LYN’S LEDGER
Lyndon Thomas Insurance
Oct 2021
We Help You With Medicare.
NEWOFFICE AND GROWING STAFF
Our new location triples our floor space and provides room for added staff. The elevator gives second-floor access. We are enjoying our new digs! Please stop in and say, “Hi!” GROWING STAFF For those former patients of Dr. Roger Phelps (my landlord on Matilija Street), you may remember Susan Crook , who very capably managed the office there. Susan came to work with us last February and is now a licensed insurance agent with LTI, managing client contacts and appointments — along with many other tasks. Welcome, Susan! By now, many of our readers have had their day brightened with a telephone call from our new client service representative, Joan Young . Joan assists us with client communications, fielding questions and concerns, and updating our clients’ information. Welcome, Joanie! Beth Finsaas started with LTI in time for Annual Enrollment Period, 2018. Also now a licensed agent, she has learned the behind-the-scenes details of the agency business well enough that she is now telling Lyn what to do! Our most recent addition to the LTI staff is Aaron Boydston , who is charged with overseeing our computer systems online and business security. Aaron was hired to be a “pain in the neck” to ensure our security procedures are up to par and monitor compliance by the rest of us. Welcome, Aaron! Some of our clients will remember when LTI was just me, Lyn, doing everything. Now with a very capable staff, we are better able to assist people with Medicare programs and other insurances.
It’s been far too long since the last edition of Lyn’s Ledger. The disruption of my illness and hospitalization last year, along with moving our offices to a new location and hiring and training new staff members, pretty much derailed my newsletter production. I’m delighted to be back with you! Many of you will enjoy another of the great recipes included on the third page. A client recently pointed out to me that the last edition (October 2020) of Lyn’s Ledger left my readers with my head in the refrigerator! In that update, I recounted that upon arriving home from the hospital, the first thing I did was head to the refrigerator to eat some leftovers. Kathy’s leftovers are certainly preferable to hospital food! Thanks to several gallons of antibiotics, my bacterial blood infection was cleared, and I transitioned from IV to oral antibiotics in July 2020. However, during the throes of the infection, the bacteria succeeded in getting from the blood into my third lumbar where it is presumed — due to periodic testing — to still linger today. Continuing oral antibiotics are holding my C-reactive protein (infection markers) to an acceptable level. Not the outcome for which we had hoped, but overall, I am back to as full a range of activity as my rickety knees will permit! Despite my illness and the ongoing difficulties of COVID-19, 2020 and 2021 have been an exciting time for LTI. I would like to first recognize and thank our new clients, who, along with those we’ve served over the past eight years, have trusted LTI to assist with their healthcare. We are truly grateful for each one of you. We’ve also moved our offices and our staff has grown! NEWOFFICE LOCATION After six very good years on Matilija Street in downtown Ojai, Lyndon Thomas Insurance outgrew our space there and has moved to 1211 Maricopa Hwy., Ste. 222, also in Ojai. For those of you who are familiar with the area, we are in the Chase Bank building across the street from Ojai Valley Community Hospital. We miss the Matilija Street neighborhood, in walking distance of home for Lyn, and stepping across the street to Rainbow Bridge for lunch.
Our deepest appreciation to everyone who has trusted us to assist with their healthcare needs.
Be Blessed Today!
–Lyn Thomas
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Lyndon Thomas Insurance
SELF-HELP BOOKS CAN’T DO IT ALL
peak capacity. We need breaks, or else we’ll stress ourselves out and negatively affect other areas of our lives. Stress tends to keep us from sound sleep, but reading fiction before bed engages the imagination, taking us away from the stresses of everyday life before we drift off. MORE COMFORT WITH UNCERTAINTY Even though many stories (particularly those portrayed in popular movies) have nice happy endings, most people would agree that life sometimes leaves things a little more open-ended. While this fact might stress out some people, researchers have discovered that fiction readers don’t need “cognitive closure” as much as nonfiction readers. GREATER HAPPINESS Even if none of the benefits of fiction interest you, everyone wants to find ways to make themselves happy — and for many, that is reading fiction. According to one survey, 76% of participants said that reading makes them feel good and improves their lives. So, what are you waiting for? Dust off that novel you’ve been meaning to read and crack it open!
