In the News
Green on the Prairie
Atrio of Benedictine sisters—all age
50-plus—are the masterminds behind
the nation’s “greenest” building. Holy Wis-
dom Monastery in Middleton, Wis., recently
received the highest Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design platinum rating ever:
63 out of 69 points for sustainability, energy
efficiency and choice of materials. The build-
ing has bamboo flooring, solar panels and
windows oriented to maximize sunlight and
prairie views. “People wonder why such a
small [three-member] community would do
something like this,” says Sister Mary David
Walgenbach, 71. “But we are charged to tread
lightly upon the earth.” —Cathie Gandel
First Step to Close
The Doughnut Hole
Starting June 15, the federal govern-
ment will begin mailing one-time
$250 rebate checks to Medicare benefi-
ciaries who have hit the drug plan’s cov-
erage gap known as the doughnut hole.
The payment is part of the new health
care reform law, and recipients do not have
to apply to receive the rebate. Checks will
be mailed roughly every six weeks until the
end of the year. The Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services estimates a total of
4 million Medicare beneficiaries are ex-
pected to receive a rebate. In a letter to
congressional leaders, Health and Human
Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said
that the government also will beef up ef-
forts to prevent Medicare fraud and scams
targeting check recipients. Help with
drug costs will continue in 2011 when those
on Medicare will receive a 50 percent dis-
count on brand-name drugs
DOUGHNUT: BRIAN HAGIWARA/GETTY IMAGES; WASHINGTON: BRYAN MULLENNIX/GETTY IMAGES
if they reach the dough-
nut hole. Savings will
continue to increase
over the years until
the doughnut hole
is closed in 2020.
For information,
call 1-800-633-4227
or visit www.medicare
.gov. —Candy Sagon
Go to http://www.AARP.org
