The new alliance will blend CIGNA’s consultative approach and single point of contact for clients with Humana’s industry-leading group Medicare Advantage products and services and strong name recognition. Clients will benefit from a simplified management structure, additional geographic offerings, and a cost-effective solution that addresses the full range of benefit needs for their employees and retirees. Employees will benefit from CIGNA’s health and wellness programs and award-winning quality and service, and retirees will benefit from the scale and breadth of Humana’s Medicare offerings. The alliance will address the needs of employees as they approach retirement by offering a coordinated solution through the employer.

“By bringing together the capabilities of two strong companies, we’re offering market-leading solutions and creating differentiated value for our clients in these uncertain times,” said Sam Srivastava, CIGNA’s president of Government Segments. “Through this alliance, we can expand CIGNA’s portfolio, while Humana is able to expand its distribution to a larger base of employer customers for its Medicare Advantage plans. It’s a winning blend for employers and their retirees who will have access to broad-based, affordable coverage from two companies widely recognized for their service excellence.”

“CIGNA and Humana are driving innovation through this unique alliance,” added Thomas Liston, Humana senior vice president of senior products. “We are excited that CIGNA will be exclusively supplementing its retiree offerings with Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans, enabling CIGNA to offer a cost-effective, one-stop solution.”

Humana is recognized for its best-in-class Medicare products and services, comprehensive health and wellness solutions and the scale and breadth of its Medicare offerings. CIGNA brings a broad commercial product portfolio, nationally recognized health and wellness programs, and award-winning service to the alliance. The Group Medicare Advantage alliance products are expected to be available beginning July 1, 2010, subject to regulatory approvals. Under the terms of the alliance, CIGNA and Humana will coordinate services and share financial results equally.

According to Srivastava, retirees who opt for an affordable Medicare Advantage plan through the alliance can be confident that it has been carefully tailored to meet their needs and will provide access to clinical programs that can enhance their quality of life and help improve or maintain their health.

CIGNA will continue to independently offer its comprehensive suite of group and individual retiree pharmacy solutions, commercial group medical plans that supplement Medicare, and its Arizona Medicare Advantage HMO health plan, in addition to its full array of commercial medical, dental, pharmacy, disability and behavioral plans.

Humana will continue to independently offer its comprehensive array of commercial and Medicare Advantage health, pharmacy and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals. About CIGNA CIGNA (NYSE:CI), a global health service company, is dedicated to helping people improve their health, well being and sense of security. CIGNA Corporation’s operating subsidiaries provide an integrated suite of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance, to approximately 46 million people throughout the United States and around the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on to http://newsroom.cigna.com/rss/. Also, follow us on Twitter: @cignatweets and visit CIGNA’s You Tube channel at http://www.youtube.com/cignatv About Humana Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits companies, with approximately 10.3 million medical members and 7.2 million specialty members. Humana is a full-service benefits solutions company, offering a wide array of health and supplemental benefit plans for employer groups, government programs and individuals.

Over its 49-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.

Keywords: Consumer, Finance, Financial, Health, Health Policy, Human Resources, Insurance, Investing, Investment, Managed Care, Medicare, Medicare and Medicaid, Professional Services, Seniors, Wellness, CIGNA Corporation.

Not everyone has the extra time it takes to visit a dental school. Here are more options to save on your dental bill:

Online coupons

Some dentists do marketing and advertising to attract patients. Check the Valpak coupons that come in a blue envelope by mail or at www.valpak.com under “health.” Last week four Twin Cities dentists offered deals, including an exam for about $75. Moneymailer.com had a $99 offer for X-rays, evaluation and cleaning under the “professional” category. Groupon.com recently had a cleaning and exam special for $59.

Low-cost dentists

Go to tinyurl.com/y8un6y2 for a list of some dental clinics in Minnesota that provide services to patients on public care programs, or that offer services at reduced cost. Services, hours and costs at the clinics vary. If you’re unemployed or in financial difficulty, you also can check with your regular dentist about lowering fees before calling the clinics, which might require a longer wait. Call 1-800-950-3368 for a clinic near you if you don’t have a computer.

Insurance

Whether you are considering insurance privately or through an employer, ask these questions: Is there a waiting period? (Some plans require you to be on the plan for a year before major work can be done.) What percentage do you pay for a specific procedure? (The policy could cover as little as 50 or as much as 100 percent of the cost of the procedure.) What’s the maximum coverage in a year? (Many plans have a limit, such as $1,000 per calendar year.) What’s the deductible? (You might be responsible for the first $250 or so.) What’s excluded? (Orthodontia often is not covered.)

