October - December 2018

www.servingourseniors.org 25 800-564-1856 419-624-1856 To maintain your health, as you age, means you have to choose your health care insurance wisely. Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment period (October 15 – December 7, 2018) is the time to review your current coverage to decide if there may be a better fit for your budget and your health care needs. “Open Enrollment” means that you can change your Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare Part D plan, if you find something better. Your new coverage would begin January 1, 2019. Here are a few tips to help you choose your Medicare coverage: 1. Review your current plan. The “Annual Notice of Change” letter and plan information is mailed to you by September 30th. This is telling you how your insurance is going to change. Don’t throw this letter away! 2. Think about what is most important to you. Has your health changed? Advantage Plans and Part D Plans change their coverage each year. Will your primary care doctor accept your Medicare Advantage Plan next year? Will your current plan cover your medications in 2019? 3. Do you qualify for financial help paying for Medicare? There are Medicare Savings Programs that help with paying Medicare premiums, deductibles and co-payments. In 2018 the eligible incomes ranged from $755.00/mo. single and $1,123.00/mo. married to $1,377.00/mo. single and $1,847.00/mo. married. OSHIIP Certified Medicare Counselors can help you shop for a plan that meets your needs and your budget. We are consumer advocates. We don’t sell insurance. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan call my office at 419-624-1856 extension 34 and ask for a Medicare Counseling appointment. Medicare Open Enrollment: Choose Your Health Insurance Wisely By Patricia Stineman, MSIG, CSA, Medicare Certified Counselor It’s a despicable problem, but it is a reality. There are cases of adult children and grandchildren becoming the Financial Power of Attorney and the Health Care Power of Attorney for relatives whose health is failing. Being ill and vulnerable, an unscrupulous relative places the older adult in the nursing home. Using the older person’s money, the relative pays the first month or two and then stops paying. As the Financial POA they have access to the social security check, pension checks, and investments to do as they please. The nursing home doesn’t get paid and the relative absconds with the money. The moral of the story is this… Be very careful who you select to be your Financial POA or Health Care POA. For more information about “Preventing Financial Elder Abuse” register to attend the presentation, Oct. 17, 2018. (See the calendar of events for details.) Parent Dumping By Sue Daugherty