Check out our November newsletter!
LYN’S LEDGER
Lyndon Thomas Insurance
November 2022
We Help You With Medicare.
THANKSGIVING GRATITUDE
Giving Thanks in the Busy Season
Businesses organize the year by quarters, Q1 through Q4, with October through December pressurized by year-end sales goals. Farmers and those more in tune with the outdoors may look to the seasons to mark the year, with their harvest at the mercy of the weather. The school year is the primary scheduler of activities for those in education with graduation bringing its own pressures for seniors. For those in the Medicare business, our entire year centers around the annual enrollment period, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Our agency does more than half of our annual business in these seven weeks. Early mornings, back-to-back appointments, and late evenings are typical. That’s the way we like it! This busy time is punctuated by Thanksgiving Day. As I get older, I’ve grown to appreciate the relative absence of commercialism and marketing hype leading up to the holiday. More centered on expressing appreciation than hanging decorations (I do like the decorations!), it’s important to reflect on gratitude. Instead of focusing on endless merchandising, the fourth Thursday of November is a reminder that even when it seems the world is falling apart, we have so much — all around us — to be thankful. We, writers and readers alike, have had plenty of pain and things to complain about. Yet, everyone also has many blessings and provisions all around them.
As Thanksgiving Day approaches, here is the beginning of my list of what I am grateful for: • The presence and grace of God in the world and in my life • My family, Kathy, my three sons, and my daughter-in-law • The example and heritage received from my parents • Our church family and place of worship • Every one of our clients we have the opportunity to serve • The staff here at LTI — they are the best • That we will have enough — well, more than enough — to eat when we gather It seems many voices are telling us what to think these days. Let’s direct our thoughts to gratitude. Thank you for being a friend of Lyndon Thomas Insurance. We are glad to be here for you. This annual enrollment period, give us a call with any
questions. Blessings,
–Lyn Thomas
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www.LT-ins.com
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Lyndon Thomas Insurance
THINKING ABOUT DOWNSIZING?
3 Questions to Consider
2. What will be the financial benefits of downsizing? Before purchasing a new home, you want to see if there are benefits to moving and downsizing. Depending on what the market looks like, the worth of your home and land, and where you choose to move next, you can take the money you earn from your current home and use it for something else. For example, it can be used as a down payment for your new home, get stashed in a savings or retirement account, or go toward your dream vacation. 3. What will you do with all of your stuff? Depending on where you decide to move — a condo, apartment, or a smaller house — you will likely need to part ways with some things. You want to consider how much space you’ll have in your new home and what items will follow you on your next journey. Getting rid of some of your belongings can be difficult, so ensure that you’re prepared to leave some things behind. Consider donating some of your items to shelters and centers. Although your items may not be used by you, they can go to someone in need. The most important question you can ask yourself is if you’re truly ready to downsize. The questions here will help you determine if downsizing is the right choice for you during this time. But don’t feel rushed to decide if you need to make life changes now. Take your time with this decision — you have more free time now than ever.
Whether you’ve become an empty nester or are about to retire, you may decide to downsize your home. But before doing this, there are many factors you must consider. Here are three questions you should ask
yourself before downsizing. 1. How do you want to live?
To find out where you want to live, you must first ask yourself what you want to do. A great place to start is by determining what you want to do with your free time. Do you want to spend time in nature, go on frequent getaways, or be involved in your community? Once you know how you want to spend your time, you can begin looking for places that best suit your needs.
STAND ALONE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM CORNER
A client call we receive from time to time here at LTI is, “My plan doesn’t cover Shingrix.” This call will likely come from a member with a stand-alone prescription drug program, whose average monthly prescription fill is generics only, experiencing a few dollars a month in out-of-pocket costs. Then their doctor prescribes the Shingrix shingles shot, and bam — $450 at the cash register. What happened? While most part D prescription drug programs include Shingrix on their formulary, the deductible wasn’t met, so they had to pay most — or all — of the cost. Let’s take a quick review of part D prescription drug plans. All Medicare part D PDPs have four cost accumulation stages beginning in January. Last year’s costs drop off, and you start over. Stage 1 is the deductible , $480 in 2022 and $505 in 2023. Stage 2 is initial coverage . Here you are paying an assigned copay for each fill. If, due to monthly accumulation, the total drug cost (the amount paid by the plan for your prescriptions) reaches $4,660 in 2023, you have reached the initial coverage limit. Going forward, you are in stage 3, the coverage gap , where your cost is 25% of the cost for both generics and brand drugs. Stage 4, catastrophic coverage is reached with $7,400 in actual out-of-pocket costs.
A common feature of the more popular stand-alone PDPs is that the deductible does not apply to tiers 1 and 2. Since, as a brand drug, Shingrix is assigned to tier 3 or 4 and is subject to the deductible. It sure feels to the purchaser that Shingrix is “not covered” when it is covered, but the deductible has not been met at the time.
