Q. My husband and I are both self employed and have Obamacare (aka The Affordable Care Act,ACA). Even though we make a good income, it fluctuates but we do not qualify for any subsidies. Our premium has jumped to over $1000 per month with a deductible of $6500!! There is nothing affordable about raising our premium 76%. Our stress level has also jumped 76%. What is happening to hard working people whose incomes do not jump even close to 76%.
Janet and Kyle

A. Oklahoma has only one health care provider, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS). All the other insurance carriers have left Obamacare. When losses exceed premiums, the only options are to stop doing business with this group of Oklahomans or raise premiums.
According to John Doak, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, since the 2014 implementation of the ACA, BCBS combined losses are more than $300 million. So they can exit this group of people, leaving them with no coverage or they can skyrocket the premiums.
Subsidies sound great but not everyone qualifies for them. It sounds like you and your husband fall into the group of people that will have to find a way to make more money on your own. As if you didn’t have enough stress, now this.
Oklahoma is an unhealthy state. According to Business Insider, Dec 2013, Oklahoma ranks #7 on the 10 Unhealthiest States List. Obesity rates are high in our state. The amount of public funding available for health care has dropped 40% in the past two years. Addiction rates are high.
Options for those on Obamacare are limited but the following are: suggestions:
1. Check to see if you qualify for any subsidies.
2. Don’t have insurance and pay the penalty at tax time.
3. Spend less – can you modify your budget?
4. Work more – not good for mental health/physical health
5. Lower stress by staying as healthy as possible
*exercise–get out and move your body *nutrition–choose healthy options, avoid impulse eating *laugh — there are funny moments — seize them *sleep — most people are sleep deprived.
Maybe you can motivate the unhealthy Oklahomans to put down their fork and put their walking shoes on. This is a serious issue with a serious consequence and a domino affect that could be disastrous.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) announced the first two deaths caused by the flu in the state. Both deaths occurred in patients who were over the age of 65. There have been 105 influenza-associated hospitalizations reported statewide.
The number of flu cases is relatively high for this time of year, and public health officials are concerned there will be a high risk of spreading the flu during the holiday season. The highest number of flu-related hospitalizations has occurred among those who are older than 50 years of age, as well as children younger than 5, which are both groups at greater risk of experiencing severe illness and complications due to flu.
The OSDH reminds the public that there are still several months left in the flu season. The single best way to protect against flu and its consequences is to get the flu vaccine. Many local county health departments, pharmacies and health care providers have vaccine and health officials urge everyone 6 months of age and older to get the vaccine to protect themselves and those around them from influenza, especially babies too young to receive a vaccination. It takes about two weeks after getting a flu shot for a person’s immune system to respond and provide defenses against influenza viruses.
Those who already have the flu can spread it to others even before they feel sick. One may have the flu if they have some or all of these symptoms: Fever, Cough, Sore throat, Runny or stuffy nose, Body aches, Headache, Chill, Fatigue
It is important for those experiencing flu-like symptoms to consult with a health care provider as soon as possible. Antiviral drugs may be prescribed to treat the flu. These drugs work better for treatment when started within 48 hours of noticing symptoms. Influenza antiviral drugs may also be indicated as a prevention measure to protect those who have just been exposed to someone diagnosed with influenza and are especially vulnerable.
Certain people are at greater risk of serious flu-related complications. Young children, elderly persons, pregnant women and people with some long-term medical conditions are reminded to contact their health care provider as soon as they develop flu symptoms.
OSDH recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after a fever is gone. Avoid going to work, school, social events and public gatherings as well as traveling and shopping. The fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as acetaminophen before returning to a regular routine. To prevent the spread of the flu, the public is reminded to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and wash hands often.
For more information about influenza and activity updates, visit the Ok Flu View at flu.health.ok.gov.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

