Here is a quick 2 1/2 minute video describing the basics of Medicare. Great info in a simple to follow format.
Great bit of information about a PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE and their duties. Shared by permission from Thomas Packer at Packer Elder Care Law
Personal Representative’s Duties
If you have been asked to be a Personal Representative, there are some things you should know.
Being asked to be a Personal Representative indicates someone’s trust in you. You do not need special financial or legal knowledge to be a good Personal Representative. Common sense, conscientiousness and honesty are the main requirements.
If you have been nominated to be a Personal Representative, you are not obligated to serve. When the time comes, you may decide if you want to accept the responsibility. If you decide not to serve, or if you resign, an alternate named in the Will can take over.
As Personal Representative, your duties may include the following:
Consulting with an attorney to decide whether probate proceedings are needed. You may need to probate, even if you do not have a Will.
Filing the Will in the local probate court, asking the court to appoint you as Personal Representative and then shepherding the estate through probate.
Deciding whether at least some assets can be transferred immediately, such as personal belongings to the people named in a tangible personal property list.
Locating, inventorying, and securing estate assets and then sensibly managing them during the probate process. During this time, you may need to manage investments, pay bills, and sell items of estate property.
Paying continuing expenses that are necessary to keep estate property secure—for example, mortgage payments, utility bills and homeowner's insurance premiums.
Handling day-to-day details, such as terminating leases and other outstanding contracts, and notifying banks and government agencies—such as the Social Security Administration, the Post Office, Medicare and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs—of the death, and the fact that you are winding up the affairs.
Sending notice of the probate proceeding to the beneficiaries named in the Will.
Paying any debts that the estate is legally required to pay. As part of this process, you may want to notify creditors of the probate proceeding. Creditors then have four months to file a claim for payment of any bills or other obligations incurred by the deceased person. If you do not file a notice, the debts are not cut off.
You may have to file a final income tax return for the year in which the deceased person died.
Finally, after debts and taxes have been paid you may distribute the remaining residuary estate to the persons named in the Will or to the heirs at law if there is no Will.
A lawyer will help you to probate the estate. You will still be responsible for making decisions and administering the estate, but the lawyer will guide you through the process and file documents with the probate court. You may be reimbursed out of the estate for your services or any expenses you incurred.
The main reason for acting as Personal Representative is to honor the person who requested you to serve and to make sure his or her wishes are carried out.
SSA.GOV
Benefits Planner: Retirement | Benefits For Your Family | SSA
Do you or someone you know take insulin and are on Medicare? Next year there will be relief for the high cost that comes with those drugs. BUT, you have to make sure that you are on the right plan. Not every plan will offer these savings. The Medicare Annual Enrollment period starts on October 15th but, we can start to discuss 2021 plans and this new opportunity for insulin cost savings beginning on October 1st.
Call me today.
Click on the article below to learn more!
CMS.GOV
Trump Administration Announces Historically Low Medicare Advantage Premiums and New Payment Model to Make Insulin Affordable Again for Seniors | CMS
Generations Insurance updated their address.
Now it's easier to call Generations Insurance.
Social Security is announcing an increase to monthly benefit amounts.
Social Security Administration
10 hrs ·
#BREAKING! Approximately 70 million Americans will get a 1.3% increase in monthly #SocialSecurity benefits and #SSI payments in 2021. Check our blog later this morning for more information: http://ow.ly/9PBu50BR7So #COLA #2021COLA
DON'T CLICK PAST THIS ONE. If you or someone you know is on Medicare and takes insulin drugs, call me. There are plans in 2021 that could save people on insulin drugs thousands of dollars next year. Give me a call and I will preform a no-cost, no-obligation review of your specific options.
I can be reached at 208-709-9898.
CMS.GOV
Trump Administration Announces Historically Low Medicare Advantage Premiums and New Payment Model to Make Insulin Affordable Again for Seniors | CMS
Good info on when to draw your Social Security Benefits.
