\ A toll-free hotline is now in operation for Vietnam . War veterans with ques- . tions about the ‘health effects of Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the conflict, said Rep. George C. Hasay. Individuals who call 1- 800-222-1993 will speak with personnel from the Viet- ‘nam Herbicide Informa- tion Commission. Lines are open between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. As chairman of the Fed- - mittee last session, Hasay was instrumental in the formation of the commis- sion which works the Health Department in col- lecting information about Agent Orange and its health effects, informs vet- erans of state and federal help available and deter- mines the needs of veter- ans claiming Agent Orange-related illnesses. The defoliant Agent Orange has been the sub- ject of nationwide concern among U.S. Vietnam era veterans, Hasay said. Mili- tary herbicides operations began in South Vietnam in 1962 and continued until 1971. The chemical sprays were used to improve observation and destroy Between 1966 and 1969 large numbers of U.S. ground troops were exposed to the chemical both before and after the spraying. Since 1977. Viet- nam veterans have been contacting the Veterans Administration about health problems they believe were caused by exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. July - — HOURS — 9:30to0 7 TUES.-WED.-FRI. 9:30 to 4 © oot # To be “% “WE MAKE YOUR CAR WORTH KEEPING" “When You've Been To The Rest — Come To The Best’ ANY WRITTEN ESTIMATE ‘115 * Free Estimates ® Competitive Prices © Towing Service e Trucks and Vans © Quality Work © Frame Straightening * Fiberglass ® Insurance Claims Processed Immediately Making Cakes Elaine Muchler, decorator, Barbara Regan of assisting her. Frosting Friends At a recent meeting of Frosting Friends of Luz- erne County, sponsored by the Luzerne County Recre- ation Department, Elaine Muchler showed how to transform ordinary cup- cakes into holiday crea- tions. The next meeting of the at 7:30 p.m. at the L.C.C.C. Community Building. One of the many topics to be discussed will be the art of ‘“‘cocoa painting”. Membership is open to all Luzerne County residents and the public is welcome to visit at the next monthly meeting. For more information, please contact any board member or the Luzerne County Recreation Depart- ment. With a two-year compos- ite record of 25-7, Coach Paul Reinert of the King’s College cross country team ranks very high on the King’s coaching staff. His graduation losses in May were light and the Back Mountain resident has the nucleus for another winner this fall. Coach Reinert is the son of Attorney and Mrs. James Reinert of Swoyers- ville. His father and members of the King’s Alumni Association. Coach Reinert teaches science at the Lake-Lehman Junior ‘High School. He was a standout in wrestling and cross country at Bishop -O’Reilly High School, Kingston, and for the Uni- versity of Scranton. He will direct the King’s har- riers against 15 foes and in the Lebanon Valley Invita- tional meet. Penn State University’s Wilkes-Barre Campus is holding its Back Mountain youth soccer camp this week and even the most optimistic of college offi- cials could not have antici- pated the kind of turnout this year’s camp would attract. Over 170 youngsters - Back Mountain - are expected to participate in the camp. A college spo- kesperson said the school was ‘‘stunned at the fan- tastic response.” It was thought about 100 young- sters would attend the camp, which is being con- ducted by numerous area college and high school coaches. Bill Kaiser, coach of the local PSU soccer team, and former Wyoming Sem- inary and Penn State goalie Jay Harvey are in charge of the camp. Join- ing them as instructors are Ken Farsky, coach of Wyoming Seminary; Steve Klingman, University of Scranton mentor; Mike Luna, former soccer coach at Bishop Hafey High School; Tom Rokita of Wyoming Seminary Lower School; and Phil Wingert of Wilkes College. The camp is designed to improve the soccer skills of young players, many of whom will participate in the Back Mountain Youth Soccer League in the fall. College officials noted that the rapid growth of that league, along with the high turnout at this camp, show that soccer is here to stay in the Back Mountain. The camp, which began Monday and will run through to Friday, is div- ided into morning and afternoon sessions. Play- ers 6 through 10 years of age work in the morning and those from age 11 through 14 in the after- noon. All the campers receive a free t-shirt and a soccer ball. : 99% E S A 549.95 »* CARFUSED? .