Dental plans

An alternative to insurance, dental plans offer members discounted fees at a wide network of dentists, but few of us have heard of them. At www.dentalplans.com (1-888-632-5353), an individual pays about $105 per year or $160 for a family plan. Sample discounted prices, according the site, include $25 for a routine checkup (usual fee $56), four bite-wing X-rays $33 (usual fee $70), a white, one-surface filling $75 (usual fee $175) and a crown $624 (usual fee $1,190). Check to make sure your dentist participates in the plan. There is a 30-day cancellation policy and no waiting periods, deductibles or maximums. Orthodontia is included in some of the plans, including those underwritten by Cigna and Aetna. When I called earlier this week and said that I wasn’t quite ready to join, I was offered a 20 percent discount if I signed up immediately.

But the children, selected through the school district by referral from nurses, will get additional treatment, said Aiken dentist Dr. Charlie Wyont, who has coordinated the Aiken County effort in the national program that provides the pro bono services.

Originally, dentists volunteering with the program went ahead and treated kids with cavities and other needs on the “Give Kids a Smile” day. But that time frame allowed only partial treatment, Wyont said. Last year, dental hygienists began a procedure of providing the children with a thorough cleaning, followed by screening from the dentists.

“Now the child gets a complete treatment in our offices,” said Wyont. “We aren’t seeing the same number of kids now. The first year, we had over 100 children, and it’s gone down each year. As this program has gone on, the dentists have visited schools for screenings, and nurses can also refer for abscesses or tooth decay. We’re getting feedback from the dentists that we’re seeing less problems in the schools. The system is working.”

ATC’s dental assisting program has hosted Give Kids a Smile since its start in Aiken County.

“I love having them here,” said the program director, Amy Johnson. “It’s a great learning experience for our kids and a good networking experience, too. It meets the needs of an underserved group of kids in the community. I wish we had the ability to do this more than once a year.”

Johnson’s students provided assistance as needed and observed the hygienists and dentists. A group of health science students from the Aiken County Career and Technology Center also coordinated games and other activities for children while they waited to see a hygienist and a dentist. One health science student, Elizabeth Hernandez, had a different assignment, serving as a translator for some of the kids. A native of California, Hernandez’s parents are from El Salvador.

“This has been great,” she said. “I look forward to doing it again. My hope of wanting to be a nurse has grown. So far the kids have been really excited. I think they felt more comfortable knowing I was there.”

Response: “Our principal move was to raise average monthly contributions. For employees with single coverage, we raised these from $90 to $95,” the firm’s controller told us. “For family coverage, we raised monthly contributions from $340 to $360. To help retain employee good will, we decided to maintain the copayment for visits to a physician at $18, which was viewed positively.”

Result: The company was able to keep its HMO costs down.

OUTSOURCE BENEFITS FUNCTIONS AND IMPLEMENT ELECTRONIC ENROLLMENT

Issue: A transportation/utilities/communication company sought ways to cut its health care costs.

Response: “The outsourcing of benefits functions (i.e. billing) and the implementation of an electronic enrollment tool and communications portal have been very successful in reducing the staffing hours required to administer a 700-person health benefit plan,” the firm’s HR/benefits manager told us. And “in an environment of growing health care costs, moving to a self-insured model and changing some plan design features (i.e. increasing deductibles and brand name prescription copays) have helped contain, maybe not reduced, costs from year to year,” she added.

Result: Staffing hours were cut, reducing HR expenditures; self-insurance helped keep health care costs steady.

LOWER TOTAL BENEFITS COSTS WITH CHANGES IN DENTAL PLAN COVERAGE

Issue: A 1 50-employee services firm in New York sought ways to lower total benefits costs by changing its dental plan coverage.

Response: “Our dental plan is a popular benefit with stable costs, rising just 2 percent in the most recent year. Here, we decided to maintain the monthly employee contribution for coverage – that is, $1 7 for individual coverage and $50 for family,” the company’s controller told us. “But we decided to increase our maximum annual benefit amount from $1 ,250 to $1 ,500. This preserves the strength of our coverage for routine dental visits.”

Result: “We continue to pay 1 00 percent for preventive care but require a 20 percent coinsurance payment for most restorative services” which has helped control costs.

