(BPT) - No matter where you are in your life, you have a lot of decisions to make. When to buy your first house? What school to attend? Is it the right time for a job change? As things change in life, those changes influence your financial decisions, too.

(BPT) - Imagine what it’s like to slowly lose your vision over time - until one day you no longer can read, see the faces of loved ones or participate in your favorite hobbies. While most people accept achy joints or muscle weakness as part of the aging process, eyesight is a critical factor in maintaining a high quality of life and independence.

(NewsUSA) - Many of the key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- better known as ObamaCare -- are already coming into effect this year.

(BPT) - Every day, about 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare. Not everyone will sign up, but it’s important to understand the importance of early choices when enrolling in Medicare for the first time.

(NewsUSA) - With women generally outliving men, planning for long-term care becomes more urgent for them in their pre-retirement years. After all, while longevity definitely has its upside -- including more time to enjoy travel and family -- there's no denying its biggest potential downside: the increased risk of health problems that can make caring for oneself difficult.

During the first 100 days of Rep. Barber’s first full term in office, he and his constituent services team recovered more than $4 million for Southern Arizonans who have sought assistance from his office.

(NAPSI)What did you say? Can you repeat that, please? Hearing loss makes communication a challenge, which unfortunately may put relationshipsin particular, a marriagein peril. Feelings of anger, frustration and resentment are often experienced by those suffering from hearing loss, as well as by spouses who are constantly barraged with having to repeat themselves or talk louder.

This week we had another fake sequester caused cutback. This cut was to Medicare services. The cut is real enough- however, it is not the result of sequestration cuts. The U. S. Government has as much money in the budget today as it had three months ago. The sequester cuts only affect the amount of the increase the government wanted. 

(NAPSI)—Hearing loss is one of the leading public health concerns, impacting an estimated 17 percent of American adults. Despite this fact, most insurance policies cover only a portion of hearing impairment costs, and government-sponsored health programs like Medicare offer little to no coverage at all.

(NAPSI)—Our economy is slowly rebounding from its collapse but it’s still far from healthy.

If you call Tucson home, with its hundreds of parks, excellent public and private golf courses, University of Arizona, local airport, Sonoran desert, mountain vistas and more, you are lucky indeed. With scenic Tucson topping list after list for “Best,” and “Most Affordable Places to Retire,” wondering where geographically to retire is a fairly easy choice.  More complex, however, is the where to retire residentially question. With so many different residential options from which to choose, from Continuing Care Retirement Communities to “active adult” living residences, learning to differentiate between the choices is important, but not always easy. Below is an overview of key facts and options you should know and consider before you move.

U.S. Rep. Ron Barber on Monday will present a Pearl Harbor Commemorative Medal to a 91-year-old Tucson veteran who will be the last U.S. Navy veteran ever to receive one of the medals.

(NAPSI)—Here’s food for thought: All registered dietitians (RDs) are nutritionists—but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. It’s an important distinction that can matter a great deal to your health.

(BPT) - It’s tax season and, as always, there are many new rules that can create traps for the unwary. But with a few tips and tricks, you can help minimize your taxes and maximize your overall long-term financial position.

Health insurance is confusing – regardless of whether your employer provides your insurance, you qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, or if you are footing the bill yourself for private insurance.

(NAPSI)—If you’re age 65 or older, odds are you have a chronic condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, about 80 percent of seniors in the U.S. have at least one chronic condition. The most common chronic conditions among seniors are “silent killers”—diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease that often have no physical symptoms. Despite their silent nature, these conditions may result in life-threatening complications, disability and significant costs if not properly managed.

(BPT) - With the agreement reached at the eleventh hour of 2012 to avert components of the so-called “fiscal cliff,” nearly all taxpayers will be affected in some way.  With that in mind, there are still many things you can do this year to prepare for potential additional tax changes and to take control of your financial situation. 

People are a product of their upbringing, and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) is no exception.

From Franklin Delano Roosevelt on, Democrats have created bold, visionary plans to improve the quality of life for Americans. Social Security. Civil Rights legislation. Medicare. The Affordable Care Act. They’ve pushed to clean up the environment and educate our children. For more than half a century, Democrats have done the heavy lifting to help make this country a better place, giving their efforts names like The New Deal, The New Frontier and The Great Society.

(NAPSI)—Preparing for retirement can be a challenging process—and emerging social and economic trends are making the practice all the more important.

(NAPSI)—If you’re one of the 30 million Americans with a new Medicare card, you may take a healthy interest in how best to benefit from it.

(NAPSI)—For optimal health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that older adults get a minimum of two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity every week. In addition, muscle-strengthening activities should be conducted two or more days a week.

(BPT) - When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, most people start with great intentions, but catch themselves falling off track sooner than expected. By February, nearly half of Americans have already failed to keep their resolutions¹. Resolution makers understand the importance of developing good habits and maintaining a well-balanced lifestyle — whether that means exercising more or cooking healthier meals for themselves and their families — but hectic schedules can make it difficult to practice healthy habits regularly. And when it comes to eating well, recent research² shows that one in four families skip healthier purchases often due to price.

(BPT) - Numerous factors impact a senior’s ability to live independently, such as health and memory problems, mobility issues, and care coordination concerns. Often overlooked is the fact that one quarter of all nursing home admissions are the result of poor medication adherence.