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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s health care law would let several million middle-class people get nearly free insurance meant for the poor, a twist government number crunchers say they discovered only after the complex bill was signed.

The change would affect early retirees: A married couple could have an annual income of about $64,000 and still get Medicaid, said officials who make long-range cost estimates for the Health and Human Services department.

After initially downplaying any concern, the Obama administration said late Tuesday it would look for a fix.

Up to 3 million more people could qualify for Medicaid in 2014 as a result of the anomaly. That’s because, in a major change from today, most of their Social Security benefits would no longer be counted as income for determining eligibility.

It might be compared to allowing middle-class people to qualify for food stamps.

‘Doesn’t make sense’
Medicare chief actuary Richard Foster said the situation was keeping him up at night.

“I don’t generally comment on the pros or cons of policy, but that just doesn’t make sense,” Foster said during a question-and-answer session at a recent professional society meeting.

“This is a situation that got no attention at all,” added Foster. “And even now, as I raise the issue with various policymakers, people are not rushing to say … we need to do something about this.”

You and your loved ones aspire for a healthier lifestyle, and sometimes that aspiration can lead you to some questionable solutions. While there are many supplements out on the product that purport to do the job that you want for them to do with your body, few of them actually deliver on their promises. These health supplements, which are tantamount to crushed up rocks and superglue, held together by a wax shellacking, are designed to have a longer shelf life, when in reality they are ineffectual for what your body would have them to do. If you are looking for the kind of supplement that actually works, you are going to need a more natural solution.

Many of the products on the market today are coughed out by the same manufacturer for a number of different companies. Why does this occur? Because health supplements are a big industry, and the cheaper that a company can come up with product, the more money they will make, often at your expense. Few companies out there actually take the time to measure out unique formulas and manufacture them on their own according to better quality control standards. Read the labels before you buy, and see about tracking down the source of the supplements themselves. You’ll find very few that can be traced back to their own private facilities with formulas that are grounded in silence. When you do, run don’t walk to place those organizations on your buying radar.

There are many topics that the elderly and their families may not like to think about if they are uncomfortable with the topics of death and dying, but sometimes it may be necessary to review end of life issues. Some of these subjects can be addressed at any time; it may actually be advantageous to make decisions about end of life issues when everyone in the family is still healthy and coherent so there isn’t any undue influence.

The National Institutes of Health is an excellent resource for many of these topics. Among the most important are advance directives, which are legal documents that outline what the patient would want in many different types of scenarios if they are unable to communicate. This can be because they have had a stroke or are put on some sort of life support and are unconscious. A living will can outline how the patient feels about life sustaining measures such as: life support and breathing machines; dialysis; resuscitation if heartbeat or breathing stops; feeding through a tube; if a doctor diagnoses the patient as brain dead; and organ and tissue donation. The patient should choose someone they trust to be their durable power of attorney and have them legally appointed to make these decisions if the time ever comes.