The ruling results from a lawsuit settled last year by the plaintiffs in the case of Moms Against Mercury v. Von Eschenbach. The settlement required FDA to withdraw claims of amalgam’s safety from its web site and reclassify its use by July 28, 2009.

“After 32 years of delays, FDA finally warned Americans about neurotoxic effects from amalgam to the nervous systems of developing children and fetus,” said Michael Bender, a plaintiff in the lawsuit and director of the Mercury Policy Project. “This breakthrough corresponds to the one in 2004 when FDA first warned pregnant women and children to limit consumption of certain tuna.”

As reflected in the May 2008 court transcripts, Judge Ellen Huvelle stated that the “…probability of harm is enormous,” and asked the FDA: “How could you drag your feet for 32 years? Do what you are supposed to do.” Judge Huvelle also said that she couldn’t “. . .order a ban, but can compel to act,” observing that this was “government at its worst” and that she wanted this “public safety issue to be resolved.” (See link to court transcript at the end of release.)

As part of the settlement, FDA agreed to change its website — dramatically. In addition to recognizing that amalgam contains a neurotoxin that may present a risk to children, the FDA website now says, for example, that: “Some other countries follow a “precautionary principle” and avoid the use of dental amalgam in pregnant women.”

These warnings are similar to those from manufacturers. Amalgam arrives at a dentist’s office with skull and cross bones affixed next to the words “POISON, CONTAINS METALLIC MERCURY.” Manufacturers advise dentists against placing amalgam in pregnant women, nursing mothers, children under six, and anyone with kidney disease. For example, Dentsply has warned: “Contraindication In children 6 and under” and “In expectant mothers.”

However, most Americans are not aware of these warnings, according to a poll conducted for the Mercury Policy Project by Zogby International. The poll indicates that most Americans (76%) don’t know mercury is the primary component of amalgam, but when informed, almost all (92%) want to be informed prior to treatment. The poll also found that most Americans (77%) would choose higher cost mercury-free fillings — given the choice — and a large majority (69%) support a ban on placement of mercury fillings in pregnant women and children.

More information:

May 16, 2008 court transcripts:

http://mpp.cclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/transcript051508momsvfda.pdf

FDA website:

http://tinyurl.com/mm3etn

Dentsply’s warning:

http://mpp.cclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/dispersalloycontraindication1997.pdf

Results of Zogby poll:

http://mpp.cclearn.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/whatpatientsdontknow.pdf

June 10, 2008 Mercury Policy web post:

www.mercurypolicy.org

SOURCE Mercury Policy Project

Credit: Mercury Policy Project

Tufts dental researchers conducted a three-year follow-up study that examined the stability of a treatment option for receding gums and found that complete root coverage — the goal of the surgery — had been maintained. This specific tissue regeneration application, developed at Tufts, reduces the considerable pain and recovery time of gum grafting surgery. The case study of six patients is published in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of Periodontology.

“Patients have a less invasive treatment option for receding gums and we now have evidence to support the stability of this relatively painless procedure. Instead of leaving the dental office with stitches in the roof of their mouth, a patient leaves with a small bandage on the arm that can be removed in an hour,” said Terrence Griffin, DMD, associate professor, chair of the department of periodontology, and director of postdoctoral periodontology at Tufts University School of dental Medicine in Boston.

“One of our previous research studies showed that all of the post-operative bleeding and most of the post-operative pain were related to the gum tissue removed from the roof of the mouth for use as a graft,” he continued.

Traditional gum grafting surgery requires surgically excising tissue from the roof of the mouth (the palate) to replace the gum tissue lost around the teeth. Unfortunately, removing tissue from the roof of the mouth extends recovery time and is a major source of patients’ discomfort or pain. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, periodontal disease is the primary cause of tooth loss in adults aged 35 and older. Periodontal disease includes gum recession, also called gingival recession, which can result in tooth root decay and tooth loss.

The new tissue regeneration application from Tufts uses platelet concentrate gel applied to a collagen membrane as the graft instead of using tissue from the roof of the mouth. The graft is soaked in the patient’s platelets, using blood drawn in the same visit. Placed over the receding tooth root, the graft is then surgically secured.

In order to examine three-year efficacy of the treatment, measurements were taken from six patients in the gum recession area at baseline, 6, and 36 months after surgery. At six months, 24 out of 37 teeth from the six patients had complete root coverage (65 percent). At 36 months, 21 out of 37 teeth from the six patients had complete root coverage (57 percent). The authors said that the recession over three years was minimal and that the results are comparable to traditional gum grafting surgery.

