Medicare AEP is over and 2020 is right around the corner.  Business has slowed to a more normal pace around the office.  We here at Curtis Insurance / Curtis & Associates would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Blessed & Prosperous New Year.
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Our office will close at 12:00 NOON on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 24th) and be closed on Christmas Day (Wednesday, Dec. 25th). We will resume normal business hours (9-5) on Thursday, Dec. 26th.

We will also close at 12:00 NOON on New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 31st) and be closed all day Wednesday, New Year’s Day (Jan 1st 2020). We will resume normal business hours (9-5) on Thursday, Jan 2nd.

If you are looking for something different, something special to give a close friend, family member or loved one, consider a Life Insurance policy. We have special single, premium annuities that protect your money and your beneficiary from taxation that might otherwise be imposed on a cash gift or inheritance.

If you’d like more information on this type of plan, please give our Licensed Life Insurance Specialist a call and set an appointment to discuss your options.
 
Until next time take care and remember in a world where you can be anything….be kind.
Tommy Curtis and Staff

Disclaimer: This material has been provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.
 
Life and Medicare Products marketed through Curtis & Associates Financial Services, Inc. {A Life and Health Agency}

​Our sister company, Curtis & Associates has been offering Medicare plans for several years now and it always amazes me to find so many people who have a Medicare plan but no local agent. Many choose to go it alone and do their Medicare shopping online or directly through the company.

​That’s fine, good and well for some, but it turns out to be a nightmare for many.

Last year about this time, we talked about Insurance and Patriotism. Memorial and Flag Day have recently passed, and Independence Day is right around the corner so I thought this would be a good time to speak to you about Veterans and Medicare and Medicare for Veterans.

Before we get into that, do you know the history behind Flag Day?
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June 14th is the anniversary of the adoption of the stars and stripes as official flag in 1777. After three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. In 1949 President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th as National Flag Day.

Amazing isn’t it that our government allows this day to be a Federal Holiday, although all Federal establishments may not honor it?
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Now let’s talk about Veterans and Medicare….

​Other than slams, abuse and disrespect against our Veterans, nothing irritates me more than to think of someone defrauding our elderly citizens!

Recently there has been a wave of Scams (mostly telephone) targeted toward our Senior Citizen population. Granted, not everyone on Medicare is, or considers themselves, elderly, but with people living longer than they have in decades past, fraudulent scams affect hundreds, maybe thousands, of senior citizens every day.

Bet the title of this post has you wondering what that old adage about the weather has to do with Insurance.

Lots!
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Brought on by Spring storms, March winds can mean anything from a gentle breeze to huge gusts to tornadoes. April showers sometimes mean flooding and those May flowers for June brides lend to thoughts of insuring your love.

​In our October post, Medicare Acronyms & Changes for 2019, we mentioned Medicare’s “Open Enrollment” period which allows you a one-time change in your MA plan. In this post, we’ll go into a little more detail to help you unravel the Medicare OEP mystery.

Here we are again approaching Medicare’s AEP (Annual Election Period Oct. 15th – Dec. 7th) where beneficiaries are allowed, encouraged even, to compare their current Medicare plan with the other options out there. Since we’ve covered the History of Medicare, offer Medicare information and FAQ’s on our site, and have given you a brief Understanding of Medicare, I thought this would be a good time to address the acronyms used by CMS and different Medicare plans as well as changes for the upcoming year (2019).