One of the appealing features of most Medicare Advantage plans is that they don’t make the member pay the prescription drug deductible.
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CA# 0D96309
1211 Maricopa Hwy, Ste 222, Ojai, CA 93023
www.LT-ins.com
We Help You With Medicare.
THOUGHTS ON THE ANNUAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD
YOUR ENROLLMENT OPTIONS
prescription drug plan, you have unenrolled yourself from your Medicare Advantage plan. Please get in touch with our office with any questions. As an independent “full-service” Medicare agency, we represent many plans across the Medicare spectrum. Medicare Advantage Plans Anthem Blue Cross, Alignment, Aetna, Blue Shield, Central Healthplan, Humana, Lasso, SCAN Healthplan, AARP/United Healthcare, WellCare Medicare Supplement Plans Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Lumico, Mutual of Omaha, United American Part D Prescription Drug Programs Aetna/SilverScript, Anthem, Blue Shield, Cigna, Clearspring, Humana, Mutual of Omaha, WellCare You may also visit our website, LT-Ins.com , for more information and to see a schedule of sales seminars. Your LTI staff are available to answer questions at 805-646-6409. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you with your Medicare needs.
As the Medicare annual enrollment period continues, this is the time of year you’ll get even more junk mail, see “old Joe” TV ads, or receive noncompliant phone calls. Remember that most marketing involves Medicare Advantage and stand-alone prescription drug plans. AEP runs from Oct. 15–Dec. 7 and is the time when anyone with Medicare may add, change, or drop that coverage. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan with built-in Part D and want to keep it for next year, then you are done with AEP. Go ahead, recycle all that fourth class mail, and focus on the holidays. Medicare supplement policies are regulated differently, and those in California with a supplement may most readily change to another accessory in the 60 days following their birthday. You may have a Medicare Advantage or Med supp plan, but not both at the same time. If you have a stand-
alone PDP and wish to change plans, the annual enrollment period is the time to do that. Caution! If you are a Medicare Advantage plan member and enroll in a stand-alone
SUDOKU
VEGAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHILI
Ingredients
•
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, plus 2 tbsp for sautéing
• • • • • • •
15-oz can pinto beans, drained
28-oz can diced tomatoes 1 cup cooked quinoa 1 1/2 tsp paprika ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• • • • •
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and diced 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, diced 15-oz can black beans, drained
¼ tsp table salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Directions
1. In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp vegetable broth over medium heat. 2. Add garlic, butternut squash, and chipotle peppers. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Add bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. 4. Add black beans, pinto beans, diced tomatoes (with liquid from can), remainder of vegetable broth, quinoa, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine. 5. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until butternut squash is tender, then serve!
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CA# 0D96309
805-646-6409
Inspired by SavoryTooth.com
Lyndon Thomas Insurance
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
PO Box 207 Ojai, CA 93024
INSIDE
CA# 0D96309 | www.LT-ins.com | 805-646-6409
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Lyn’s Gratitude List
Are You Ready to Downsize?
Learning About Part D Prescriptions
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Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
Vegan Butternut Squash Chili Calico Cat Saves Owner From Would-Be Burglars
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
FELINE DEFENDER PREVENTS ROBBERY
GUARD CAT MODE ACTIVATED
We’ve heard of guard dogs, but have you ever heard of a guard cat? Well, Bandit the calico cat somehow knew exactly what to do when she spied intruders at her owner’s back door! Some may call it instinct, some may call it luck, but to Fred Everitt, she’s a hero. Everitt, a 68-year-old retired oral surgeon, was sound asleep in his Mississippi home on Sunday, July 24, when Bandit started letting out deep meows sometime between 2:30–3 a.m. Everitt assumed Bandit had seen another cat or other animal outside. Cats tend to be active at night, and Bandit is no exception. She’s been known to roam the living room and explore the kitchen cabinets
while Everitt sleeps soundly. He quickly realized it was something else when she came into his room and tried to pull his comforters off and clawed at his arms. Bandit’s behavior was unusual, so Everitt knew something was wrong. “She had never done that before,” Everitt said. “I went, ‘What in the world is wrong with you?’” Bandit’s persistence eventually pulled him from bed, and after throwing his robe on, he went to investigate. When he finally got into the kitchen, he noticed two figures — one with a crowbar and one with what looked like a handgun — trying to break into his back door. By the time Everitt returned from retrieving his own handgun, the intruders were gone. Thankfully, it didn’t turn into a confrontational situation, and Everitt gave credit to the 20-pound cat that he adopted from a humane society. If it hadn’t been for Bandit’s alertness, it could’ve been a completely different story. “I want to let people know that you save a life when you adopt from a pet shelter or rescue one,” Everitt said, “but the tides could be turned. You never know when you save an animal if they’re going to save you.”
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1211 Maricopa Hwy, Ste 222, Ojai, CA 93023
Published by The Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Published by The NewsletterPro •www.NewsletterPro.com
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