“Our previous research determined that pain and discomfort were barriers to receiving traditional gum grafting surgery.* We have also shown previously that this treatment for gum recession results in proper coverage of the tooth root, better esthetics than those found with traditional gum grafting surgery, and enhanced patient satisfaction with the results,”* said co-author Wai Cheung, DMD, MS, assistant professor in the department of periodontology at Tufts University School of dental Medicine.

Over the last decade, Griffin and his colleagues, including Cheung, have studied alternatives to traditional gum grafting surgery and have more than 20 publications on the topic.

“Gum disease affects most American adults and research is linking periodontal disease to other health problems, including heart disease. Encouraging patients to undergo surgery to fix receding gums can be difficult because the mere thought of this dental surgery is often associated with considerable pain. This treatment, while only marginally more expensive for the patient, is more time-consuming and technically more difficult for us but the end result — improved esthetics, reduced pain, and, most importantly, improved oral health for the patient — make it a valuable and important alternative,” said Griffin.

Keywords: Tissue Engineering, Dentistry, Periodontal Disease, Periodontology, Post-operative Pain, Surgery, Tissue Regeneration, Tooth Loss, Tufts University Health Sciences.

Rights groups in Slovakia have attacked new abortion legislation they say not only breaches women’s rights to privacy and regulations on medical confidentiality but could force some women into undergoing risky, illegal abortions.

Under the legislation, approved last week, women who want abortions will only be able to undergo the procedure two days after they have been given official advice on the ‘risks and alternatives’ by their doctor. Information about them, including an identity number given to every Slovak at birth, will also be sent to a state health information institute.

The age at which adolescents have to gain their parents’ informed consent for an abortion has also been raised from 16 to 18.

But the legislation continues to allow abortion on request up until 12 weeks of pregnancy and until 24 weeks if the foetus has a genetic defect or the woman’s life or health is in danger.

Christina Zampas, senior legal advisor for Europe at the Centre for Reproductive Rights, told IPS: “This is the first time that an EU member state has managed to create significant barriers to women accessing abortion.

“This runs against a worldwide trend of liberalisation of abortion laws which reflect the fact that creating barriers to abortion does not reduce abortion numbers, it merely endangers women’s health and rights.”

MPs from the ruling coalition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) party and far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) who proposed the laws have dismissed the concerns from women’s rights groups.

Stefan Zelnik of the SNS told Slovak media after the law was passed by parliament: “I am convinced that after (women receive) this qualified counselling the number of terminations will fall, which is what we want – to allow life for everything that has a chance of life.”

The number of abortions in Slovakia in 2007 – the latest year for which figures are available – was 336 per 1,000 live births, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The country’s maternal mortality rate for 2002 – the most recent year in which the figures were available – was 1.97 per 100,000 live births, according to the WHO.

Pro life groups welcomed the legislation, which has yet to be signed into law by the president, saying it would, among other things, help stop sexual abuse as girls would have to inform their parents before they could terminate their pregnancies.

But women’s rights groups have said passages in the law, especially the raising of the age at which parental consent must be given for the procedure, will make many women and young girls scared of being open about their plans for abortion and lead them to opting for risky operations.

Jana Debrecienova from the Citizen and Democracy Foundation in Bratislava told IPS: “This legislation puts obstacles in the path of women having an abortion which could lead them to having either dangerous underground abortions or going ahead with risky pregnancies.

“The law says that women must be given counselling on the risks of abortion as well as ‘alternatives’ such as anonymous birth and adoption. But that counselling will be biased and will include non-medical advice. Part of it will see doctors giving women contacts to NGOs dealing with abortion issues, and these must by law include religious groups. This breaks constitutional law on the separation of state and religion.

Zampas from the Centre for Reproductive Rights told IPS: “The passage in the law on adolescents and informed consent is very troubling. It raises questions of the legal rights of adolescents and women to medical confidentiality.”

Debrecienova added: “The law creates a number of barriers to women’s right to freely decide on abortion and limit women’s access to this health care service. It conflicts with the Slovak Constitution, international agreements Slovakia has signed, and the recommendations of the WHO.”

The controversial law comes as women’s rights groups warn that a combination of a societal shift to the right on the back of worsening economic conditions and the historical strong influence of the Catholic Church in some of the former eastern bloc states has seen a rise in strength and support for pro-life organisations in the region.

