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MEDICAREBLUEPRINT.COM Health Matters
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
WHAT HALLOWEEN MEANS TO ME The Greatest Time of the Year
On Sept. 23, the fall season officially begins, and whenever it rolls around, I can’t help but think about Halloween. And when I was a kid, Halloween was the greatest time of the year. I lived in a neighborhood that probably had close to a hundred houses in the shape of a big “U,” and on Oct. 31 of every year, kids in costumes filled the streets to trick-or-treat. I remember dressing
wagon and onto the kitchen table, where we’d sort out whose was whose. And I’ll tell you, sorting candy is serious business. It involved a lot of arguing, a bit of stealing, and some calculated bartering. Really, the holiday felt like a big party. It was something we looked forward to all year. We’d even pick our costumes months in advance and compare them with the other kids at school the week leading
up as a ghost and a pirate, and then the last few years, when I was playing Pee Wee football, I used my uniform as my costume, which I’m sure my mom hated. But the option was easy and got me outside faster to join the hundreds of kids already ringing doorbells.
up to the 31st. There was never a question of what someone’s plans were on Halloween night because we knew we’d all be out hitting the same houses in the neighborhood.
“It felt like everyone in our neighborhood was out that night to celebrate in the Halloween spirit.”
Years later, when I took my son to trick-or-treat, I was disappointed to find that while there were certainly a lot of kids out, it wasn’t nearly the same as when I was a kid. And today, trick-or-treating feels like a thing of the past. On Halloween night, the streets are quieter, and even at our own house, we rarely see any little monsters, football players, or zombies anymore. I’m not entirely sure why this drop-off has happened or why Halloween has fallen out of grace with kids or their parents. Maybe our society just isn’t as open to it as we used to be, or perhaps allowing kids to knock on strangers’ doors is a fear that didn’t exist when I was a kid. Probably because back then, our neighbors weren’t strangers.
Being surrounded by kids in costumes wasn’t the only thing that made Halloween
feel like a big party. Families would decorate their houses in my neighborhood with cobwebs, glowing pumpkins, black cats, and other spooky accessories. When we’d ring a doorbell, women dressed as witches with fake noses and long black nails would answer the door. Parents who would accompany their children to trick-or-treat would dress up too. It felt like everyone in our neighborhood was out that night to celebrate in the Halloween spirit. Most Halloweens, my dad would pull a wagon behind him for us kids to dump our candy in as we ran from house to house. Then, when we got home late that night, we’d haul our candy from the
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It’s now easier than ever to stay current with your immunizations, thanks to a new prescription drug law that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Your Guide to Medicare’s New Vaccine and Insulin Benefits STAY PROTECTED AND SAVE BIG
The law allows individuals with Medicare improved access to affordable treatments and strengthens the program.
So, what does this new prescription drug law mean for you?
More vaccines are covered. People with Medicare Part D coverage now pay $0 out of pocket for even more vaccines. Your Part D plan won’t require a copayment or apply a deductible for vaccines the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends, such as:
What Our Clients Think!
• • •
Shingles
RSV
Tetanus/diphtheria (Td)
• Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) (Tdap) • Hepatitis A • Hepatitis B • Flu shots • COVID-19 vaccines • Pneumococcal shots Costs are lower for insulin. If you have Part D drug coverage, your plan can’t charge you more than $35 for a one-month supply of each covered insulin,
“I was called today by a company wanting my business. I’ve been here for three years and am quite happy. Tim and staff have been prompt in answering questions that I’ve had, and I like that they are local.” –Jon Armstrong, client since 2020 “You helped me tremendously with understanding and working through the Medicare process and continue to do so.” –Terry Torbett, client since 2021 “Jason was extremely knowledgeable and answered all my questions in a timely and helpful way.” –Sandra Scott, client since 2023
and you don’t have to pay a deductible, either. If you purchase a three-month supply, you won’t be charged more than $105. The same is true if you use an insulin pump covered under Part B’s durable medical equipment benefit or get your covered insulin through a Medicare Advantage Plan. Your plan should cover the $35 (or less) cost of insulin.
So, this year, take advantage of this new change and get the vaccinations and treatments you need to stay healthy and protected! If you have any questions about this new prescription drug law, feel free to call us — we’re happy to help!
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IMPORTANT MEDICARE ANNOUNCEMENT: The New SOA 48-Hour Rule for Advisors
Medicare plan or benefits with our team in these two instances. What does that mean for you? To avoid any delays in scheduling, we cannot stress how important it is that all of our clients complete this SOA form as soon as possible if they want us to continue providing our annual review of their plans. For your convenience, we have the electronic version of the SOA form on our website you can fill it out to help us meet this 48-hour window and provide the same prompt and informative service we always have. You can find the SOA forms using the links below. Please use the link with your advisor’s name to complete the form.
If you haven’t heard, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which runs Medicare, has recently issued a new rule for interacting with Medicare beneficiaries.
