January Checklist

Shrink your paycheck: Contribute as much as you can to retirement plans-and as early in the year as possible.

Mail your packages sooner rather than later: Postal rates for packages increase on Sunday, January 17.

Protect against carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning: January has more CO deaths than any other month. Don't let vehicles idle in an attached garage-even if the garage door is left open. Don't use gas ovens to provide heat. Install CO detectors on every level of your home.

Don't get dehydrated: Cold weather decreases the thirst response by up to 40%. Even if you aren't thirsty, consume healthful options such as clear soup, vegetable soup and water flavored with squeezed/sliced lemons and limes.

Fight hangovers: Before going to bed, drink 16 to 20 ounces of water. Sip water, juice or clear soup the next day. Eat toast, crackers or other bland food. Take aspirin or another ­nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory for headaches, not acetaminophen. Like alcohol, acetaminophen can affect the liver.

Help your community: Monday, January 18, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Join people of all ages who volunteer at food pantries, hospitals, parks and other sites.
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Fight Continues To
Raise Smoking Age

In a California Healthline report by Kenny Goldberg, experts discussed the effort to alter the smoking age from 18 to 21. Proponents said the tobacco industry has been targeting younger Californians and the legislation is needed to keep youth from tobacco addiction and to save the state money on health care costs.
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Could Dementia Villages
Come to the US?

Amazing things happen when people with dementia have the freedom to do things they enjoy, in familiar environments, surrounded by people who watch out for them and help them feel accepted.

In the Netherlands, a dementia village has become an international model of what can happen when people with dementia are given extraordinary freedom in a safe, structured environment.
Covered California's Open Enrollment Deadline
Coverd California January 15th Enrollment Deadline for February 1 Coverage
The plan selection deadline for coverage effective
February 1 is January 15, 2016.
   
  • Free Concierge Assistance
  • Assistance with Subsidy Qualifications and Calculations
  • Dedicated Benefits Advisors to help guide you through the Application process
  • Phone appointments are available for enrollment
For information on Covered California or to request to speak with a broker Click Here
What to Include as Income
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When you fill out a Marketplace application, you'll need to estimate what your household income is likely to be for 2016.
  • Marketplace savings are based on your expected household income for 2016, not last year's income.
  • You must make your best estimate so you qualify for the right amount of savings.

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