“Part of the reason behind this move is the strength of the Catholic Church in Slovakia. In other countries in Eastern Europe where the Catholic Church is strong, pro-life groups have been gaining strength as well,” Zampas told IPS.

Under communism women’s access to abortion in many eastern bloc countries was relatively free. Some of the current abortion legislation in states in the region dates back to the communist regimes.

In staunchly Catholic neighbouring Poland the abortion laws are among the most restrictive in the world. The procedure is only allowed in the event of rape, incest or if the mother’s health is at risk.

“Politicians do almost nothing to deal with long-term problems faced by women like public and private discrimination or violence against them. So it is absurd that they are forcing something on us which is supposed to be good for us despite the fact that we do not think it is,” Debrecienova told IPS.

Will County Community Health Center

1106 Neal Ave., Joliet

Phone: 815-774-7300

www.willcountyhealth.org

(A division of the Will County Health Department)

Contact: Rita Giannattasio, director of health promotions

Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Dental services provided: complete oral exams, school exams, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, fillings, cleanings and extractions. Services are available to the center’s medical patients only and are by appointment only.

Charges for dental services are based on a sliding scale with proof of income. Services are available for children and adults but are mainly targeted toward children. Patients are accepted from throughout the area; residence in Will County is not required.

Will-Grundy Medical Clinic

213 E. Cass St., Joliet

815-726-3377

www.wgmedclinic.org

Contact: J.D. Ross, executive director

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (closed for lunch) Monday-Friday.

Services offered: Limited dental services, mostly extractions and filings. Some specialized work depending on the patient (i.e. cleanings for diabetics, etc.).

Qualifications: Must apply to be a patient. Once a patient qualifies, clinic will provide basic dental needs. Services are available to people without insurance or those whose injuries or conditions are not covered by other sources (i.e. a legal settlement or worker’s compensation claim) Must be a resident of Will or Grundy Counties.

Credit: Chicago Tribune

For example, under the new plans, up to four routine cleanings a year – two at no cost and two for a minimal copay — are covered when recommended by the dentist. Children are covered for two fluoride treatments a year to help prevent tooth decay, one of the most common chronic infectious diseases among U.S. children1.

“If you have dental insurance, you might pay nothing or very little out of your pocket for a routine dental visit (cleaning, x-rays and exam), compared with an average of $150 or more if you don’t have coverage,” said Dr. Miles Hall, chief dental clinical director for CIGNA*. “If you need to have a cavity filled, on average the cost would be $115 or more without insurance compared to low or no cost with our dental HMO plan. Waiting too long to treat a small cavity could mean you’d pay many times more for more costly dental procedures, such as a root canal, and spend more time away from work and personal life to recover. The key message we’re sending with the new plan designs is ‘prevention matters, so don’t wait.’”

Hall said CIGNA is also changing some aspects of plan rules to make it easier for people to schedule their preventive dental care. Under the new plans, which are available now, the company is doing away with the requirement that cleanings be done at least six months apart.

In addition, the new plans cover teeth whitening – the kind of gel bleaching with take-home trays that many dentists offer. The plans continue to include important preventive features such as no age limitation on sealants, no referrals needed for orthodontic care, no referrals needed for care by a network pediatric dentist for children under 7, and coverage for procedures to help detect oral cancer early.

According to Bebe Shuler-Mure, assistant vice president of product for CIGNA’s dental products, CIGNA has been working to broaden the network of dentists who participate in the dental HMO plan and now has over 13,600 unique dentists who practice among over 43,500 office locations in the network, one of the largest dental HMO networks in the country. Individuals can locate an in-network dentist using the dental directory on www.cigna.com.

At a time when the affordability of coverage is a concern for both employees and employers, the new plans are offered with a range of benefit and copay options.

“CIGNA’s new dental HMO plans have more options available than many other carriers, including standard plans, plans with and without orthodontia coverage, specialty dental care discount, and split copay plans where copays are lower for using a general dentist and higher for dental specialty care,” said Shuler-Mure. “This array of options gives employers flexibility to continue to provide a dental plan, even if their benefits budgets are under strain due to the economic downturn. The plans are also available on what is known as a voluntary (employee-paid) basis, where employees can get the advantage of obtaining insurance at lower, group rates.”