Currently, our clients must complete a Sales Scope of Appointment (SOA) form, which permits advisors to discuss their Medicare benefits with them and outlines the topics we can discuss with our clients during a scheduled meeting or phone call. It also helps our clients maintain agency over their health care and allows them to make the best decisions possible regarding their benefits. Essentially, the SOA form ensures we can discuss the relevant information our clients might need to know in our meetings. What is the new rule? What’s changed? The new rule is that there must now be a 48-hour waiting period between signing the SOA form and the meeting or call with our office. This means we, as agents, must complete the SOA form 48 hours before we sit down with someone to discuss their Medicare information or plan. This new 48-hour rule will apply to all SOA forms starting Sept. 30, 2023, and is required whenever an insurance agent or broker wants to meet with a client to discuss their plans or benefits. The SOA form is then valid for 12 months. The 2 Exceptions to the 48-Hour Rule There are, however, two instances when the 48-hour “cooldown” period does not apply. The first is during the last four days of an election period. The second exception to the rule is for “walk- in” meetings initiated by the client (meaning you come into our office without any prompting or prior arrangement with us). You can only obtain a same-day appointment and discuss your
• MedicareBlueprint.com/JasonSOA
• MedicareBlueprint.com/TimSOA
HONEY-PECAN CHICKEN BREASTS
... CONTINUED FROM COVER
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
I think overall, people are just more scared in general, and it’s a shame more than anything else. Today’s kids will never know how it feels to wear your costume and walk into what felt like the biggest party of the year, with every house decorated and everyone you know out and dressed up. But for me, Halloween will live on in my memories as the most fantastic time of the year, and I look back fondly on all the fun I had on those October nights. If you have any fond childhood memories of Halloween, I’d love to hear about them. Better yet, I’d love to see pictures of your childhood costumes. You can send them my way at Tim@MedicareBlueprint.com. Happy Halloween!
With summer over and fall here, pecan and honey reign supreme in this sweet chicken recipe. The honey provides a perfect caramelization while pecans pack on the crunch factor!
INGREDIENTS •
DIRECTIONS
1. Pound chicken with a meat mallet to 1/2- inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. 2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium heat; brown chicken on both sides. Cook covered until chicken is no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes, turning once. 3. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pecans. Cook covered until chicken is glazed, about 2–3 minutes.
2 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
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1/4 tsp salt
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1/4 tsp garlic powder
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1/8 tsp black pepper
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1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
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1 tbsp butter
—Tim Hanbury
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3 tbsp honey
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2 tbsp finely chopped pecans
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
WHEN HALLOWEEN FELT LIKE A BIG PARTY: A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
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HOW MEDICARE’S NEW DRUG LAW IS MAKING VACCINES AND INSULIN AFFORDABLE
WHAT OUR CLIENTS THINK
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URGENT UPDATE: THE NEW SOA 48-HOUR RULE
HONEY-PECAN CHICKEN BREASTS
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UNSINKABLE SAM: THE FELINE HERO OF WWII
HOW A WWII CAT SURVIVED 3 SHIP SINKINGS: THE STORY OF UNSINKABLE SAM
You’ve heard the saying, “Cats have nine lives,” and while there are countless tales of cats falling from trees or high-above windows, one cat put this theory to the test, earning himself the name “Unsinkable Sam.” Sam’s original name was “Oscar,” and his legacy began aboard the Bismarck, one of the two first-class Nazi battleships in World War II. The Bismarck (with Sam) was launched on Feb. 14, 1939, and soon after engaged in battle with The Prince of Wales, an Allied battleship. The Nazi ship was severely damaged in this battle and ultimately sunk. Only 118 of the 2,200 crew members survived, plus Sam.
139 members aboard. Except for Sam. Once again, Sam clung to a wooden plank and floated safely to the nearby shore of Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory. British service members who found him ashore put two and two together and realized the cat — the very one their fellow servicemen saved in 1939 — was the only survivor of HMS Cossack, earning him the nickname “Unsinkable Sam.” The group in Gibraltar was from the HMS Ark Royal crew, and of course, they loaded Sam aboard when it was time to launch. But as Sam’s luck would have it, a torpedo struck the HMS Ark Royal just a month later, leaving him once again clinging to a floating plank near a boat launch back in Gibraltar. Luckily, Sam’s boating days were over, and he was honorably transferred to the position of “mouse hunter” in the building of the governor-general in Gibraltar. Eventually, the British restationed their favorite floating feline to a “home for sailors” in Belfast, where he lived for the rest of his days until his peaceful passing in 1955.
The British destroyer HMS Cossack found Sam floating on a board hours later, and they promptly scooped him up and welcomed him aboard. Sam had officially switched sides to the Allied forces. Now on the right side of history, Sam lived with the British crew for the next few months as they performed convoy escort duties — until a torpedo struck the HMS Cossack in October 1941, killing all
Sam’s story may not officially prove cats have nine lives, but it makes at least three seem likely!
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