USA.gov
September 2012
61 posts
Seven Prevention Resources for You and Your Family
Under the health care law, many insurers are required to cover certain preventive services at no cost to you, including vaccines, mammograms, cancer screenings, and more. Use the resources below to learn more about prevention and spread the word.
- Visit the Prevention & Wellness page on HealthCare.gov.
- Learn about free preventive care for you and your family.
- See a list of covered services for adults, women, and children.
- Find out about Medicare Preventive Services for seniors.
- Get prevention information and tools from HealthFinder.gov.
- Find out where to get your flu shot.
- Visit Vaccines.gov to learn more about immunization.
BLM and what they are doing to our wild horses.
Asked by an anonymous Tumblr user.
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) protects, manages, and controls wild horses and burros under the authority of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The Act declares wild horses and burros to be “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.”
BLM protects the health and welfare of the wild horse and burro population and makes sure it is consistent with the land’s capacity to support them. They also offer an adoption program and have other ways for volunteers to get involved.
Tomorrow is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day →
1.usa.gov
Learn how and where you can safely dispose of medications at a drop off site near you.
When's the Best Time To Retire?
Choosing when to retire is an important decision, but it’s also a personal choice and one you should carefully consider.
When’s the best time? There is no one-size-fits-all answer.
Social Security offers a list of factors to consider in When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits. You’ll learn:
- How your monthly benefit amount can differ based on the age at which you start receiving benefits;
- How your decision could affect your family;
- How you can retire and continue working; and
- How you can get estimates of your benefit amounts online at Social Security’s website, www.socialsecurity.gov.
The Social Security website offers several tools to help you plan for your retirement, including an online Retirement Estimator to get immediate and personalized retirement benefit estimates. The estimator is a convenient and secure financial planning tool, allowing you to create “what if” scenarios. For instance, you can change your “stop work” dates or expected future earnings to create and compare different retirement options. Then when you’re ready, you can apply online for your retirement benefits.
Learn more about how you can start planning for your retirement and order your free copy of When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits.
Free Admission to Museums Across the Country This Saturday →
smithsonianmag.com
This Saturday is Museum Day. Over 1,450 museums across the country are offering free admission.
View the list of participating museums and get your free tickets.
Saturday is National Public Lands Day, Admission is Free to National Parks
Saturday, September 29 is National Public Lands Day. This is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands. Find a volunteer site if you want to help improve our public lands by planting trees and native plants, collecting trash, improving trails, and more.
In honor of National Public Lands Day, all national parks offer free admission. Plan your visit to a national park today.
Today is Johnny Appleseed's Birthday →
memory.loc.gov
Learn more about his life and how he earned his nickname.
Find Free Legislative Information on the New Congress.gov
The Library of Congress recently unveiled Congress.gov. It’s a new website that will eventually replace THOMAS.gov as the government’s site for accessing free, fact-based legislative information.
The Congress.gov site includes bill status and summary, bill text, House and Senate member profiles, and a number of new features, including effective display on mobile devices. Learn more about the new site.
This is the Last Week to Order Your Free Wiser Women Action Kit →
promotions.usa.gov
The free packet of publication includes information on how to:
- Get blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control
- Recognize the symptoms of diabetes
- Avoid health scams by learning their tell-tale signs, and more.
What You Should Know Before Buying Life Insurance
Three in 10 American households are uninsured and half say they need more life insurance, according to the LIFE Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to educate people about the importance insurance in protecting their financial futures.
Many people realize that life insurance is an important way to provide for their families, but buying life insurance can seem daunting. How do you know if you’re picking the best coverage for you and your family?
The American Council of Life Insurers offers the following tips to help you pick out the best plan:
- Decide if you need permanent or term life insurance. Permanent policies will provide money to your family no matter when you die. Term policies will pay only if you die during a specific period of time.
- When you’re trying to decide between life insurance companies, ask family and friends for recommendations. You can also meet with an insurance agent to talk through your options.
- Ask for the outlines of several plans so you can compare the features of the various options you’re considering.
- Always answer the questions on your application truthfully.
- Once you select a plan, store the policy with your other important financial documents, but not in a safe deposit box. Upon death, boxes are sometimes sealed temporarily by the bank, which could delay your family’s access to the coverage.
- Review and update your policy from time to time, especially after major life events like marriages or children being born.
Learn more about life insurance and what questions you should ask before buying a policy.
Cancer Prevention Starts in Childhood →
cdc.gov
Here are some tips to reduce your children’s risk of cancer later in life.
Explore the Redesigned Kids.gov!
Kids.gov is the U.S. government’s website for children (grades K-8). Kids, parents, and teachers can use the site to get help with homework, access lesson plans, watch videos, play games, and more.
If you’ve visited Kids.gov previously, you’ll notice that the website has been completely redesigned. The vibrant new site provides areas for three specific audiences: kids (grades K-5), teens (grades 6-8), and grown-ups (teachers and parents).
Enjoy exploring all that Kids.gov has to offer, including the following examples:
- How to Become President of the United States — Check out a colorful and informative poster to help kids understand the process of becoming President.
- Videos Featuring Various Careers — View videos describing different professions, ranging from an archeologist with the National Park Service to an executive chef at the White House.
- How Parents Can Get Involved — Get homework tips, learn about school meal programs, find out how to help stop bullying, and more.
- Lesson Plans — Teachers can find lesson plans on math, history, science, music, and other topics.
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a king or queen? →
usnatarchives.tumblr.com
If you are a U.S. citizen, don’t expect that dream to come true—the United States does not confer titles of nobility. It’s written into the Constitution. The National Archives has the details.