CIGNA is also using its diverse product capabilities to provide value-added services for people in its dental plans coupon. CIGNA will offer identity theft resolution services free of charge for individuals covered under the new series of dental HMO plans. Someone who falls victim to identify theft can be guided through the steps to recovery by an identify theft expert, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at no charge.

A Big Dir

But this widespread pessimism could have a slight upside, says Jack VanDerhei, research director for EBRI. “There was so much unwarranted optimism going into this that people have a much more realistic outlook now,” he says. “You may never have been on target even before you had the kind of losses many people incurred last year in the stock market.” The bottom line: If stocks return to their prerecession highs in the near future, traditional retirement will still be tough. That’s because would-be retirees are also facing the threat of rising inflation, ballooning dentalplanscoupon.com/medical-plans/integrating-leadership-development-and-continuous-improvement-practices-in-healthcare-organizations.html” title=”health”>healthcare costs, the possibility of outliving their money, and the prospect of another big market drop. Here are some ways to prepare for these challenges:

Inflation. Some experts say inflation could diminish your purchasing power even more in the future than it does today, largely because of America’s ever increasing national debt. One way to guard your portfolio against inflation is by mixing in more asset classes–especially those that don’t move in step with the overall market. “Stocks, commodities, and real estate exposure all hedge against inflation really well,” says Frank Armstrong, founder of Investor Solutions and coauthor of Save Your Retirement: What to Do If You Haven’t Saved Enough or If Your Investments Were Devastated by the Market Meltdown . Financial planners vary widely in their opinions about the most sensible allocation to stocks in a retiree’s portfolio. “If you are in your mid-to-late 60s and in reasonably good dentalplanscoupon.com/medical-plans/integrating-leadership-development-and-continuous-improvement-practices-in-healthcare-organizations.html” title=”health”>health and have every prospect of living into your 90s, you might want to keep anywhere from 35 to 50 percent in equities,” says Jerry Miccolis, a certified financial planner for Brinton Eaton Wealth Advisors and coauthor of Asset Allocation for Dummies. “But if you’re in your mid-70s and in failing dentalplanscoupon.com/medical-plans/integrating-leadership-development-and-continuous-improvement-practices-in-healthcare-organizations.html” title=”health”>health and this portfolio is really all you’ve got–and your investment horizon isn’t that long–you ought to have a third or less in equities.”

But some planners think stocks–even when used as an inflation-fighter–are just too risky. Instead, they point to treasury inflation-protected securities, which are government bonds that guarantee a rate of return above inflation. The downside is that investors trade the prospect of high returns for that safety. “I think it makes sense to hold a substantial portion of your portfolio in TIPS,” says Olivia Mitchell, director of the Boettner Center for Pensions and Retirement Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “You might not make a lot of money, but you won’t lose any money.”

Outliving your money. Once Americans make it to age 65, men can expect to live an additional 17 years and women can expect to live 20 more years. Advances in dentalplanscoupon.com/medical-plans/integrating-leadership-development-and-continuous-improvement-practices-in-healthcare-organizations.html” title=”health”>healthcare could stretch that timeline. Traditional pension plans, Social Security, and annuities all offer protection against the threat of outliving your assets because the payouts last as long as you live. Social Security recipients even have annual cost-of-living increases, which are tied to the consumer price index. Social Security payouts also rise by approximately 7 to 8 percent for each year you delay claiming between ages 62 and 70. That’s enough of an incentive for Bill Russell, 62, to delay claiming until he’s 66–his full retirement age–to get a higher benefit amount for himself and his wife. “If I should die between now and when I start drawing, I want to maximize my wife’s Social Security benefit,” says Russell, who lives in Branson, Mo. Spouses are eligible for 50 percent of the higher earner’s due if that’s more than the amount that can be claimed based on their working record. If either spouse claims Social Security before full retirement age, the checks are smaller.

Working longer is the quickest way to pad a retirement account and decrease the number of years over which your savings must be spread. “Retiring early is just not reasonable for the vast majority of people at 55,” says Joshua Itzoe, a certified financial planner, principal at Greenspring Wealth Management, and the author of Fixing the 401(k) . “If you work 35 years–and let’s assume you live to be 95–you are in retirement longer than you were in the workforce, and that’s not feasible.” About 72 percent of Americans expect to work after they officially retire, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, up from 63 percent in 2008. “If you are already 55 or older and $50,000 is all you have saved for retirement, I think the only option you have is to try to push back your retirement age,” says VanDerhei. “Never retire until you are sure you have enough money, because it is going to be very difficult to enter the workforce later on.”

