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News You Can Use

November 30, 2007

Autism Service Provider Grant Opportunity

Pennsylvania is accepting applications from service providers for the development of programs for state residents living with autism who are finishing school and beginning to seek employment, according to the PA Department of Public Welfare (DPW).   

Funding will be awarded to develop and pilot an effective education-to-employment transition program targeting those with Autism Spectrum Disorders.  This represents a new grant opportunity resulting from PA's 2004 Autism Task Force Final Report to assist with developing vocational, educational and life skills training.   

Funding for a maximum of four grants will be issued for up to $50,000 per site for the period Jan. 1, 2008, through June 30, 2008.  Any entity proposing to develop a model of transition to employment may apply for this grant.   

Providers must submit proposals by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 to DPW's Bureau of Autism Services.  For details, access the announcement and the application.  Locate information on autism services in PA here. 

Local Meetings Will Help Pennsylvanians to Choose Among Medicare Drug Plans   

Whether you will be choosing a Medicare plan for the first time or you want to switch plans, the open enrollment period for Medicare Part D began on November 15 and will end on December 31, 2007.   

The PA Department of Aging is conducting meetings around the state during open enrollment providing consumers an opportunity to select the option that best meets their specific medications and other needs.   

The Department stresses the "Three C's" for choosing among Part D plans: 

• Coverage: Check to see if your medications are covered on the plan's formulary.
• Cost: Compare your current prescription costs to the costs of other Medicare drug plans (premiums, deductibles, co-payments).
• Convenience: See if your current pharmacy works with the plan and whether they offer a mail order option.  Some plans may require Step Therapy, which means that they may require you to first try a certain drug to treat a medical condition before they will cover a different drug for that same condition. 

Counselors will be available to assist with comparisons, to provide tips on saving money during the coverage gap, and to facilitate online enrollments.  To view the local Medicare meeting schedule, visit the Department of Aging website and select your county of residence.  Medicare beneficiaries may also contact APPRISE, toll-free, at 1-800-783-7067.

Pennsylvania Joins National Flu Vaccine Month Campaign 

Healthcare workers and those over age 65 are being reminded during National Influenza Vaccination Week to get a flu shot.  According to the PA Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), there is still time and sufficient vaccine for all those for whom a flu shot is recommended to get theirs before the season is in full-swing,   

While influenza can begin to appear as early as October, it often peaks in January or later and can continue through May.  The vaccine takes effect within two weeks.  An additional 12 million doses of vaccine are expected to be delivered by the manufacturers, for a total of 132 million doses for the 2007-08 flu season.   

Nationwide, only 40 percent of health care workers receive the influenza vaccination.  The CDC recommends all health care providers, as well as those in training for health-care professions, be vaccinated annually against influenza.  Those working in health-care settings who should be vaccinated include physicians, nurses, and other workers in both hospital and outpatient-care settings; medical emergency-response workers (e.g., paramedics and emergency medical technicians); employees of nursing home and chronic-care facilities who have contact with patients or residents; and, students in these professions who will have contact with patients.  Access the CDC's seasonal influenza information for healthcare professionals.

Steps to Avoid Catching or Spreading the Flu

Thirty-six thousand Americans die each year from flu-related illnesses and more than 200,000 are hospitalized, including 20,000 children.  The PA Department of Health recommends a number of steps to avoid catching or spreading the flu. 

• Be careful what you touch.  Hands can transmit germs and viruses. 
• Frequently wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. 
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.  If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. 
• Get plenty of rest, eat properly, and dress appropriately for the weather. 
• When ill, prevent the spread of infection by staying home from school or the workplace, if possible. 
• During flu season, minimize time in crowded areas, such as shopping centers, and avoid contact with those at high risk for the flu, such as the elderly and those with chronic illness. 

For the latest on influenza symptoms, weekly activity reports, clinic locators and facts click here.

State Capitol Prepares for 2007 Christmas Season 

Watch the decorating of the 21-foot Douglas fir or come for the official Tree Lighting Ceremony at noon on Wednesday, December 12.  The Capitol Christmas Tree will adorn the Rotunda through early January 2008.   

The Pennsylvania-grown tree arrived from Carbon County to find a platform and stand ready and waiting.  The tree is decorated each year with thousands of ornaments created by older Pennsylvanians as part of a PA Department of Aging program with the State's 650 full- and part-time senior community centers.   

Guided tours of Pennsylvania's Capitol are offered every half hour Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Weekend tours are offered at 9 a.m., 11a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.  Tours will be conducted on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. only (no afternoon tours).  Tours will not be available on Christmas Day.  New Year's Day tours will be offered at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. only (no afternoon tours).  Capitol Tours Schedule or for a virtual tour.  For directions and parking click here.

'Tis the Season to be a Savvy Shopper  

From over spending to exchanges, hasty holiday shopping decisions may be costly.  According to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG), there a few steps you can take to be a savvy shopper. 

Overspending is a common complaint after the holidays when the bills start rolling in.  The OAG recommends beginning with an affordable holiday shopping budget.  Compile a list of everyone you will shop for and set an amount to spend on each.  Avoid "impulse purchases".   

Keep in mind retailers set their own return and exchange policies making it important to inquire before making a purchase.  Check receipts before leaving the store and be sure to keep them should a return or exchange become necessary.  Request a gift receipt when possible.   

If there's a gift card on that shopping list, you should understand unredeemed gift certificates fall under Pennsylvania's "unclaimed property law".  The seller must turn over the card to the state's Department of Treasury in the certificate holder's name after a specified date.  A gift card absent a specified expiration date is valid for five years from the date of issuance and then must be turned over to the Treasury.  If there is a specified expiration date, the card becomes unclaimed property two-years after it expires. 

OAG's Savvy Shopping Tips and The Pennsylvania Treasury Department Bureau of Unclaimed Property.

2007 Thanksgiving Holiday Traffic Crashes 

Fewer crashes and injuries occurred over the five-day, 2007 Thanksgiving holiday compared with the previous year, according to the PA State Police.  However, 10 individuals lost their lives on Pennsylvania highways during both the 2007 and 2006 Thanksgiving holiday.   

Injuries were down from last year's 378 to 320, while crashes declined from 1,085 to 1,064 this year.  PSP indicate an additional 1,116 speeding citations were handed out bringing the total to 7,606 during the 2007 Thanksgiving holiday.  DUI arrests rose by 20 to 390 this year.   

During 2006, PSP issued 488 citations for failure to wear a seat belt.  This year an additional 40 seat belt citations were issued.  Child passenger restraint violations increased from 63 in 2006 to 71 this year.   

Penalties for driving violations include points on the motorists driving record that can only be eliminated 3 at a time for every 12 months a driver remains violation-free.  See details on the State's point system.

2007 Thanksgiving statistics
2006 Thanksgiving statistics
Child passenger restraints

 

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