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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, FEbRuARy 9, 2024 Page 19 BEACON | FROM PAGE 18 Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton) said that in November, the Public Safety Committee held a public hearing on 57 fi rearm-related bills, many of which provide the foundation of the current bill under consideration. “Given that the policies in the bill have been vetted both at the public hearing and through months of conversations with senators, gun safety advocates, gun owners’ groups, gun industry groups, police chiefs, district attorneys and health care professionals, the [bill is] ready for consideration on the Senate fl oor.” (A “Yes” vote is for sending the bill back to the committee. A “No” vote is against sending it to committee.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico No SUBSTITUTE NEW VERSION OF BILL (S 2572) Senate 6-33, rejected an amendment to substitute an alternative version of the fi rearms bill in place of the current one. “This amendment was fi led so that I could go on the record in support of commonsense gun control measures,” said sponsor Sen. Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). “The provisions in this amendment maintain focus on gun violence reduction and prevention while respecting the rights aff orded in the Second Amendment.” “The proposed amendment would have removed several components of the Senate bill that will make Massachusetts a safer place, including its codifi cation of our existing assault weapons law, its provisions ensuring that firearm licensing authorities are aware of an applicant’s history of involuntary mental health hospitalizations and its provisions empowering Massachusetts residents to hold the gun industry accountable if they are harmed due to reckless industry practices,” said Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton). “The Senate bill does more to prevent gun violence, gun crime and gun accidents than the amendment’s proposed alternative.” (A “Yes” vote is for the alternative bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico No MARKETING GUNS TO PEOPLE UNDER 18 (S 2572) Senate 37-2, approved an amendment that would allow fi rearm companies to “design, advertise, market, import or sell at wholesale or retail a fi rearm industry product in a manner that recommends or encourages persons under the age of 18 to participate lawfully in hunting or shooting sports.” Under Massachusetts law, applicants for a Firearms Identifi - cation Card (FID) must be 18 years or older – or can be 14–17 years of age with parental consent. While applicants 14 years old may apply, a card will not be issued until they reach age 15. “Sponsoring this amendment enables us as a Legislature, to implement laws that respects the constitutional right to bear arms and instill the importance of fi rearm safety to our youth when they engage in lawful activities such as hunting and competitive shooting sports,” said sponsor Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield). “This approach balances the interests of a variety of stakeholders and sets a precedent for responsible participation.” “I have consistently opposed the advertising or marketing to minors of dangerous products, whether they be vaping, alcohol, marijuana, sports betting or guns,” said Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy) who opposed the amendment. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes LEGACY” GUNS (S 2572) Senate 39-0, approved an amendment to clarify that certain guns legally bought prior to 2016 are “legacy” weapons, and can still be legally held, though this new Senate bill would make new purchases of such weapons illegal. “The Senate’s intention, in codifying our existing assault weapons ban was to enshrine the current law without changing the status of any fi rearms that are currently legally owned in the commonwealth,” said sponsor Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton). “This … amendment removes any ambiguity on that point, making absolutely clear that a fi rearm that is legally owned in Massachusetts today will still be legally owned when [this bill] becomes law.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL BAN EMPLOYERS FROM ASKING FOR CREDIT REPORTS (H 2372) - The House gave initial approval to a proposal that would prohibit employers from obtaining the credit reports of existing or potential employees except in certain circumstances including hiring for a position that requires national security clearance; a position for which a person is required by federal or state law to obtain a consumer report; and some executive or BEACON | SEE PAGE 20 Say nr Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller Does Medicare Cover Weight-Loss Treatments? Dear Savvy Senior, Does Medicare cover any weight-loss treatments for overweight retirees? I just turned 65 and need to lose about 100 pounds and would like to know if Medicare can help. Overweight Owen Dear