Investment risks. Baby boomers are getting a taste of what their Depression-era parents experienced: the devastating downside of the stock market. “Americans are starting to realize some of the realities of risk that they perhaps should have thought about a long time ago,” says Mitchell. “We have gotten lulled into a sense of security. The financial crisis should force us to pay much more attention to how much we can lose.”

After stuffing their retirement accounts with stocks for more than a decade, workers, on average, held less than half of their 401(k) money in stocks in early 2009, according to the human resources consulting firm Hewitt Associates. That’s mostly on account of market declines, but it also represents a shift to more conservative investments. Instead of chasing the highest possible return in a retirement account, retirees may want to consider significantly dialing down their risk. “Retirees need to create a decent floor to their living standard by using inflation-indexed bonds and investing in the safest way possible, which is paying off your mortgage,” says Laurence Kotlikoff, a professor of economics at Boston University and coauthor of Spend ‘Til the End: The Revolutionary Guide to Raising Your Living Standard, Today and When You Retire . If investors still want exposure to stocks, Kotlikoff recommends buying low-cost index funds.

Paying for dentalplanscoupon.com/medical-plans/integrating-leadership-development-and-continuous-improvement-practices-in-healthcare-organizations.html” title=”health”>healthcare. Even though Medicare kicks in at age 65, it may not be enough to meet retirees’ dentalplanscoupon.com/medical-plans/integrating-leadership-development-and-continuous-improvement-practices-in-healthcare-organizations.html” title=”health”>healthcare needs. A 65-year-old couple retiring in 2009 with Medicare insurance coverage will need approximately $240,000 to cover medical expenses throughout their retirement, up 6.7 percent from 2008, according to a Fidelity Investments estimate that includes deductibles, coinsurance costs, likely out-of-pocket expenses, and some services excluded by Medicare. The figure does not include over-the-counter medications, most dental services, and long-term care expenses–which could easily cause the costs to rise further.

Violet Lewis, 66, of San Marcos, Texas, has had Medicare insurance since she was laid off from her job in a call center in November 2008. Her medications for diabetes cost about $340 a month out of pocket. “I’m really good at calling the doctor and saying, ‘Hey, I need some samples.’ You can save a month or two of having to buy some prescriptions that way,” she says. Lewis also bought some medications in bulk to take advantage of discounts, and she tries to space out her doctor’s visits to avoid too many copays in the same month. She’s frugal in other ways, too. She uses Freecycle, a website where people exchange unneeded goods free of charge, and she started a patio garden where she grows her own vegetables. “You can grow so much in 4 square feet, and you get a pretty good meal for your effort,” Lewis says. “I bought a little freezer so I could take advantage of the sales and cook and freeze and put away.”

Unplanned retirement. Although he wasn’t planning to retire for seven more years, Milton Beach, 55, a former public affairs manager for Delphi in Kokomo, Ind., was forced into retirement in March. “It wasn’t my choice to retire,” he says. “I would have worked until I was 62.” The next month, Delphi eliminated his retiree dentalplanscoupon.com/medical-plans/integrating-leadership-development-and-continuous-improvement-practices-in-healthcare-organizations.html” title=”health”>health and life insurance coverage. Now, Beach pays about $720 per month for medical, vision, life, and dental insurance–and he’s still 10 years away from qualifying for Medicare. Beach says he’s now “recalibrating” his retirement while looking for work. To cut costs, he’s switched from name-brand products to generics, and he’s given up vacations. “There is no such thing as the golden years where you kick back and relax,” Beach says. “If you want to retire, you have to be very conservative and very judicious in terms of paying off bills.”

Jeanne Huff, 66, a retired registered nurse, and her husband, Marlin, a retired electronic technician, have been living below their means throughout their lives. The couple own their West Point, Utah, home, which Marlin insulated to save on heating and cooling costs, and they wear sweaters so they can keep the thermostat low. The Huffs drive an economical and reliable car (a Toyota Corolla), which they paid for in cash, and Marlin changes the oil and performs general maintenance himself. Jeanne grows vegetables in her garden and trades with family and friends. “We just don’t choose to do a lot of expensive things,” she says. “I think everyone will have to tighten up so people can have a good standard of living in retirement.” This probably doesn’t resemble the high life many Americans imagined they’d have in retirement, but such frugality may be what it takes to get cash-strapped baby boomers back on track.