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Toddlers and guns form volatile mixture more often than you think
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A New York Times analysis found that a toddler gets hold of a gun and shoots someone most often himself or herself on an average of once a week. - photo by Lois M Collins
The shooting of a gun-rights activist by her 4-year-old son has fanned debate about gun rights in America.

Jamie Gilt, 31, who writes the Jamie Gilt for Gun Sense blog, was driving a truck in Putnam County, Florida, this week when she was shot in the back, apparently by her son, who was the vehicle's only other occupant. According to CNN's account of the story, law enforcement is still investigating how the accidental shooting occurred.

"Authorities said the firearm was legally owned by Gilt, who maintained a Facebook page entitled 'Jamie Gilt for Gun Sense,' where she regularly posted pro-gun positions," wrote CNN's Dana Ford. "On her personal Facebook page, Gilt once bragged about her son: 'Even my 4-year-old gets jacked up to target shoot with the .22.'"

Ford noted that both Gilt's personal and pro-gun Facebook pages had been taken down Wednesday.

In October, The Washington Post Wonk blog writer Christopher Ingraham noted that toddlers are finding and shooting guns more often than one might believe on average about once a week in America.

"But cases like this happen a lot more frequently than you might think. After spending a few hours sifting through news reports, I've found at least 43 instances this year of somebody being shot by a toddler 3 or younger. In 31 of those 43 cases, a toddler found a gun and shot himself or herself," Ingraham wrote.

In the first nine months of 2015, he said 13 toddlers had accidentally killed themselves with a gun, 18 had injured themselves, 10 had injured other people and two had killed someone.

In his count, Ingraham included children up to the age of 3 as toddlers. He noted that the shootings had occurred in 24 states, led by five in Missouri, four in Florida and three in Texas. The numbers are believed to be an undercount of how often toddlers actually fire a gun, either not resulting in injury or resulting in only slight injury likely not reported, the article said.

A Huffington Post article on toddlers and guns in late November ran under the provocative headline "Toddlers involved in more shootings than terrorists in 2015." It broadened its definition of "toddler" to include preschoolers, to age 6.

The National Rifle Association said more than 10 million firearms were manufactured in the United States in 2013. First-time gun buyers were surveyed about why they wanted a gun. The biggest reason listed was home defense, at 87.3 percent. Self-defense came in second, at 76.5 percent, while 73.2 percent said they wanted a gun for recreation. The numbers don't equal 100 because most people picked two or three reasons to get a firearm.

What's the first thing a gun owner should do after buying his or her first firearm? According to the NRA, it's important to get training in its use. Training includes laws and regulations about ownership, securing the weapon, ammunition storage and more, which may vary from state to state.
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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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