While I live in the capitol of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, I find that up the turnpike in Tulsa a capitol of fun. It can be a quick and convenient get away from every day hum drum – of course that is if you don’t live in Tulsa.
A favorite and icon of Tulsa is the shopping center, Utica Square. In this out-door mall, you can find several stores regrettably not found in Oklahoma City. A park and walk up and down the hill of the shopping district gives you a chance to slow down and take in the well landscaped area. With not a lot of open ground space Utica Square makes the most of its flower beds with seasonal extravaganzas. Spring is intoxicating with its joyful spring bulbs where tulips abound. In the fall you may find autumn décor with pumpkins and kale cultivations. And of course, who doesn’t like to visit malls during the Christmas season, and Utica Square is no different. A must visit is Utica’s icon upscale dining experience at the Polo Grill where reservations on open table or by phone during popular times is a necessity. The service and luxurious atmosphere is only surpassed by well-prepared cocktails that might accompany your perfectly cooked steak or other delicacies.
Next door to the Polo Grill is the perpetual favorite for party and holiday décor at Casey’s. This gift shop institution offers a full selection of Christopher Radko glass ornaments all year round, and a variety of party napkins, cards and invitations along with many holiday set-a-round items.
Several blocks north is the Cherry Street District of Tulsa. There are a variety of unique shops as well as dining opportunities. Parking along the street you can stroll to find mid-priced to upscale priced gifts and decorating items with French oriented antiques at Charles Faudree (1345 East 15 street), and reasonably priced décor items at The Nest and the unusual at Spirit Works. When you’ve got to eat or be refreshed with a beverage you can choose: The Palace Café, Roosevelt’s, Kilkeeny’s Irish Pub, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and the favorite La Madeleine French Bakery and Cafe.
For art lovers the Gilcrease and the Philbrook museums are musts. Give yourself plenty of time to explore the extensive art at the preserved Tulsa home of the Philbrook, and a bit farther out of town the Gilcrease with its modern expansive building hosting classical art as well as special exhibits of contemporary offerings. Philbrook exhibits a European garden design in their “backyard” which on a pretty day is a joy to stroll. There is an upscale restaurant in both museums which continue the elegant dining or snacking tradition for which museum cafes are known. The Philbrook’s exhibits, “Museum Confidential” (behind the scenes of museum workings) runs through May 6, 2018 and its “Game On” (a large scale photograph of one action packed football play) runs through Feb 4, 2018. While near Tulsa’s downtown you might consider timing your visit with a production performance at the Chapman auditorium.
Over by the Broken Arrow expressway is Broken Arrow’s performance art center, where they recently hosted a two person show of Broadway’s Tommy Tune and Chita Rivera. The dedication and preservation of their main street features the Rose District where planters alongside the on-street parking is home to a variety of rose bushes. Also, there is a monumental bronze sculpture call the “Contract” emphasizing the bond of a handshake agreement. The Main Street Tavern is a popular dining establishment complete with a full bar. Their meat loaf is not what is expected, so if ordering that, be sure and ask about its preparation, as mine was a slice of ground beef swallowed up in heavy brown gravy. Their fish and chips is a well-received entree.
Broken Arrow’s history can be seen at the Museum on Main street along with the Historical Society. One marker in town harkens back to the Kentucky Colonel Hotel which was known for its fried chicken, build in 1903 and razed in 1955. It was a welcome respite for train travelers. Today the Rose district plays host to a popular sprinkler park where children run in and out of water spouts in the shadow of the glass atrium of the Performing Arts Center down the street.
Tulsa and Broken Arrow are good starts in your exploration of favorite north-eastern Oklahoma get away attractions.

