Senior Spotlight
Int'l Day Of Celebration Bows At Jamaica/Hillcrest S.C.

What sounds to us like a great idea is about to be initiated at the Catholic Charities/Hillcrest Senior Center in the Jamaica, Hillcrest, Jamaica Estates area.

Officials at the center call it "International Day Celebration." The first of these will be Filipino Day to be held tomorrow at the center at 168-01 B Hillside Ave. at 168th Street starting at 10 a.m.

Dee Walker, an official at the center, explained: "We've passed the word around. Every ethnic group within our membership has been invited to have a celebration of their own culture day, which would include their music, foods and traditions, among any other things they might think of."

Walker said as the individual groups come forward and tell the center officials they want to celebrate their culture day, the celebrations will be scheduled about once a month. She said that the different ethnic groups to be represented will include Hispanic, Chinese, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Indian and Pakistani.

Walker said that the Catholic Charities/Hillcrest Senior Center, which has a varied ongoing schedule from day to day, is also planning a chess contest. She's released a notice so chess players who might want to participate can start practicing there every day.

She said, "Prizes will be awarded the day of the contest, so stay cool, be trendy, keep alert and have fun by playing board games. Bring your own board games or use ours. Also bring a friend and when they sign up for membership, you will receive a 'free meal ticket' as a thank you."

They're also starting a sketch and draw class to be held on Thursdays beginning at 9 a.m. Members are encouraged to sign up for it and also to bring a friend to earn a free meal ticket.

For more information about the Catholic Charities/Hillcrest Senior Center, call 718-2977171.

FED ACTIONS-HIGHER INDIVIDUAL HEALTH COSTS: Recent announcements of plans by the Bush administration to reduce payments to doctors in the Medicare program in 2007, as well as cut future Medicaid payments to the states have triggered sharp complaints because higher out-of-pocket costs for the nation's 40 million Medicare members would be among the effects anticipated.

The Medicaid cuts would also mean the burden of supporting the program would be added to that of the 50 states, which could result in increasing taxpayers' obligation.

The proposed 5.1 percent reduction in payments to doctors, beginning in 2007, as announced by Medicare officials about a week ago, would also mean increases in premiums of about $10 per month for Medicare members, bringing the monthly payment close to $100 per member.

The cuts in payments to doctors in the Medicare program would be intended to bring spiraling costs caused by doctors who prescribe more complex and costly services for patients under control.