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People think they want more free time, but they really want this
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Research shows that people routinely say they wish they had more free time to do the things they want. But a researcher writes in The New York Times that free time doesn't matter if you don't have more of this. - photo by Lois M Collins
People routinely say they wish they had more free time to do the things they want, lamenting the brevity of the typical weekend. But a researcher writes in The New York Times Gray Matter column that it's not really a problem of not having enough time to play or relax or pursue personal joys.

When you peel away the layers, according to Cristobal Young, an assistant professor at Stanford University, what people really need is more time that coincides with that of their favorite people, from family to friends, in order to do enjoyable things together.

He bases the notion on research he and a colleague, Chaeyoon Lim from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, did a few years ago. Their study was published in the journal Sociological Science in 2014.

They compared the weekend "emotional well-being" of those who work and those who are unemployed, noting that both groups reported a 15 percent bump in satisfaction with life on the weekends. That led them to conclude that "time is a network good: its value depends on the number of social others who have the same schedule of time available."

The key, the two found, is that "social time increases sharply on weekends for both workers and the unemployed. Weekend well-being is not due to time off work per se but rather is a collectively produced social good stemming from widely shared free time on weekends. The unemployed gain comparatively little benefit from their time off during the week, when others go to work."

Or, as Young wrote for The Times, "its not just that we have a shortage of free time; its also that our free time, in order to be satisfying, often must align with that of our friends and loved ones. We face a problem, in other words, of coordination. Work-life balance is not something that you can solve on your own."

A news release written at the time of the initial study said the results reflected findings from "study of 500,000 Americans in the Gallup Daily Poll and eight years of data from the American Time Use Survey."

Explained Young, "Monday to Friday offers five days when the unemployed are off work by themselves, searching job ads, doing household chores and so on. While the jobless have free time during the week, their friends and family still have to go to work. The weekend is when the jobless fall back into sync with society.

"The weekend, then, is not just a respite from work, but also gives similar relief from unemployment. It is a time when people can get what theyve been missing: time together," said Young.

The earlier release quoted him on the devastating impact unemployment has on well-being.

"People feel a deep need to be able to account for their lives, and unemployment takes that away from them in a fundamental way. Ironically, the jobless need a weekend experience much more than workers do."

Other studies have noted the value of free time on the weekends and why it's more than just having time off that matters, but rather time off when other people also have that time off.

A July 2011 Bureau of Economic Research working paper by John F. Helliwell and Shun Wang found "no day-of-week effect for life evaluations but significantly more happiness, enjoyment and laughter, and significantly less worry, sadness and anger on weekends (including public holidays) than on weekdays."

They cited what they called social context: "A large portion of the weekend effects is explained by differences in the amount of time spent with friends or family between weekends and weekdays (7.1 vs. 5.4 hours)."

That it's not just a matter of time off work is also clear to Edward E. Lawler III, a Forbes contributor who wrote about the overall time off work think vacation not just weekends.

"There is nothing about most work that makes it exhausting, dissatisfying and non-rewarding. In fact, it can be just the opposite. What organizations need to give individuals is flexibility with respect to when and what they work on, and to be sure that the work itself is rewarding, satisfying and in tune with what individuals value. More vacation time cannot make work more satisfying or rewarding. Indeed, for some individuals, it may make life less satisfying and rewarding."

Apparently, some working Americans agree. As Fortune's Anne Fisher pointed out last summer, "No doubt about it, Europeans think were crazy. Compared to people living in France, Germany and Scandinavia, who routinely take as much as six weeks off annually, U.S. employees typically leave about 429 million paid vacation days on the table every year."
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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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