by Bobby Anderson,
Staff Writer

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for criminals looking to cash in on those just trying to spread a little holiday cheer.
In November, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Officer Corporal Kim Lopez celebrated 31 years in law enforcement.
And for the past several years she has served as the coordinator of the TRIAD program which pairs law enforcement and seniors together in an effort to reduce victimization of the elderly.
She sat down with Senior News and Living to share what criminals are looking for and how you can avoid being a target.
PARK AND RUN
Lopez says the parking lot and the cash register are the two most vulnerable spots for seniors.
“I didn’t get what I have from cop school,” Lopez said. “I went to the professionals and career criminals are very quick to brag about how they selected their victims. Seniors have this vague knowledge of why we always say parking lots are fertile ground. But they need to know which ones and why.
“What I always say is the parking lots you feel the most comfortable in – not good.”
Lopez explained that cops aren’t the only ones who watch people’s body language. When people lower their guard in places where they feel more comfortable their body language eases.
Contrary to what you might believe, parking lots that serve 24-hour businesses are hot spots.
“Career criminals tell me when the drug deal goes bad, the fight is on and the police are in pursuit they want to ditch a car by getting to a parking lot and steal a car,” Lopez said. “They understand something we don’t. Crossing many different jurisdictions in a wide variety of vehicles makes it impossible for us to catch them.”
So consider that the next time you go to a casino, gas station or big box grocery store open 24 hours.
But the No. 1 place to be on your guard, according to Lopez, is the hospital parking lot.
Someone who commits a crime in a small town wants to get to a bigger location as soon as possible.
“People at hospitals are the worst for awareness,” Lopez said. “You’ll see people zoned out of their mind. They’ve been sleeping in a chair, eating out of a vending machine and haven’t showered for two days. They’ve had it. They’re worn out, care worn, and have a laundry list of things of things they are worried about and they’re not paying a bit of attention.
“It’s easier to get someone’s car keys and steal their car in a hospital than anywhere else.”
SCENE OF THE CRIME
Wherever you checkout and pay for your purchases is another favorite spot for criminals.
Getting a shopping cart, even if you’re shopping for something small is a great way to put distance between you and someone looking to gain access to your checks or credit/debit cards.
Cell phones are able to take multiple pictures of the checking account information in seconds. Checks that are written and returned to be thrown away are favorite targets.
If you’re going to continue to write checks Lopez suggests using gel, liquid ink to write with. A criminal can use fingernail polish remover on a previously used check to “wash” it and reuse.
And criminals love to follow around senior men.
“Right there at the register, senior adult men are targeted because they carry way too much cash,” Lopez said.
Lopez has noticed an increase in criminals following senior men around and then using a razor blade to slice a hole in the bottom of the back pocket. The wallet falls, the criminal picks it up and is already several purchases down the road before anyone is the wiser.
Lopez also suggests:
· Getting your form of payment out in the “unmentionables section” of the store and not at the register is ideal.
· Carrying your purse in front of you, with your arm over.
· Use a lanyard wallet you can slip under your shirt.
· Turn your rings around at the register. Don’t advertise what you have so someone can target you.
· Use a pen when punching in your debit card number to prevent the use of criminals using clip-on, heat-sensitive cameras.
· Have your monthly Social Security check direct deposited to one account and set-up an auto transfer to an account linked to your debit card that you use to pay your bills. That way if the card and/or PIN is compromised thieves don’t have access to your entire account balance.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What’s the best way to distribute my personal possessions to my kids after I’m gone without causing hard feelings or conflict? I have a lot of jewelry, art, family heirlooms and antique furniture, and three grown kids that don’t always see eye-to-eye on things. Planning Ahead

Dear Planning,
Divvying up personal possessions among adult children or other loved ones can often be a difficult task. Deciding who should get what without showing favoritism, hurting someone’s feeling or causing a feud can be difficult, even for close-knit families who enter the process with the best of intentions. Here are a few tips to consider that can help you divide your stuff with minimal conflict.
Problem Areas
For starters, you need to be aware that it’s usually the small, simple items of little monetary value that cause the most conflicts. This is because the value we attach to the small personal possessions is usually sentimental or emotional, and because the simple items are the things that most families fail to talk about.
Family battles can also escalate over whether things are being divided fairly by monetary value. So for items of higher value like your jewelry, antiques and art, consider getting an appraisal to assure fair distribution. To locate an appraiser, see Appraisers.org or AppraisersAssociation.org.
Ways to Divvy
The best solution for passing along your personal possessions is for you to go through your house with your kids or other heirs either separately or all at once. Open up cabinets, drawers and closets, and go through boxes in the attic and/or basement to find out which items they would like to inherit and why. They may have some emotional attachment to something you’re not aware of. If more than one child wants the same thing, you will have the ultimate say.
Then you need to sit down and make a list of who gets what on paper, signed, dated and referenced in your will. You can revise it anytime you want. You may also want to consider writing an additional letter or create an audio or video recording that further explains your intentions.
You can also specify a strategy for divvying up the rest of your property. Here are some methods that are fair and reasonable:
· Take turns choosing: Use a round-robin process where your kids take turns choosing the items they would like to have. If who goes first becomes an issue, they can always flip a coin, draw straws or roll dice. Also, to help simplify things, break down the dividing process room-by-room, versus tackling the entire house. To keep track of who gets what, either make a list or use adhesive dots with a color assigned to each person to tag the item.
· Have a family auction: Give each person involved the same amount of play money, or use virtual points or poker chips to bid on the items they want.
For more ideas, see “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?” at YellowPiePlate.umn.edu. This is a resource created by the University of Minnesota Extension Service that offers a detailed workbook or interactive CD for $12.50, and DVD for $30 that gives pointers to help families discuss property distribution and lists important factors to keep in mind that can help avoid conflict.
It’s also very important that you discuss your plans in advance with your kids so they can know ahead what to expect. Or, you may even want to start distributing some of your items now, while you can still alive.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

