Page 18 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 30, 2019 The number in parentheSUBSCRIBE TO MASSTERLIST – IT’S FREE! Join more than 17,000 other people from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens who start their morning with a copy of MASSterList! MASSterList is a daily ensemble of news and commentary about the Legislature, Politics, Media and Judiciary of Massachusetts drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced editor Jay Fitzgerald. Jay introduces each article in his own clever and never-boring, inimitable way. Go to: www.massterlist. com/subscribe and type in your email address and in 15 seconds you will be signed up for a free subscription. With no strings attached. THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House and Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on how often local senators voted with their party leadership. The votes of 33 Democratic senators were compared to Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem (D-Newton). The votes of five Republicans were compared with those of GOP Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). Beacon Hill Roll Call uses 87 votes from the 2019 Senate session as the basis for this report. This includes all roll calls that were not on local issues. Eighteen of the 33 Democratic senators (54 percent) voted with Creem 100 percent of the time. The Democratic senator who voted the lowest percentage of times with Creem was Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury) who voted with her 94.2 percent of the time. None of the five GOP members voted with Tarr 100 percent of the time. Two of them came close. Sens. Vinny deMacedo (R-Plymouth) and Donald Humason (R-Westfield) both voted with Tarr on all but one of the roll calls. The GOP senator who voted with Tarr the lowest percentage of times is Sen. Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) who voted with him 90.8 percent of the time. PERCENTAGE OF TIMES SENATORS VOTED WITH THEIR PARTY’S LEADERSHIP IN 2019 The percentage next to the senator’ name represents the percentage of times the senator supported his or her party’s leadership. ses represents the number of times the senator opposed his or her party’s leadership. Some senators voted on all 87 roll call votes. Others missed one or more roll call. The percentage for each senator is calculated based on the number of roll calls on which he or she voted and does not count the roll calls for which he or she was absent. Sen. Jason Lewis 100 percent (0) 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 filed. 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 August 19-23, the House met for a total of 17 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 17 minutes. Mon. Aug. 19 House 11:05 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Senate 11:11 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Tues. Aug. 20 No House session Wed. Aug. 21 No House session Fri. Aug. 23. No House session No Senate session No Senate session Thurs. Aug 22 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. Senate 11:11 a.m. to 11:19 a.m. No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Savvy Senior Is Pet Insurance a Good Idea for Seniors on a Budget? Dear Savvy Senior, I own two dogs and a cat that I would do almost anything for, but expensive veterinary bills put a strain on my budget. Is pet insurance a good idea? Dear Pet Owner, If you’re the kind of pet owner who would do anything for their furry family, including spending thousands of dollars on medical care, pet insurance definitely is an option to consider. Here’s what you should know. Rising Vet Costs The cost of owning a pet has gone up in recent years. New technologies now make it possible for pets to undergo sophisticated medical treatments for many life-threatening diseases, just like humans. But these treatments don’t come cheap. That’s why pet insurance has gotten more popular in recent years. More than 2 million pets are currently insured in the U.S. and Canada, according to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association. How Pet Plans Works Pet insurance is actually very similar to human health insurance. Pet policies typically come with premiums, deductibles, co-payments and caps that limit how much will be paid out annually. But unlike people coverage, you usually have to pay the vet bills in full and wait for reimbursement from the insurer. Pet policies vary greatly from basic plans that cover only accidents and illness, to comprehensive policies that provide complete nose-to-tail protection including annual checkups and vaccinations, spaying/ neutering and death benefits. You should also be aware that pet policies typically don’t cover pre-existing conditions, and premiums are generally lower when your pet is young and healthy. Costs for pet insurance will also vary by insurer and policy, but premiums typically depend on factors like the cost of veterinary care where you live and the age and breed of the pet. The average annual premium for basic accident and illness coverage was $516 per pet in 2017, while the average claim paid was $278, according to the pet health insurance association. Shopping Tips Major pet policy providers include the ASPCA, Embrace, Healthy Paws, Nationwide, PetFirst, Petplan and Trupanion. To help you shop and compare coverage and costs from pet insurers, go to PetInsuranceReview.com. If you’re still working, one way to pay lower premiums, and possibly get broader coverage, is to buy pet insurance through your employer, if available. Eleven percent of employers in the U.S. offer pet health insurance benefits, according to the Society for Human Resource Management, and these plans are usually discounted. Alternative Option Many animal advocates think most pet owners are better off forgoing pet insurance and instead putting the money you would have spent on premiums into a dedicated savings account to pay for vet care as needed. Depending on the policy, pet insurance can cost $1,500 to $6,000 over the life of an average pet, and most pet owners will never spend that much for treatment. Ways to Save If you can’t afford pet insurance or choose not to buy it, there are other ways you can save. For example, many local animal shelters offer free or low-cost spaying and neutering programs and vaccinations, and some shelters work with local vets who are willing to provide care at reduced prices for low-income and senior pet owners. There are also a number of organizations that provide financial assistance to pet owners in need. To locate these programs, visit HumaneSociety.org/PetFinancialAid. To save on pet medications, get a prescription from your vet (ask for generic is possible) so you can shop for the best price. Medicine purchased at the vet’s office is usually more expensive than you can get from a regular pharmacy or online. Most pharmacies fill prescriptions for pets inexpensively, and many pharmacies offer pet discount savings programs too. You can also save by shopping online at a verified pharmacy like 1800PetMeds.com, DrsFosterSmith.com and PetCareRX.com. 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. Older Pet Owner
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