​Spring is in the air and we’re almost through the first quarter of 2023. How are you holding up in respect to the resolutions and goals you set for this year?

In previous posts we’ve shared Stress Busters, ideas on Taking Control of Your Life and how Healthy Acts of Kindness Benefit You.

Today we’re going to share an article on creating balance in your life written by our former staff member Pamela S. Thibodeaux but before we do, we’d like to remind the ​Medicare Recipients out there that Medicare OEP (which allows you a one-time change in your MA plan) ends on March 31st so if you’re not happy with the Medicare Advantage plan you chose for 2023, contact our Medicare Agent, Connie Driskell today at: 331-310-2253. 
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Continue reading for Simple Ways to Create Balance in Your Life...

Because Medicaid eligibility is based on income in ratio to the number of family members, people roll on and off the plan accordingly—usually on an annual basis. However, due to the pandemic in 2020, our Government passed the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act which increased the federal share of states’ Medicaid costs. This helped to stabilize state budgets and offset the healthcare costs states incurred in response to the pandemic. This also allowed thousands of families to have health coverage that may not have had it otherwise.

​On December 29, 2022, Congress signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CCA) that ends the continuous enrollment provision set in 2020 effective March 31, 2023.

If you’ve been on Medicare for any length of time or have worked in the Medicare Insurance industry, you know that nearly every time Social Security has a Cost of Living Increase, your Medicare Part B premium goes up.

Well, not this year!

According to CMS.gov, the 2023 Medicare Part B premium will decrease from $170.10 in 2022 to $164.90. That’s $5.20 added to your Social Security check every month! ​

Well, it's that time of year again.... Time to say goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023!

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) ended on December 7th but OEP (Open enrollment period -which allows you a one-time change in your MA plan) opens January 1st through March 31st.

If you're turning 65 in Jan, February or March 2023 or getting Medicare due to disability and/or Medicare & Medicaid, and you haven't already set up your Medicare Insurance plan(s) contact our Licensed Medicare Agent today.

We will be closed on December 26th and January 2nd in observance of Christmas and New Year's but look forward to meeting your Auto, Recreational Vehicle and Medicare needs in 2023.

Until next time.... Take care and enjoy a Happy & Blessed Holiday Season!
Tommy Curtis and Staff


Disclaimers:
ALL material on this blog is available for informational purposes only.
 
Life and Medicare Products marketed through Curtis & Associates Financial Services, Inc.
​{A Life and Health Agency}
 
Medicare has neither endorsed nor reviewed this information.
Not connected or affiliated with any United States Government or State agency.
Calling this number will direct you to a licensed Agent/Broker.
 
*By contacting us and providing information, you agree that an authorized representative or licensed insurance agent may contact you by phone, e-mail or mail to answer your questions and provide additional information about Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medicare Supplement Insurance plans.

​Every year our licensed, Medicare agent goes through extensive training, part of which is on Medicare Fraud, Waste & Abuse and it shocks and infuriates us to find that nearly $65 BILLION dollars annually is reported as such.

Read that again…..

$SIXTY-FIVE-BILLION-DOLLARS!

Last July we shared some tips with you on reconstructing your lawn after a natural disaster. After the hurricanes of 2020, as well as the ice storm and flooding of 2021 we thought the information provided would be beneficial to our readers.

​Today we'd like to expound on one of the topics mentioned in that blog post.

​Aerating is the process of putting tiny holes the soil of your lawn. This process allows water, air and fertilizer to penetrate the ground, encouraging better absorption of the things necessary for a beautiful lawn.

As a newly licensed agent years ago, I learned the definition of Insurance is “shared risk.” This was never more demonstrated than when Hurricane Rita hit in 2005. I remember that time like it happened yesterday. The stress of evacuating with a husband only weeks out of the hospital from having a defibrillator installed to keep his impaired heart working. Coming home to damages to my house, loss of food and electricity, no one to fully assess our loss (remember my husband couldn’t climb a ladder or anything). Thankfully when I called our insurance company at the time, and explained our situation, they sent someone out right away and we were treated very well. Then there was the delight of returning to work and having to hop from one desk to another because the office was inundated with claims agents. They worked long hours in the office and in the field, checkbook in hand, anxious to help our valued clients get through one of the biggest and meanest hurricanes to hit the Lake Area in nearly fifty years.

The federal government (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also known as CMS) gives an annual rating to Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans (Part D), based on categories such as: Customer service * Management of Member Complaints * Quality of care *Preventative Services * Plan Responsiveness * Managing Chronic Conditions

Plans are rated as follows….
5-star: Excellent
4-star: Above Average
3-star: Average
2-star: Below Average
1-star: Poor

In 2022 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans saw a huge boost in performance with 68% of MA-PD (Medicare Part C) plans rated 4+ Stars which is a great thing! Another thing to know is that if a plan in your area has five stars, you get a Special Election Period (SEP) to enroll in that plan.

Even though the star rating is important, it’s not the end all of your coverage. In order for the plan to be the best fit for you your doctors and hospital must be in the network (unless you’re willing to change your medical team), it includes prescription drug coverage and that your particular drugs are covered under the plan. Don’t be fooled into thinking every prescription is. Keeping these things in mind, it’s always better to work with a local agent to make sure every aspect of the plan you’re looking for meets your individual needs.
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Want to know more about the 5-Star plans available in Calcasieu Parish? Give our licensed and knowledgeable agent a call: 337-310-2253

Tommy Curtis and Staff

Disclaimers:
Life and Medicare Products marketed through Curtis & Associates Financial Services, Inc.
​{A Life and Health Agency}

Medicare has neither endorsed nor reviewed this information.
Not connected or affiliated with any United States Government or State agency.
Calling this number will direct you to a licensed Agent/Broker.

*By contacting us and providing information, you agree that an authorized representative or licensed insurance agent may contact you by phone, e-mail or mail to answer your questions and provide additional information about Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medicare Supplement Insurance plans.