By Darlene Franklin

Merry Christmas? Not always. For many, it’s the loneliest time of year. Merry Christmas? Not always. For many, it’s the loneliest time of year. How do you read “Godisnowhere?” Many cheer that God is now here. Others wander in the darkness of “God is nowhere.” Some still wonder if Emanuel, God with us, has ever come. God not only makes promises. He transforms, fulfills, and perpetuates them. PROMISES GIVENIn the 21st century, Christians are tempted to question why people didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah at His birth. We don’t think about how long Jews had waited waiting for Emanuel to be born, ever since the birth of their nation, a promise that extended back to the Garden of Eden.Fifty-three years ago, my ten-year-old self said “I will” when the preacher asked, “who will go?” I fbelieved I was supposed to serve as a music missionary to Mexico.Our southern neighbor was pretty exotic to someone from Maine. I studied Spanish on my own until I got to high school and pursued advanced degrees in Bible and music.Did I ever get to Mexico? Yes, for eight glorious weeks one summer while I was in college. My dream of fulltime service ground down over the years. Financial and family difficulties intervened, and I found myself too old and unfit. I gave up, but God didn’t. When I moved west, Mexicans worked in fast-food restaurants, did my hair, and became my neighbors, friends, and co-workers. They accepted my halting attempts at Spanish with delight. When I didn’t get to Mexico, God brought Mexico to me. PROMISES TRANSFORMEDGod did more than bring Mexico to me. He turned the tables on me. A couple of weeks ago one of my nursing home aides, Maria Ochoa, helped me get ready for the day. Spanish Catholic music played on her phone, and I sang along. She showed me the lyrics on the screen. For ten minutes, we told the gospel through endless verses. It was a powerful time of worship. Maria had switched roles and ministered to me. The Lord took the promise to bring me to Mexico and transformed it into something even more beautiful.  Similarly, the Messiah who arrived didn’t match what people expected. Instead of a King to sit on David’s throne, God sent the Lamb who would take away the sins of the world and rule over a heavenly kingdom of people from every tribe and tongue and nation. PROMISES FULFILLEDThose first century Jews had it partly right. The Day of the Lord is coming and His Kingdom will be established on earth as it is in heaven. But they missed the bits about the humble servant who would suffer and die (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus fulfilled those prophecies. Sometimes a promise happens in stages. The fact we didn’t get everything we expected doesn’t meant those things will never come to pass. Take the book I’m working on now. I’ve been to compose prayers from Genesis to Revelation. I’m jumping for joy because God called me, promised me, that I would be writing a devotional book over twenty-five years ago. After my nonfiction proposals got rejected repeatedly, I decided God wanted me to write fiction. I’ve been blessed with many novels, and have contributed devotions to books now and then. Over the past eighteen months, God has opened one door after another to write nonfiction. And now God gave me this this awesome, almost scary, gift and assignment. Praise Him.PROMISES PERPETUATEDGod gives every generation enough signs to believe the Lord is returning in their generation.  In my youth, we looked at the restablishment of Israel as a nation for the first time AD 70 (in 1948). I spent my young adult years watching for the Lord’s return. If it happened within a forty-year generation of Israeli nationhood, He would come in 1988. When it didn’t happen, I knew I had figured wrong. Perhaps the biblical promises to bless the righteous to a thousand generations works like that. That’s a promise that stretches beyond the family I can imagine, to places I’ve never been-until the Lord’s return. God will fulfill every one of His promises. It’s only a question of when.Sponsored by Darlene Franklin. Best-selling hybrid author Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. Mermaid Song is her fiftieth unique title! She’s also contributed to more than twenty nonfiction titles. Her column, “The View Through my Door,” appears in four monthly venues. Other recent titles are Christmas Masquerade and Maple Notch Romances Eight Couples Find Love You can find her online at: Website and blog, Facebook, Amazon author page

