On Medicare and need therapy? Good luck (sigh)

 "Therapy on Medicare isn't easy to find" is the title of Andrea Petersen's article  (11/17/21) in The Wall Street Journal. Briefly... many patients age 65 and older are out of luck when needing therapy due to the very few practitioners who accept Medicare reimbursement. "The reasons therapists decide not to participate in Medicare are similar to why some don't take private insurance plans either: Therapists say reimbursement rates are too  low and the paper work is too arduous."

"Therapists suggest making plans for mental-health care months before your 65th birthday. Ask your therapist if they accept Medicare or would be willing to enroll in the program. Or seek a therapist who accepts Medicare. Telehealth may be an option so you can access a larger pool of therapists from beyond your region. Larger practices and hospital-based clinics are more likely to accept Medicare. 

So don't wait to find the care you expect to need. Ask your current therapist for help finding the care you need.

Inflation adjusted US government bonds paying 7.12%

With interest rates on savings ate rock bottom low, check out U.S. Government I-bonds.
NEWS: The initial interest rate on new Series I savings bonds is the second-highest ever: 7.12 percent. You can buy I bonds at that rate through April 2022.  Details at: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/products/prod_ibonds_glance.htm

Be sure you understand how I-bonds work. You can't access your funds in the first 12 months. If you cash out before 5 years, you forfeit 3 months of interest. 

But the advantage is that you do not pay state income taxes on the interest and you can delay paying federal interest until you cash out, a big advantage over traditional savings options like CDs and savings accounts.