- $179.95 : WELL : we DON'T BE! %uf EOE WE'LL HELP! or, The “ROLLS ROYCE" on ® Simonize, Polycoat Miracle Wax or Glaze © Shampoo Interior ® Engine Cleaned ¢ Vinyl Top, Trunk, Etc. SPECIAL average car The Special Committee on Aging receives many inquiries from senior citi- zens concerning the best alternatives for supple- menting Medicare policies. The first point to remember is that Medi- care was not intended as a program to pay all medi- cal bills for older persons. 45 percent of health expenditures for people over 65 years old. Medi- care does not cover nurs- ing home care, private care, physician charges above Medicare’s approved amount, drugs purchased outside of a hos- pital, dental care, den- tures, immunizations, checkups, cosmetic sur- gery, eye care, eyeglasses or hearing aids. Clearly, if you are over 65, you probably will require other resources to cover medical expenses. If your income level qualifies you for Medicaid, there is a good chance you won’t need supplemental insur- ance. Medicaid ‘pays almost all costs - including long-term nursing care. If you are not eligible for Medicaid, what choices do you have for medical cov- erage? Out-of-pocket. Even the more financially secure seniors shouldn’t risk exhausting income and savings ‘to cover medical expenses out-of-pocket. There is no sure way to predict’ what long-term costs you'll encounter for health care. Supplemental coverage. The best option usually is to carry over the health insurance policy you had before turning 65. While not all policies can be car- ried over, in instances where the policy can be continued, the coverage is probably more comprehen- sive than you could get after age 65. And, since you are continuing a policy - not starting a new one - there is no waiting period before the policy begins. Group health plan. Health maintenance orga- nization plans - often referred to as HMOs. - offer comprehensive health care services for a fixed monthly payment. Most HMOs provide cover- age for hospitalization. The majority of plans require that you go to a particular facility for treatment; it’s a good idea to be sure you can get fo the facility before you join. If your decision involves the purchase of supple- mental insurance after age 65, what are some of the steps to follow in selecting a policy? - Shop carefully before you buy. Policies differ widely as to coverage and cost. A single comprehen- sive policy is a better bet than potentially overlap- ping policies. - Know what type of benefits are offered. There are two basic types: serv- ice benefits and indemnity benefits. Service benefits pay all or a fixed percent- age of the cost of a partic- ular service, such as hos- pitalization. The good thing about service bene- fits is that as prices rise, policy payments keep up with costs. Indemnity ben- efits pay a fixed number of service; they don’t keep up with rising costs. - Check the renewable portion of the policy. Some policies are optionally renewable - renewable only at the choice of the anteed renewable. Still others are class renewable and may be terminated if the company cancels all policies of that type on the market. - If you want a policy that is guaranteed against rate increases, look for a non-cancellable policy. While hard to find, they can be worth the effort. - Be aware of maximum benefits. Most policies have some type of limit on the total amount of dollars payable or the number of days covered. _ - What requirements are there for treatment of pre- existing conditions? Some policies don’t cover them; others have a waiting period before benefits begin. For more information write Pennsylvania’s state insurance office at Straw- berry Square, 13th floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120 or call them at (717) 787-5173. Sen. Frank O’Connell, R- 20, lauded state Aging Sec- retary Gorham Black's request for increased funds to the Area Agencies on Aging in the state, saying additional money would allow even greater services to the elderly who need them. O’Connell said the Area Agencies on Aging across the state received a total of $18 million during 1981- 82 and an increase to those agencies would allow more elderly to benefit from the programs they offer. “More than $1.2 million was appropriated for serv- ices benefiting senior citi- zens in Pennsylvania during 1981-82,” ‘said O’Connell, “with Luzerne and Wyoming County’s AAA receiving $738,075 to benefit 82,275 senior Cciti- zens.” The AAA serving Sus- quehanna County and three others (Bradford, Tioga and @ Sullivan) received $301,376 for pro- grams serving the elderly during 1981 and 1982,” noted O’Conrell. ee ERNE ROUTE 315 ROUTE 6 -