story and photos by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

For the last four decades Eddie Sims has kept a watchful eye on the citizens of Cleveland County.
You’ll probably never meet him but if you or a loved one ever requires emergency medical attention it will come as a result of the work put in by Sims and his staff.
The EMSSTAT manager and paramedic has around 100 employees who staff the emergency medical services for Norman, Moore, and adjacent rural areas of Cleveland County along with the northern half of the township of Goldsby.
That means Sims’ crew operates 13-14 ambulances on most days and is responsible for the lives of some 200,000 people at any given time.
Then there’s the athletic events.
“Luckily they’re planned,” Sims smiled. “It’s not a summer concert to benefit the tornado victims in the middle of July which I never want to see again.
“We cover the vast majority of OU athletics and a lot of community events in both cities. I live my life around OU. I don’t leave town for OU game days, graduation or medieval fair. There’s things you have anchored and live your life around those.”
When the football season begins and nearly 90,000 people descend on Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for a daytime game a medical call for assistance comes in every 90 seconds.
Sims grew up in Miami, Florida with older parents. His father was diagnosed with cancer on his spine when Sims was 11.
He took care of his parents from then on.
Growing up in the early 1970s watching firefighters John and Roy man Squad 51 on the hit TV drama Emergency, Sims was hooked.
“During that time was when EMS was born. That’s what I wanted to do,” Sims said. “We used to sit around and watch it. I was used to being up 24 hours a day taking care of (my father) and responding to stuff. My mom had issues to where she really couldn’t do it and I was an only child.”
“I got involved with medicine and helping people before I really had a choice and it was really what I wanted to do.”
When he was old enough to get a job he found the local market tough to break into without a military or minority background.
“They wouldn’t even accept applications so when I was 14 or 15 I started chasing hurricanes,” he said. “In that process I met the director of the severe storms lab (in Norman) who invited us to come chase tornadoes.”
That began a routine where every spring he would fly to Oklahoma to chase storms.
He eventually settled in Norman and was among the first group to establish medical services under the Norman Police Department.
“When we started Norman probably had 50,000 or 60,000 people in it,” Sims said. “The culture in Oklahoma was ‘take me to the hospital now, you people don’t need to be doing anything to me.”
“There was a lot of public education. Being in a police system it was kind of a unique opportunity that a lot of us that had concerns how the police would integrate into an emergency medical system, it turned out to be an absolutely wonderful fit.”
In 1995, the City of Norman shuffled its emergency services and put them under the umbrella of the Norman Regional Health System.
“Again, that was a great opportunity because the resources the health system had were much greater than the city was willing to contribute,” said Sims, whose agency boasts higher than national average survival rates for patients experiencing cardiac arrest. “Medically, in 1978 if you had a heart attack we tried to get you to a hospital. If you had a second heart attack man you were lucky but you didn’t have much heart left and your quality of life went down.”
“If you had a stroke it really wasn’t an emergency because there wasn’t anything anybody was going to do for you.”
Within the last 10 years that all changed.
“We can get you to a hospital and the people in the cath lab can remove the blockage and you can walk out three days later healthier than when you started,” Sims said. “If you have a stroke and .. we take you to a stroke center and two days later you may have no residual effects at all.”
“The difference that EMS and emergency medicine has made over the four decades I’ve been doing this is amazing.”

INTEGRIS Health and its employees have once again donated turkeys from their annual Turkey Toss to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. This year, 865 turkeys were donated and distributed to fellow Oklahomans who have inconsistent access to nutritious food.
“We consider ourselves blessed to work for an organization that values our employees and is willing to reward them in this special way,” said Bruce Lawrence, president and CEO of INTEGRIS Health. “Donations made to the Regional Food Bank allows INTEGRIS to live our mission by supporting our community through giving to those in need this holiday season.”
INTEGRIS Health traditionally hands out turkeys to their employees in November as a way of ‘giving thanks’ for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Many employees ‘pay it forward’ by donating their turkey to the Regional Food Bank.
“Having a meal to share is often out of reach for many of our Oklahoma neighbors,” said Katie Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank. “There are too many of our neighbors – people you may even know – who are quietly living with hunger. Thanks to INTEGRIS Health and all of their wonderful employees, hundreds of families will now enjoy a nutritious holiday meal together.”
This year alone, INTEGRIS, and its employees, donated 25,850 pounds of food through its Turkey Toss and Gov. Mary Fallin’s Feeding Oklahoma Drive. In total, 7,626 turkeys have been donated to the Regional Food Bank since INTEGRIS Health began the partnership in 2010. The majority of Oklahomans served by the Regional Food Bank are chronically hungry children, seniors living on limited incomes and hardworking families struggling to make ends meet.
It’s not too late to make a difference this holiday season. Thanks to a generous matching challenge from APMEX.com, the Cresap Family Foundation and Chesapeake Energy Corporation, every gift we receive through Jan. 15 will be matched, dollar for dollar – up to $600,000 – for a total impact of $1.2 million. To make a donation call 405-600-3136 or visit regionalfoodbank.org/donate.