Newsletter - Columbia River Insurance Services

Now that it is fall it is time to plan out your year regarding Medicare services. Here are a few things to remember and act on.

1. Do you have the right drug plan? If not you can make changes before the next enrollment period. Any time during the year you can change Medicare Advantage Plan including Medicare Drug Plans that has a 5-star rating.
2. Plan your deductible. Make sure you pan out your Medicare deductible if you have Medicare Part B or are in Original Medicare.
3. Make preventative care appointments. Medicare covers many different preventative care screenings. Ask you medical provider to schedule your wellness visit.
4. Is your doctor using Electronic Health Records?Using Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and electronic prescribing can help reduce paperwork, medical errors, and health care costs

 

Up-to-date information about Medicare is available on the Internet at the web site http://www.medicare.gov. If you don't have a computer, your local public library or senior center may be able to help you find this information.

If you have questions about how to enroll in Medicare, call Social Security's toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, any business day from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The lines are busiest early in the week and early in the month, so it is best to call at other times. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call a toll-free TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on business days. When you call, have your Social Security number handy.

A healthy body is a happy body, and there’s no better way to preserve your health and your family’s health than with a health insurance policy from Columbia River Insurance Services.

Let’s face it, medical treatments aren’t cheap. Without health insurance coverage you could end up paying off medical bills for the rest of your life. Columbia River Insurance Services can help you find an affordable healthcare plan that’s right for you. Contact one of our friendly agents today to learn more.

 
 

Medicare Basics for the New Enrollee

If you are new to Medicare, it may seem like there is a lot to learn and absorb. We are here to help you. Keep this information close to you, and then call us today.  We are always available to answer your Medicare questions.

Medicare was created to provide health insurance for all people 65 years of age or older. It has gone through many changes over the years. More recently, a new program was added to help cover prescription drug costs.
This year the Medicare enrollment is set for 2019. What this means is that between October 15, 2018, through December 7, 2018, you will have the opportunity to look at the marketplace to see which Medicare Advantage plans, or gap plans, are available for the year 2019. Anyone wanting to switch plans will have to do so during the AEP, as after December 7, 2018, no plan changes will be allowed.

Here are some Medicare facts to remember:

1.Using an agent does not cost you anymore.
2.When you are first eligible for Medicare, you have a 7-month Initial Enrollment Period to sign up for Part A and/or Part B.
3.January 1 to March 31 each year is the standard enrollment period. If you didn't sign up for Part A and/or Part B when you were first eligible, and you aren’t eligible for a Special Enrollment Period (see below), you can sign up during the General Enrollment.
4.Once your Initial Enrollment Period ends, you may have the chance to sign up for Medicare during a Special Enrollment Period. If you are covered under a group health plan based on current employment, and that plan ends, you can call us for enrollment options

he Affordable Care Act puts consumers back in charge of their health care. Under the law, a new “Patient’s Bill of Rights” gives the American people the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health.
 

Many of my clients receive outpatient therapy; perhaps for a hip replacement, stroke, or some other treatment. While Medicare does offer coverage for this kind of treatment, there are limitations that you need to be aware of.
Medicare places caps on these services when you receive them from outpatient providers. Remember, Medicare also requires these treatments to be medically necessary. Copayment and payments made to providers can be applied toward the cap. Here are the caps:

• Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy-$1,880
• Occupational Therapy - $1 880

Medicare allows providers to receive payments above the cap amount as long as the provider documents the need for the medical necessary services and it also must be noted on the billing statement. Effective October 1, 2012 all therapy claims, both above and below the cap, must include the national provider identifier (NPI) of the physician responsible. Therapy costs exceeding $3,700 are subject to a manual medical review. The caps may change for 2013, depending on what Congress does in December.
 
Medicare Advantage may plan to apply a $1,880 therapy cap with an exceptions process if it chooses to do so. However, many Medicare Advantage plans have chosen not to apply a therapy cap in the past. You should check with your Medicare Advantage plan regarding its payment policies.

A healthy body is a happy body, and there’s no better way to preserve your health and your family’s health than with a health insurance policy from Columbia River Insurance Services.

Let’s face it, medical treatments aren’t cheap. Without health insurance coverage you could end up paying off medical bills for the rest of your life. Columbia River Insurance Services can help you find an affordable healthcare plan that’s right for you. Contact one of our friendly agents today to learn more.

Boating is a great adventure on any type of boat and is being enjoyed by many on a daily basis, but with that comes a great responsibility. It is not mandatory to do a boating course at this time, but there are some excellent reasons to get your self-informed about the rules of the road.
 

• You will learn about safety equipment and what you are required to have on your boat before you undertake any boating excursion. This is very important because what you don’t have with you could make the difference between being able to handle a situation or not.

 

• You will learn that driving a boat is vastly different from driving a car. You are dealing with air and water currents. If you have never docked a boat you may think that it is easy until that is, the current is pulling you in the opposite direction that you want to go.

 

• Knowing how to work with lines and tying knots is part of boating. You have to be able to secure a boat properly. If your boat gets away, it is amazing how quickly the current will take it out of your reach, and you will probably require the assistance of another boater to help you get to it.

 

• You will learn what the channel markers mean. We learned the hard way the first time we went out on a boat and ran aground outside the markers. We also had no clue what the red and green markers meant on the poles. This you also learn on the course.

 

• There are speed limits on certain water ways, but unlike the roads, they may or may not be posted. Ignorance may not be enough to get you out of a ticket.

 

• Using charts for coastal navigation can be a lifesaver. It’s your roadmap that helps you stay away from the shallows and shows where all the markers and bridges are, and by using measurements, you can calculate the distance and time it will take to get somewhere.

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• Just like on the roads, there is the right of way. On a boating course, you will learn who has the right of way and why.

 

• Every boat should have a horn. You may hear one long toot or 2 short toot and so on, and you’ll learn what they mean.

 

• There are boating regulations and laws that must be followed by all boaters, for example, (and I have seen this rule broken so many times), you are not allowed to sit on the bow of the boat with your feet hanging overboard.

 

• Anchoring a boat is not just a matter of plopping it down in the sand. There is a mathematical technique applied to anchoring that has to do with the size and length of your boat. Knowing how to do this correctly will give you that extra insurance of knowing your boat is going nowhere until you want to move it.

Thanks for choosing Columbia River Insurance Services. We know you have many choices when purchasing insurance and we want to thank you for choosing us as your insurance agency. As a professional insurance agency we pride ourselves on maintaining long term relationships. Please keep us in mind when your family and friends are looking for a referral.