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New Chick-fil-A service provides a better experience for millennial moms
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Chick-fil-A has decided to serve a side of family-friendliness with its chicken sandwiches, thanks to a new program called Moms Valet which allows parents with young children to eat peacefully. - photo by Herb Scribner
Chick-fil-A has decided to serve a side of family-friendliness with its chicken sandwiches, thanks to a new program called Moms Valet that allows parents with young children to eat in the restaurant without hassle.

The new service allows parents to order their food through the drive-thru and then enter the restaurant, where an open table will be waiting for them, along with any high-chairs they need, Business Insider reported. Chick-fil-A will then serve the family their food.

The goal of this new service is to help parents by taking the stress out of ordering food while also keeping track of their children, who can sometimes scurry about the restaurant and cause concern, David Farmer, Chick-fil-As vice president of menu strategy told Business Insider.

Chick-fil-A's restaurant operators came up with the idea for the service after noticing how hectic the food-ordering process could be for parents of young kids, Business Insider reported.

Not all restaurants will offer this, though. The ones that do will have a sign out front on the drive-thru, Business Insider reported.

And some restaurants have allegedly already offered the service.

Still, such a move isnt surprising from Chick-fil-A, given the restaurant chains family-friendly history. As Forbes reported in 2012, the Cathy family, who opened Chick-fil-A in 1967, has often lived by Christian values, including heavy support for traditional marriage, and has kept the business within the family.

Brothers Horace and Truett Cathy first opened the business in Atlanta. Now, Truett's son Dan oversees most operations.

Chick-fil-A has also often reached out to local communities, providing more services than just fast food. The restaurant offers multiple fund-raising campaigns that help families raise money for their childrens schools or other organizations, according to the restaurants website.

One of these fundraisers is called Spirit Night, when families, teachers and faculty can visit a specific Chick-fil-A, with a portion of the sales going back to that groups local school, the website said. Some restaurants also offer Family Nights to bring families together to create meaningful and memorable moments through food and fun, according to the franchises website.

The restaurant also supports All Pro Dad, a nonprofit organization that aims to help dads raise their families.

But Chick-fil-A isnt the only family-friendly restaurant out there. For more, parents can check mommaps.com, a guide to helpful restaurants across the country.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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