) House 136-20, Senate 37-2, overrode Gov. Baker’s $ 181,801 veto reduction (from $2,208,332 to $2,026,531 in funding for Prisoners’ Legal Services, a program that provides legal representation for indigent and disadvantaged defendants. (A «Yes» vote is for the $181,801. A «No» vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Sen. Joseph Boncore Present Ye s Ye s $500,000 FOR SMOKING CESSATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS (H 5164) House 150-7, overrode Gov. Baker’s $500,000 veto reduction (from $5,118,155 to $4,618,155) for smoking prevention and cessation program. The Senate has not yet voted on this reduction. (A «Yes” vote is for the 500,000. A «No» vote is against it). Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Present Ye s $500,000 FOR GUN AND VIOLENT CRIME PREVENTION (H 5164) House 151-6, overrode Gov. Baker’s veto of the entire $500,000 for a neighborhood-based gun and violent crime prevention pilot program for targeted work with out-of-school youth and young adults aged 17 to 24. The funding would be used to prevent gun violence and other violent crime in neighborhoods and municipalities with the highest rates of violent crime. Gov. Baker said that not only is this item not consistent with his budget recommendation, but he also argued that $14 million in funding is available in fi scal year 2021, carried forward from fi scal year 2020. The Senate has not yet voted on this reduction. (A «Yes» vote is for the $500,000. A «No» vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Present Ye s HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of December 2125, the House met for a total of 21 hours and 19 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 23 hours and 59 minutes. Mon. Dec. 21 House 11:03 a.m. to 1:28 p.m. Senate 11:08 a.m. to 8:57 p.m. Tues. Dec. 22 House 12:13 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. Senate 3:52 p.m. to 7:56 p.m. Wed. Dec. 23 House 11:03 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Senate 10:20 a.m. to 8:26 p.m. Thurs. Dec. 24 No House session No Senate session Fri. Dec. 25 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Space for Lease 3 Large Rooms, each with Large Walk-in Storage Area. or Aerobics Studio. Located at Route 1 South at Walnut Street. Rollerworld Plaza, Route 1 South, 425 Broadway, Saugus. Call Michelle at: 781-233-9507 What Caregivers Should Know About Medicare Dear Savvy Senior, I am the caregiver for my 81-year-old mother, who recently fell and broke her hip, and have a lot of questions about how original Medicare works and what it covers. Where can I get some help understanding this program? Overwhelmed Caregiver Dear Caregiver, Excellent question! Having a working knowledge of Medicare can help you take full advantage of the coverage and services it provides to ensure your mom receives the best care possible. Here’s what you should know. Medicare Assistance A good starting point to get familiar with Medicare is the offi cial “Medicare & You” handbook that overviews the program. It’s mailed to all benefi ciaries every fall and provides an up-to-date description of all services and benefi ts. You can also see it online at Medicare.gov/medicare-and-you. If you have a particular question, you can call and visit with a Medicare customer service representative at 800-633-4227. Medicare also works closely with State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP) to provide free health insurance counseling. To find a SHIP counselor in your area visit ShiptaCenter.org or call 877-8392675. Caregivers also fi nd Medicare’s secure website – MyMedicare.gov – especially useful. After setting up a personal account for your mom, you can view the details of her coverage, track recent health care claims and keep up to date on the preventive services she qualifi es for. Compare Tools Medicare can also help you locate the right health care providers for your mother. At Medicare.gov/care-compare you can fi nd and compare doctors, hospitals, home health agencies, dialysis facilities, inpatient rehab facilities, long-term care hospitals and nursing homes in your mom’s area. What Medicare Covers Medicare can reduce many outof-pocket medical expenses your mom incurs, but it doesn’t cover everything. Understanding what Medicare does and doesn’t cover can save you time and spare you frustration when navigating the caregiving maze. Here are some key points for caregivers: Besides basic hospital and physician services (which includes telehealth services) and optional prescription drug benefi ts, Medicare covers home health care too. To qualify, your mom must be homebound, under a physician’s care and in need of part-time skilled nursing care or rehabilitative services like physical therapy. Medicare also helps pay for oxygen, catheters and other medical supplies that a doctor prescribes for home use. The same is true for medically necessary equipment like oxygen machines, wheelchairs and walkers. In addition, Medicare covers skilled care in a nursing home for limited periods – up to 100 days – following hospital stays. But it doesn’t cover long-term stays. Patients who need custodial care (room and board) must pay out of pocket unless they’re eligible for Medicaid or have private longterm care insurance. Medicare pays for hospice care too, for someone with a terminal illness whose doctor expects to live six months or less. The hospice benefi t also includes brief periods of respite care at a hospice facility, hospital or nursing home to give the patient’s caregivers an occasional rest. Besides long-term nursing home stays, original Medicare typically doesn’t cover regular dental care or dentures, regular eye exams or eyeglasses, and hearing exams and hearing aids. Likewise, it won’t pay for nonemergency ambulance trips unless a doctor certifi es they’re medically necessary. To fi nd out what Medicare covers, visit Medicare.gov/coverage and type in the test, item or service you have questions about, or download the Medicare “What’s covered” app in either the App Store or Google Play. Financial Assistance If your mom lives on a limited income, you should check whether she qualifi es for help with prescription drug costs or with other Medicare-related premiums, deductibles and copayments. For help with drug costs, visit SSA.gov/prescriptionhelp or contact Social Security at 800-7721213 and ask about the “Extra Help Program.” For help with other Medicare costs, go to Medicare.gov or call 800-633-4227 and ask about the “Medicare Savings Programs.” Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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