Florida State Wide
By Blanca Taylor
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist
Marriage is a tradition that exists on every continent and in nearly every country. Having a partner not only means creating a family unit, it means sharing things like a home and other property. Understanding how your future retirement might affect your spouse is important. When you’re planning for your retirement, here are a few things to remember:
Your spouse’s benefit amount could be up to 50 percent of your spouse’s full retirement age amount, if you are full retirement age when you take it. If you qualify for a benefit from your own work history and a spouse’s record, we always pay your own benefit first. You cannot receive spouse’s benefits unless your spouse is receiving his or her retirement benefits (except for divorced spouses). If you took your reduced retirement first while waiting for your spouse to reach retirement age, when you add spouse’s benefits later, your own retirement portion remains reduced, which causes the total retirement and spouses benefit together to total less than 50 percent of the worker’s amount. You can find out more about this at www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/quickcalc/spouse.html. Continue reading
SIGNET Research Inc.
Do Readers Still Want Print?
Back in 2010, Signet Research, Inc. released data on readers’ platform preferences when consuming content in media brand issues. The objective was to learn whether the sentiment that print was a fading format, was premature and exaggerated. The results showed a strong preference for the print format over the digital version.
Signet continued to gather data for the last 10 years and recently provided our clients with the updated results. The results show that the significant preference for print still exists for readers of B2B media brand issues.
In order to highlight this point more comprehensively, we are planning additional in depth data gathering in the coming year. We are going to be offering all of our 2020 clients access to the results of a case study regarding ad performance by medium. Continue reading
Friends,
This column is coming to you from a desk in Tallahassee as we begin preparing for the 2020 Legislative Session. Our summer went by very quickly but our time was well spent traveling the district and speaking with constituents from around our district and state. From Lake Panasoffkee to Sorrento, and Astor to Groveland, District 12 is a large territory but we enjoyed every minute that we spent driving through these back roads to get to each and every one of you. The message that we shared was simple, no hard left turns for our State and let’s stay on this path of prosperity and increasing opportunity for all Floridians to live the American dream. Another part of that message was of the shared success that you and your Senator had in Tallahassee during the 2019 Session. A brief look at some of these recognitions we received for our work was sent to you earlier this summer, but we have had some more since then and we would be remiss to leave them out. So, let’s take a look at our report cards. Continue reading
(NAPSI)—Millions of Americans get Social Security disability benefits yet want to work. They may be glad to know about a federal program that can help them enter the workforce while maintaining access to benefits. Thanks to Social Security’s Ticket to Work program, free employment support services help people prepare for work, find jobs or progress in their careers.
Many of these people are concerned about what employment would mean for their Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. There’s no need to worry. Social Security Work Incentives make it easier for adults with disabilities to explore work while continuing to receive benefits. Some of these incentives make it possible for people to test their ability to work without immediately losing Medicare or Medicaid coverage. Others let people whose disability interferes with employment start receiving benefits again without needing to submit a new application under certain conditions. Because everyone’s situation is different, job seekers are encouraged to talk with a professional Benefits Counselor. These are trained experts who help people make informed decisions about employment. To find one, call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1 (866) 968-7842 or 1 (866) 833-2967 (TTY). Continue reading
The Statewide Council on Human Trafficking was created to support human trafficking victims by enhancing available care options. The 15-member Council, chaired by Attorney General Moody, builds on existing state and local partnerships working to combat human trafficking.
Introduction
The 15-member Council chaired by Attorney General Moody, will build on existing state and local partnerships working to combat human trafficking.
Members include law enforcement officers, prosecutors, legislators, as well as experts in the fields of health, education and social services. The Council was created through legislation passed and signed into law in 2014.
About Human Trafficking
The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 20.9 million victims of trafficking around the world. Domestically, Florida continues to rank third in the nation in the number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. Continue reading
By Blanca Taylor
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Social Security and Medicare are both programs that are household names, but do you know the true difference? Both programs help safeguard millions of Americans as well as improve the quality of life for their family and friends. While Social Security offers retirement, disability, and survivors benefits, Medicare provides health insurance.
Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older and younger people receiving Social Security disability benefits. The program helps with the cost of health care, but it doesn’t cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care.
When you first enroll in Medicare and during certain times of the year, you can choose how you get your Medicare coverage. There are 2 main ways to get Medicare: Continue reading
By Blanca Taylor
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist
Scammers have become more aggressive and sophisticated in the digital age. With millions of people relying on Social Security and Medicare, scammers target audiences who are looking for legitimate program and benefit information. Scammers sometimes try to scare people into giving out their personal information. Never give someone who called you any personal information unless you absolutely know who they are.
The law that addresses misleading Social Security and Medicare advertising prohibits people or non-government businesses from using words or emblems that mislead others. Their advertising can’t claim that they represent, are somehow affiliated with, or are endorsed or approved by Social Security or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Medicare). Continue reading
On August 19, 2019, in News Releases, by Staff
Fort Myers, Fla. — Today, Governor DeSantis announced that Hurricane Irma costs in Florida have reached $2.63 billion, triggering an increase in the federal cost share from 75 percent to 90 percent. Along with this announcement, Governor DeSantis submitted a letter to President Trump officially requesting this increase in the federal cost share, which will save the state and local governments more than $160 million. Read more at https://www.flgov.com/2019/08/19/governor-ron-desantis-announces-threshold-met-for-increased-federal-cost-share-for-hurricane-irma/
Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Dr. Zachariah Zachariah, Dr. Scott Ackerman and Dr. David Diamond to the Florida Board of Medicine.
Dr. Zachariah Zachariah
Zachariah, of Fort Lauderdale, is a cardiologist and internal medicine doctor. He is the Medical Director at UHealth Cardiology, Fort Lauderdale and a member of the clinical faculty at the University of Miami. He received his medical degree from the Armed Forces Medical College in India and completed his residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. He served as Chairman of the Florida Board of Medicine from 1990-1992, 2000-2001 and 2013-2014. Zachariah is appointed to a four-year term. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—As millions of Florida children begin a new school year, Attorney General Ashley Moody is reaching out directly to students and parents with tips and resources. The weeklong #BackToSchoolOAG campaign will provide information about internet safety, the dangers of drug use, risks associated with vaping and more.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This week, millions of children and teens in Florida will head back to school, and with a new academic year comes new risks and challenges that parents may not be thinking about. Online games and apps can create a venue for human traffickers to stalk children, drugs pose a major health threat, and the alarming increase in teen vaping cannot be ignored.
“Through #BackToSchoolOAG, I hope we can reach parents and students as the academic year begins to encourage a continuous, open dialogue about some of the extremely important challenges facing Florida students today.” Continue reading