#FoxBusiness
FOXBUSINESS.COM
The most important Social Security table you'll ever see
Important Information Regarding CMS’ Senior Savings Model and Medicare Beneficiaries on INSULIN.
10/02/2020 An article from the National Association of Health Underwriters.
Following an executive order, CMS has promoted a new “Senior Savings Model” for beneficiaries on Medicare who take insulin and have it covered through the Medicare Part D and the Medicare Advantage programs. As recently as this week’s debates, the president has mentioned that insulin will be more affordable than ever for people on Medicare. Information has been slow to roll out on this program and with the start of the 2021 Medicare Annual Election Period, the amount of information on how the program works is limited. There are some important factors concerning this program that we feel agents need to know to serve their clients this season.
The program is not universal among all Medicare Advantage and stand-alone Part D Prescription Drug Plans. Any insurance company that wished to participate for the 2021 plan year had to submit a request for consideration for each plan which they wanted to be approved. As a result, not every available plan is taking part in the program. Only a select few of the large national insurance companies are part of the program, and no large insurance company has 100 percent of its PDP plans taking part, but one will find it more prevalent with many MAPD plans, with some large companies not participating at all. This scattered participation is for both stand-alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage plans with Prescription Drug Coverage. Due to the selectiveness of participation in this program, we are asking all agents to be aware of which plans in the areas they serve participate in the insulin savings program by going here. You can directly access the PDSS landscape file here. The Medicare.gov 2021 Prescription Plan Finder has also been updated under the “filters” tab to filter out any MAPD or PDP plan which does not participate in the insulin savings program to help find only those plans which are part of it. If the client is taking other expensive drugs, the quotes with the insulin filter OFF will be more meaningful for out-of-pocket projections.
We also want to remind all agents that not all insulins are a part of this new model but it should be noted that most insulin manufacturers are participating.
Lastly, we want to make agents aware that, while participating insulins will cost up to $35 co-pay during all phases of the prescription drug program (deductible, cost-sharing, coverage gap, catastrophic), the program does not eliminate the cost of the drug counting toward entering and exiting the coverage gap. The true out-of-pocket cost of insulin, regardless of co-pay, will continue to count as normal. In other words, while your clients will pay less before, during, and after the coverage gap for participating insulins, they need to know the program will not provide relief toward easing the speed in which all their other non-insulin drugs enter the coverage gap.
It's that time of year. If you are on Medicare give me call and I will give you a no-cost, no-obligation review of your plan options. Call today - 208-709-9898.
OMAHA.COM
3 Signs You Need a New Medicare Part D Plan This Year
SSA.GOV
Open your account today!
Social Security Administration
November 15 at 4:45 PM ·
How do I get a replacement Medicare card? http://ow.ly/MIYa50BFu1r
SSA.GOV
Get Your Social Security Statement | my Social Security | SSA
Social Security Administration
November 12 at 2:35 PM ·
Only Social Security can give you your OFFICIAL earnings Statement! Go to http://ow.ly/JOMi50AYMQq.
Social Security Administration
November 12 at 2:35 PM ·
Only Social Security can give you your OFFICIAL earnings Statement! Go to http://ow.ly/JOMi50AYMQq.
2021 Medicare Part B Premiums.
Today Medicare released the costs for Medicare in 2021.
CMS.GOV
2021 Medicare Part B Premiums Remain Steady | CMS
Casey D Peterson
February 3, 2020 at 4:40 PM ·
We can lift ourselves and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.—Thomas S. Monson
The age that you can draw Social Security benefits could change. What might that mean for you? Click on the article below to learn more about the proposed changes.
CNBC.COM
The Social Security retirement age could change. What that could mean for benefits
The other day I was asked when Social Security payments first started. Here you go:
SSA.GOV
Retirement Estimator | SSA
We love Idaho. Have a great Sabbath!
Casey D Peterson
January 31 at 5:00 PM ·
I love where I live! Beautiful sunset last night as Alicia and I headed out for date night. And then our frequent houseguests came right up to our master bedroom window this morning.