95% digitalization

THE world is headed inexorably toward digitalization, so it’s good to hear President Marcos laying down a target of digitalizing 95 percent of government processes. Apart from speeding up transactions with the government, the shift to e-governance is meant to cut red tape and consequently opportunities for corruption.

E-governance, however, does not mean merely installing computers and inputting data in government offices. Procedures must also be streamlined and overhauled to eliminate redundancies. Red tape, which opens the doors to the payment of so-called facilitation fees, can still be designed into digital processes in doing business with the government.

Transitioning to e-governance will also require sufficient digital infrastructure. This is one of the weaknesses in this country, which has one of the slowest internet speeds in the region, and where heavy rainfall or a strong thunderstorm can easily disrupt telecommunications signals. Security problems and right-of-way issues have set back the expansion of telco facilities in many parts of the country. The government must work closer with the private sector in resolving such issues.

Shifting to e-governance also requires training and upskilling of the workforce. Even public school teachers couldn’t be upskilled

Commentary

THE National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA), a nonprofit focused on improving the life of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander older adults and their families, recently received questions from readers. Here are a few of the questions, and NAPCA’s answers: quickly and efficiently enough when the country was forced to shift to remote learning at the height of the COVID pandemic.

1. Do I still need to get the COVID-19 vaccine? COVID is still with us. In late March the U.S. still averaged 19,500 cases per day, 585,000 per month. For older adults, COVID is still dangerous. The risk of severe cases that require hospitalization is pretty low for people under 18. If you are 65 and over, the risk is 36 times higher and the older the higher. So older adults are strongly recommended to stay up to date with the most current vaccine. If your last shot was before Sep. 2022, you should get an updated bivalent vaccine and then it provides protection against both the original COVID virus and the Omicron strains that are infecting people right now.

E-governance also calls for a sophisticated cyber security system, especially with the dizzying evolution of artificial intelligence, which is facilitating the deployment of malware. Officials of the Department of Information and Communications Technology have pointed out that the government cannot recruit enough skilled workers to protect the state’s digital data systems from hackers. Government digitalization works best when properly linked and interoperable. This didn’t happen even at the height of the COVID pandemic lockdowns, when digital contact tracing efforts turned out to be a disaster. Little has changed since the lockdowns. Currently, different national government agencies and local government units are pursuing their own digitalization programs, with only a few having their data interlinked.

COVID-19 is still with us, dangerous for older adults

The COVID virus changes like the flu virus so it is important to get the most recent updated vaccine to get the best protection.

2. What type of COVID-19 vaccine should I receive? And how many times?

Because the protection provided by the COVID-19 vaccine fades much more quickly for people 65 and older and people who have underlying conditions, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) updated its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations to allow an additional dose of the updated (bivalent) vaccine for these populations.

No matter how old you are, if you have not gotten a shot since September 2022, you definitely need one!

If you are 65 or older or if you have underlying conditions, it may be a good idea for you to get an extra dose of bivalent vaccine. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to decide whether it makes sense for you.

3. What is Medicaid redetermination (Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision) and how does it affect my Medicaid?

Medicaid eligibility is required to be renewed periodically, but during the COVID public health emergency, Medicaid disenrollment has been paused in every state by federal provision. However, the continuous coverage requirement ends on March 31, 2023. Your state checks whether you still qualify for Medicaid coverage and will be able to resume Medicaid disenrollments starting April 1, 2023. The disenrollments will not occur all at once, as the process will be spread out across most of 2023 and the first part of 2024. To be prepared for Medicaid redetermination, make sure your contact information is updated so that you can receive any communications your state sends you. When you receive a Medicaid packet or letter in the mail, you need to fill out the renewal form and send it (with requested documents if applicable) to the address provided. If you are ineligible to renew your Medicaid, you will qualify for a special enrollment period to find and enroll in a new health insurance plan in time for your loss of Medicaid coverage.

4. What option do I have if I lose Medicaid after unwinding Medicaid continuous enrollment condition?

There will generally be three options for those who are no longer eligible for Medicaid as the result of the Medicaid unwinding process.

Option 1: You can re-apply for Medicaid to find if you still qualify. If your income level or medical need changes, you might qualify for Medicaid in your state. You can apply any time, and there’s no limit to the number of times you can apply.

Option 2: You may be able to get low-cost, quality health coverage through the ACA Marketplace. Submit a new or updated Marketplace application and provide the proof of the last date of Medicaid between March 31, 2023 and July 31, 2024, then you will be eligible for this temporary Special Enrollment Period (SEP). You will have a 60 days’ window after you submit your application to select a Marketplace plan.

Option 3: You may be able to sign up for Medicare without paying a late enrollment penalty. If you now qualify for Medicare but didn’t sign up for it when you first became eligible, you have a limited time (SEP) to sign up without paying the usual penalty. Your SEP starts the day your state notifies you that your Medicaid coverage is ending and continues for 6 months after your Medicaid coverage ends.

Plus, you can try to apply for Medicare Savings Programs to get assistance for your Medicare copays and/or deductibles.

5. I am eligible for Social Security retirement based on my 40 working credits and eligible for spousal benefits based on my husband’s Social Security credits. I am 62 soon and trying to claim spousal retirement which is higher than my worker’s benefit. How much would it be and how do I apply for it?

You could apply for spousal retirement benefit once you reach the age of 62 if your husband already started receiving his retirement. The rule is that depending on your age upon claiming, spousal benefit can range from 32.5% to 50% of your husband’s primary insurance amount (PIA), which is the monthly benefit the retiree is entitled to at full retirement age (FRA). When you apply for spousal benefit at 62, you will receive 32.5% of the husband’s PIA permanently. The longer you wait to claim the spousal benefit until your FRA, the bigger the monthly amount grows. The maximum amount you can receive is up to 50% of his PIA. If your husband