Medicare options

[BizWrangler]

This is a reminder for those of you who are turning 65 that you have a window of opportunity to sign up for Medicare and choose your options. That time frame begins 3 months before your 65th birthday, your birthday month, and 3 months after. If you wait, it could cost you more.

I have recently completed the requirements to be a Medicare Advantage Specialist, and I am available to help people review and understand their various options. I will join Wacco as a business supporting member shortly.

How Medicare is administered has changed quite a bit from the past, which is a good thing for you. Now, private insurance companies can administer your Medicare benefits, and compete with each other which means better benefits for you.

People already on Medicare also can change their plans only during certain times of the year, usually November 15 to December 31, and again January 1 through the end of March, with certain exceptions. However, your original enrollment happens during that period listed above when you turn 65.

As you plan for the future, you will have lots of questions about health care
coverage as you approach 65.

I look forward to answering your questions today and caring for your health
care and other coverage needs now and in the future.

Please feel free to call me for any information about transitioning to Medicare.

Judith L. Neeley
License 0F96855
16203B First Street
Guerneville 95446
(707) 887-8696
[email protected]

[Jim's Turning Point]

Medicare is one of the greatest surprises when you reach 65. The first surprise is that most of us have to pay for stiff premiums for our benefits under Part B and D. The second surprise is that it is lousy health insurance; but what would you expect from a nationalized goverment plan that is almost 50 years old, underfunded, and has been modified by thousands of Congress men and women (who had no clue what they were doing).

Medicare is so complicated and costly and inadequate that many people simply give up and do nothing. Only to find out that their inaction is penalized in a number of ways. Continued inaction continues to get more expensive.

The best surprise is that Medicare can be improved almost to perfection with the help of trained, licensed, and experienced professional agents whose services are paid by the insurance carriers at no cost to those who ask for help.

Not only am I one of those professionals with almost 20 years of experience and hundreds of hours of continuing education, I have been benefitting from Medicare and using my expertise to benefit myself, my wife, and hundreds of my clients for more than 15 years. I love it!

My name is Jim Johnson and my direct telephone line is 707-571-0226.

[Sativaluv]

I renamed it WeDontCare! Any suggestions? I hate Kaiser-not one visit has been without stressful mistakes but no Dr's accept it?!

[Hummingbear]

I've had my Medicare card (and paid premiums from my SS check) for a year now, but I haven't needed or wanted a doctor.

But it's getting to be time for a check-up. Flighty blood pressure, weakening eyes, that kind of thing.

So, does anyone have a doctor to recommend who can do a "welcome to medicare visit" or just a good GP? I'm located in Santa Rosa but Sebastopol would be fine.

[Hummingbear]

Someone replied privately, and now I don't know who it was... I wanted to express gratitude, but the post isn't here!

I went to Dr. Bob Dozer at the Integrative Medical Clinic in Santa Rosa (near the airport). It was a great experience: definitely a respectful and compassionate brother who gave me plenty of good options. Definitely recommended.

I've had my Medicare card (and paid premiums from my SS check) for a year now, but I haven't needed or wanted a doctor.

But it's getting to be time for a check-up. Flighty blood pressure, weakening eyes, that kind of thing.

So, does anyone have a doctor to recommend who can do a "welcome to medicare visit" or just a good GP? I'm located in Santa Rosa but Sebastopol would be fine.