Senior Benefits and Beyond

Monday, February 14, 2022

Heart Month, Pickleball, and Belly Fat

As you probably know, February is American Heart Month. Heart month means something to me. I lost a grandmother and grandfather to heart disease before I was born. I lost an uncle when he was 63 and a very good friend and pastor when he was 62. I’ve had three cousins all have major heart attacks and heart surgery before the age of 60.

To say I’m on guard is an understatement.

Please, please get your annual check-ups done and visit a cardiologist for a stress test, keep active and watch your belly fat!

To help you with the keeping active and watching your belly fat things, I’ve got two things to share with you.

First, if you haven’t heard, we’ve got a brand-new Pickle Ball Club opening this week right here in Ewing! The Mercer Bucks Pickleball Club is at 370 Sullivan Way (off Silvia Street). They’ll have time reserved 5 days a week for Senior Play (you must be over 60) every day of the week, plus new to Pickleball class and clinics, and if you’re a pro at this game, leagues, and tournaments too. Their official grand opening is Tuesday at noon and their ribbon cutting is Friday at 11. I’ll be there for both events, so come on out and see what pickleball is all about and say hi! To learn more about the Mercer Bucks Pickleball club, visit: https://www.playmbpc.com/

Next, I’ll be giving a 30-minute fun and education webinar about the Dangers of Belly Fat. That’s coming up on Wednesday, February 23^rd at noon. To register for this event, visit: https://seniorbenefitsandbeyond.com/2022 The event, as always, is free, but registration is required. This will be a fun and interactive time… so get ready to learn how to improve your heart health and have some fun. Please share the link with any friends of family members you think would be interested in joining.

Finally, if you haven’t enrolled in the Aetna Heart Attack Stroke protection plan, please give me a call or send me an email for a quote on at least a 5 or 10 thousand dollar policy. We can probably get you and your spouse signed up for under $25 a month. And like I said, this is an important thing to me. I would encourage you to talk to your kids about getting one of these policies as well. The younger you are, the lower the rate – and that rate will be locked in for LIFE.

And as always, thank you for letting me help you with your Medicare and Health Insurance policies. The responsibility is one that I take very seriously. So thank you for your trust.

Here’s to American Heart Month and keeping yourself healthy!

Robin Tefft – Your New Jersey Medicare Specialist -- is a licensed health and life insurance agent and owner of Senior Benefits and Beyond – Making Medicare Simple. To get in touch, you can download my digital business card HERE. Or visit my website where you can get quotes on the plans available in your area - no cost or obligation. MyMedicareNJ.com Better yet, give me a call, and let's talk! 609-379-2887.

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Turing 65 or Retiring This Year? Then The Time Is Now...

Jeremy called me on Monday, January 24^th and the conversation started like this:

Jeremy: Hi. I retired on Friday and my company health insurance ends on January 31^st. How soon can I get a Medicare policy? I need something for February 1^st.

Me: Well, congratulations on the retirement. That’s awesome. How soon can you get a Medicare Policy…? Well, that all depends. Are you 65 or older and do you already have Medicare Parts A and B?

Jeremy: I turned 65 in September. I have Part A, but don’t have Part B yet because I didn’t need it. I was still working and had health insurance.

Me: Oh… Then how long it’s going to take to get you a Medicare Policy is up in the air. It could take Social Security anywhere from three to six weeks or more to process your Part B and set the effective date. And you can’t sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare Supplement until your Part B effective date is set. Once it is, we can get you enrolled in a plan.

SO… the moral of this little scenario is: If you’re turning 65 or retiring this year, it’s NEVER TOO EARLY to figure out your roadmap and timing on applying for all the things you’ll need in place.

It’s also never too early to figure out what your options are if you’re turning 65 or retiring this year. (For an easy-to-use, step-by-step Decision Tree, visit seniorbenefitsandbeyond.com and click the Turning 65 Decisions Tab).

I know Medicare is confusing. I’m here to make it simple and take all the stress out of the process. The bottom line is six months before your 65^th birthday or you
r retirement date, you should have a conversation with me. We’ll go over the important deadline dates, the how-tos and I’ll walk you through the process step by step.

Friday, October 15, 2021

Why You Should Never Call...

I know you've been tempted.

Who wouldn't be?

You see those commercials so many times-- and you're about to start seeing them even more. They're everywhere and it's Joe Namath and Joe Theismann for cryin' out loud. You want to call! You want to make sure you're getting all the benefits you're entitled to and if something's changed in your area, you want to know about it.