Owen, Yes, traditional Medicare does indeed cover some weight-loss treatments like counseling and certain types of surgery for overweight benefi ciaries, but unfortunately it doesn’t cover weight-loss programs or medications. Here’s what you should know. Who’s Eligible For benefi ciaries to receive available Medicare-covered weight-loss treatments your body mass index (BMI), which is an estimate of your body fat based on your height and weight, must be 30 or higher. A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese and increases your risk for many health conditions, such as some cancers, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and sleep apnea. To fi nd out your BMI, the National Institutes of Health has a free calculator that you can access online at nhlbi.nih. gov/health/educational/lose_ wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm. What’s Covered If you fi nd that your BMI is 30 or higher, Medicare Part B will cover up to 12 months of weight-loss counseling conducted by a medical professional in a primary care setting (like a doctor’s offi ce). Most counseling sessions entail an initial obesity screening, a dietary assessment and behavioral therapy designed to help you lose weight by focusing on diet and exercise. Medicare also covers certain types of bariatric and metabolic surgery for morbidly obese benefi ciaries who have a BMI of 35 or above and have at least one underlying obesity-related health condition, such as diabetes or heart disease. You must also show that you’ve tried to lose weight in the past through dieting or exercise and have been unsuccessful. These procedures make changes to your digestive system to help you lose weight and improve the health of your metabolism. Some common bariatric surgical procedures covered include Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, which reduces the stomach to a small pouch that makes you feel full even following small meals. And laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, which inserts an infl atable band that creates a gastric pouch encircling the top of the stomach. What’s Not Covered Unfortunately, original Medicare does not cover weightloss programs such as fi tness or gym memberships, meal delivery services, or popular weightloss programs such as Jenny Craig, Noom and WW (formerly Weight Watchers). Medicare also does not cover any weight-loss drugs, but it does cover FDA approved diabetes drugs that have unintentionally become very popular for weight loss. Medicare Part D plans cover Ozempic and Mounjaro for diabetes only, not for weight loss! So, your doctor will need to prescribe these medications for diabetes in order to get them covered. Medicare also does not cover Wegovy or Zepbound because they’re approved only for weight loss. The reason behind the weight-loss drug omission is the Medicare Modernization Act, which specifi cally excluded them back when the law was written 20 years ago. They also excluded drugs used for cosmetic purposes, fertility, hair growth and erectile dysfunction. Without insurance, weightloss medications are expensive, often costing $1,000 to $1,300 a month. To help curb costs, try websites like GoodRX. com or SingleCare.com to fi nd the best retail prices in your area. Or, if your income is limited, try patient assistance programs through Eli Lilly (LillyCares.com) which makes Mounjaro and Zepbound, or Novo Nordisk (NovoCare.com) the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy. Medicare Advantage If you happen to be enrolled in a private Medicare Advantage plan, you may have coverage for gym memberships and some weight loss and healthy food delivery programs. These are considered expanded supplemental benefits and have gradually been added to some plans to provide coverage for nutrition, health and wellness. Contact your plan to see what it provides. 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. O nior ior OBITUARY Eleanor A. (Leo) Kelly f Everett. Passed away peacefully on February 2, at her home with her beloved family by her side at the age of 89. Beloved daughter of the late Sabatino F. Leo and Concetta (Dascoli) Leo. Wife of the late Warren “Buddy” Kelly. Loving mother of Kathleen Kelly of Everett and her partner Michael Dolliver, Lori Mascis of Revere and her husband Domenic Mascis. Devoted grandmother of Samantha Getchell of Saugus and her husband Jared Getchell. Adoring great grandmother of Patrick Getchell. Sister of the late Louis Leo, Jerry Leo, John Leo, Edward Leo, and Frank Leo. She is survived by many nieces and nephews. Funeral from the Salvatore Rocco & Sons Funeral Home, Everett on Wednesday, February 7th. Followed by a Funeral Mass in Immaculate Conception Church. Interment was in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. In lieu of fl owers, the family asks for memorial contributions to be made in her name to American Heart Association. For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net

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