Happy Mother’s Day & Happy Father’s Day ! !
We want everyone to know how very much we appreciate all the referrals you keep giving to us. Our little business has prospered beyond our wildest dreams and that is mostly due to the referrals you keep providing to us. Please keep giving our names and phone numbers out.
A Very Rare Referral to the Best Dentist ever! In all the 15 years that Faye and I have been providing Medicare services I don’t believe we have ever provided a referral to a medical professional. However, the time has come. I recently switched dentists and I could not be happier. I am now seeing Dr. Dayn (pronounced Dane). He has proven to be the most pain free, gentle, and caring dentist I have ever had. He has earned my highest rating. If you are considering a new dentist, please do yourself a favor and see Dr. Dayn at Allegro Dental. He is located in the Denver Tech Center just off of I-25 and County Line Road. His office number is (303) 282-7000. If you call, please mention our names.
Beware of People Calling about Medicare Plans: There are more and more people calling you to try and get you to switch your plan. If you fall for their sales pitch and change you plan, we will no longer be your agent. Your agent is determined by who enrolled you most recently. That agent becomes the “Agent of Record”. If you are interested in discussing a different plan, please call us first. Please also know that all Medicare Advantage Plans ARE PART “C” of Medicare. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you already have PART C.
Are you paying the IRMAA? This is the “Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount” that is charged to higher income earners. If you are paying more than $164.90 for your Part B premium, you are either paying a Late Enrollment Penalty or you are paying the IRMAA. The IRMAA you must pay is based upon the modified adjusted gross income (or MAGI) as shown in the tax return you filed two years ago. So, your MAGI in 2021 decides the IRMAA you are paying in 2023. IMPORTANT: You may request a reduced IRMAA if you meet certain criteria. This is done by submitting form SSA-44 which can be found on the Social Security website, “ssa.gov” or by doing a google search for “SSA-44”.
Medicare Supplement Plans – Is yours getting too expensive? During this past Annual Enrollment Period we had many of our Medicare Supplement Plan members call to complain about how high their monthly payments have become. And they are correct! It doesn’t matter which insurance company you are with your monthly payment will increase each year. It is just a matter of how much. Medicare Supplement Plans increase each year 4% to as much as 14, 16 or even 18% per year or more. And they will continue to go up every year. If you are on a fixed income, as most of our clients are, this is a very serious issue. Also, those very enticing extra benefits (such as dental, vision, hearing, transportation, free food, and free “over the counter” drugstore supplies) offered by many of the Medicare Advantage Plans are simply not offered with Medicare Supplement Plans. What is going on and why is there such disparity between the two types of plans? The answer is simple. It all has to do with competition. Medicare Supplement plans are identical between insurance companies. (i.e; the benefits in a Medicare Supplement Plan “G” from United Healthcare are completely identical to any other Plan G offered by ANY and ALL other insurance company(s). THEY ARE IDENTICAL. The prices will be different, and any extras will be limited to “discount programs”. These plans are all designed by the federal government, and they are made available to any insurance company that wishes to offer them. The Medicare Advantage providers are in a completely different environment. They are in a highly competitive market. They compete every day for a bigger slice of the Medicare pie. Here are two facts that you may not be aware of: Fact # 1.) for the last 10 years there have been 10,000 people turning 65 and entering the Medicare program EVERY DAY! These are the “Baby Boomers”. Fact # 2.) For the next 10 years there will also be 10,000 people turning 65 and entering the Medicare program EVERY DAY! More Baby Boomers! The Medicare market is getting huge. That is why you are seeing benefits like completely FREE dental coverage of up to $5,000 and improved vision and hearing benefits and much more. So, if your Medicare Supplement payments are getting too high or you simply want to take advantage of some of the newer and better benefits found in the Medicare Advantage plans, please give us a call. We will be happy to discuss the pros and cons of each type of plan.
Medicaid Re-determination is underway – (this article courtesy of Health First Colorado) What you need to know: If you get health coverage through Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program or your the Medicaid program in your state) your eligibility is reviewed annually. Some members will be automatically renewed based on the most recent information already on file with the state. Other members will need to go through the renewal process. If you are auto-renewed : You will get a letter about 60-70 days before your renewal deadline saying your health coverage has been renewed. No additional information is needed. Health coverage will be renewed for twelve months. If you are not auto-renewed : You need to go through the renewal process to see if you still qualify for Health First Colorado. You will get a renewal packet in the mail and online at CO.gov/PEAK about 60-70 days before your renewal deadline. You will get notifications about your renewal through mail, or if you have signed up for electronic notifications through email, text message and by push notification if you have the Health First Colorado app. You must complete and sign your renewal by the deadline.
Another Reminder: Please notify us if you are thinking about moving. We can tell you what plans will be available in the area you are moving to and can even change your plan before you move. In addition to your address, please give us any new phone number or email address.
When do you need a referral? If you are on an HMO type of plan and you need to see a specialist, many plans (not all) require you to have a referral. It is your responsibility to know if your plan requires a referral. If you fail to get a referral prior to your visit, you will likely be required to pay the entire bill for that visit. Here are the exceptions to this rule: When you see a mental health provider, when you see an eye doctor for your routine annual exam, visits for women’s health, emergency and urgent care. If you need help to determine if you need a referral or not you should call customer service or call one of us. If you are on a PPO type of plan, you DO NOT need a referral, but you should stay within the Plan’s network to get the lower cost.
An important tip on using an AMBULANCE: We have been told that if an ambulance is called on your behalf and you refuse to get in, you will be charged the entire ambulance fee. Your insurance will not pay on your behalf whether you called them or someone else called them.
Know what your copays should be! DO NOT pay a bill from any medical provider if you have any doubt whatsoever about the amount they are asking you to pay. It can be very difficult to get reimbursed if you overpay. If you need to know what your copay should be, call customer service or call one of us. We hear about lots of billing errors. NEVER pay any medical bill without checking!
Medicare Advantage Plans (aka: Part C): These plans change every year. In September of each year the insurance companies are required to send you a printed notice called the “Annual Notice of Change”. This document will tell you of the changes that will be in your plan for the coming year. And every year you will be mailed a new member card. Please throw away the old card. Also note, the new “U” cards from United Healthcare require you to activate your card in order to use the Over the Counter or Healthy Food benefits. And finally, MAKE CERTAIN to show your medical provider your NEW CARD.
EMAIL or US Postal Service: In our last newsletter we said we would be sending our “next newsletter” by email. However, we obviously have continued the use of the US Postal Service for this one. Hopefully, we will be using email for the next one.
This is for LAUGHS :
Karl and Milley were lying in bed one night. Karl was falling asleep, but Milley was in a romantic mood and wanted to talk. She said, “You used to hold my hand when we were courting.” Wearily Karl reached across, held her hand for a second, and rolled over to try and fall asleep. A few minutes later she said, “Then you used to kiss me.” Mildly irritated, he leaned across, gave her a peck on the cheek and settled back down to sleep. Thirty seconds later she said, “Then you used to bite my neck.” Angrily, he threw back the covers and got out of bed. “Where are you going?” she asked. “To the bathroom to get my teeth,” he replied.
A few pics :
Faye with (from left) son Andrew’s dog, Yoda, Maddie and pink tailed Gemma. The Celebrity cruise ship we were on. The real Captain of the cruise ship, Captain Kate McCue. She is the first United States female captain of a super cruise ship. (She is tiny!) You can find her on Google.