Slow down.

I'm about to make you the smartest person in your group of friends.

Medicare Plans change ONCE a year. No matter what insurance company you use, the plan changes that will take effect on January 1st are all announced on October 1st. If you're currently on a Medicare Advantage Plan, sometime in September you will get what we call an Annual Notice of Change, or ANOC. That document will tell you what specific changes are being made to your plan starting in January...from changes in the premium you pay to the doctors that are in-network.

When those commercials tell you anytime between January and September that there may be changes that could affect you, they're trying to get you on the phone so they can sell you something else.

But here's one of the biggest reasons I don't want you to call those numbers:

When you do, you're calling a call center with hundreds of people answering the phones. From all over the country. You won't be talking to someone who knows the area you live in! They'll ask for your zip code and when they punch it in, all the plans available in that zip code will pop up on their screen.

What happens next? They'll pick a plan for you. Will it be the best one for you? Probably not. Will all your doctors be in-network? Will all your prescriptions be covered? How much out of pocket will you be spending? Do they know you'd rather go to Capital Health as opposed to Penn Med? Or RWJ over St. Barnabas? Do they know that even though they see dozens of doctors in-network that are within 10 miles of you that those doctors are in Yardley and in a different STATE?

No, they don't.

Oh, and when I said you're calling a call center and hundreds of agents are taking calls? You know what that means, right?

If you ever needed to get a hold of that agent because you had a question or a complaint, that's nearly impossible. Trying to get that agent again would be like trying to find the same ant you saw crawl across the sidewalk yesterday.

So, what should you do if you have any questions about Medicare or Medicare Plans or your eligibility for those plans? You should find a licensed agent in your area who will take the time to get to know you, get to know what your needs are, what your preferences are, and what fits your financial budget. Oh, and you should find an agent who will be accountable to YOU and that you'll be able to get in touch with whenever you need them.

Please don't be fooled by the celebrity endorsements. Joe doesn't even have the type of plan he's endorsing....but that's a topic for another day.

Robin Tefft is a licensed health and life insurance agent who specializes in Medicare...Your New Jersey Medicare Specialist. To get in touch, you can download my digital business card HERE. Or visit my website where you can get quotes on the plans available in your area - no cost or obligation. MyMedicareNJ.com

Better yet, give me a call, and let's talk! 609-379-2887.

Friday, October 1, 2021

Joe Knows Football, I Know Medicare

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the commercial the famous football players do about Medicare. You know the ones I’m talking about. You’re about to start seeing them even more than you already do. Let me clarify some of the misleading information.

The first question I get is usually, “How do I get in a plan that puts $145 back in my Social Security account.”

You don’t.

Most of you.

What that is referring to is a program called MEDICAID. If you are in a low-income bracket and QUALIFY FOR MEDICAID IN YOUR STATE, YOUR STATE Medicaid will pay some or all of your Part B Medicare Premium which happens to be $148.50 this year. Insurance companies or their plans have nothing to do with this.

So, when you call “Joe Namath” or “Joe Theismann” you will be asked what zip code you live in and what your annual income is. They’ll then tell you that you aren’t qualified for the program or that it’s not available in your area.

Are there some plans that do a Plan B Giveback? Yes. Some insurance companies offer between $20-$50 a month in some of their plans, but this varies by Insurance Company, Plan, State, and sometimes even county. There is ONE Plan, in Florida, that pays back that entire Part B Premium. (The plan has many holes including a lack of doctors in their network, but that’s a story for another day.) THIS is how they can legally say, “Plans may not be available in all areas.”

PLEASE be careful. Never give your Social Security Number or Medicare number to someone who is going to run a quote for you. They don’t need that info to run a quote.

Also, please talk to a local agent who knows your area, your doctors, your hospitals, and YOU. Of course, I would love that to be me, but if it’s not me, please find a licensed, reputable, local agent who will be accountable to you.

Oh, and here is the disclaimer on the Joe Namath commercial that you really can’t see because you’re too busy listening and seeing all the big words on the screen:

*Certain beneficiaries may qualify for help paying their Part B Premium ($144 per month as of 2020, $1,728 annually) as part of each State’s Medicaid/or Medical Assistance Program. GoHealth assists beneficiaries with applications and initial eligibility screening, but only the relevant state agency may determine eligibility. Provision of financial information to GoHealth is optional and does not affect enrollment eligibility. Residents of certain regions may also qualify for a Part B Buyback Plan covering up to $135 of the Part B Premium."