Many CEOs and other successful individuals continually espouse the benefits of regular reading. Many times, leaders read self-help books to improve their leadership skills and become more successful. This is all well and good, but even the most successful people in the world could be missing out on the unique benefits that come specifically from reading fiction. But what are those benefits exactly? GREATER EMPATHY When a psychologist analyzed 86 functioning MRI (fMRI) studies, he found that the same parts of the brain that fire up when reading fictional stories also fire up when we’re seeking to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. That’s because when the characters in the book we’re reading are thinking or feeling a certain way, we tend to think or feel that way with them. LESS STRESS AND BETTER SLEEP When we read fiction specifically, we tend to disengage from the world — and that’s a good thing! Our brains can’t always be functioning at their
MEDICARE ANNUAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD IS UPON US TIME TO MAKE A CHANGE?
2 216-B E. Matilija St., Ojai, CA 93023 As you review the ANOC for your plan, if you decide the changes identified are manageable and you are happy to continue with your current plan, then there’s nothing you need to do for your plan to There is one piece of mail from your current plan for which you should keep alert. This is the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC). All changes from this year’s MAPD or PDP going forward to next year are lifted out into the ANOC on a side-by-side table so that they are clearly seen for you to compare. Aspects of the plan not included in the ANOC remain the same for the next year. For anyone who’s been in Medicare for a year or more, it’s pretty easy to know when it’s October 1. That’s when your mailbox begins filling up with fourth-class mail from insurance companies and brokers. Also, October through December 7, most of the TV advertisements are trying to get you to call a toll-free number. This means the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is once again upon us. The Medicare AEP is the time of year when anyone with a Medicare Advantage Plan and those with a Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Program are able to make a plan change — BUT ONLY IF THEY CHOOSE TO TAKE ACTION.
CA# 0D96309 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 ...
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We Help You With Medicare.
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continue next year. However, there are four other things you may want to consider.
your full-service Medicare agency, we are here to answer questions about your coverage options with other plans and to help determine your best plan for 2022. Lyndon Thomas Insurance contracts with nearly all of the companies that are filling up your mailbox and TV screen. We suggest that a local agent who provides personal service over time provides a better value for your premium dollar. We are compensated by commission from the company and never charge for a benefit review or consultation. Medicare Supplement policies have separate guidelines and enrollment options. To review Supplement options and MAPD and PDP options during the Medicare AEP, you may call us at 805-646- 6409 or visit our website at www.LT-Ins.com.
1. File your ANOC and Evidence of Coverage for 2022 in a safe place for reference.
2. Watch the mail for your member ID card for the 2022 year.
3. Move all that AEP fourth-class marketing junk mail directly to the recycle bin.
4. Start getting ready for the holidays.
However, if your ANOC reveals changes to your current plan that inspire you to take a look at other plans available to you, then as
SUDOKU
OKTOBERFEST SOFT PRETZELS
Ingredients
• • • •
3 tbsp oil, divided 2/3 cup baking soda
• • • • •
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp sugar
2 eggs, beaten
Coarse salt, for sprinkling
1 packet active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
Directions
3. Preheat oven to 450 F. 4. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Roll them into thin ropes, then twist ropes into pretzel shapes. 5. In a large pot, boil water. Add baking soda, then boil each pretzel for 1 minute, flipping halfway through. 6. Transfer pretzels to a baking sheet.
1. In a bowl, combine water, salt, and sugar. Add yeast and let rest for 5 minutes. Add flour and 2 tbsp oil, then mix thoroughly into a dough. 2. Remove the dough from the bowl. Coat bowl with remaining oil, then return the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and set it aside in a warm place for 1 hour.
Brush them with egg and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10–15 minutes. Enjoy!
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CA# 0D96309
805-646-6409
Inspired by Tasty.co
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 Ledger: New Office and Growing Staff
The Unique Benefits of Reading Fiction
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period Is Upon Us
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Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels
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Deep-Cleaning Hacks for the Holidays
YOU CAN USE WHAT TO TIDY UP?!
4 DEEP-CLEANING HACKS TO PREP FOR THE HOLIDAYS throwing some socks on your hands, you can get back to clean blinds. All you have to do is find a pair of old socks, “glove up,” and dampen them. From there, if you grip each individual blind panel and slide your hand along the length of it, you will gather tons of nasty dirt and dust onto the sock. CLEANING BALLS Utilizing tennis balls for your house chores may sound strange. However, when drying a bulky bed comforter in your dryer, adding a few tennis balls will ensure the stuffing does not gather all to one side. The balls help keep everything nice and even. PILLOWCASES AND FANS Your ceiling fans collect all of the nasties — dirt, dust, bugs, and allergens. For an easy way to clean them without spreading all the grime around your home, turn to old pillowcases! Simply slip the pillowcase over each individual fan blade and then wipe. All of the debris will end up in the pillowcase itself. A clean home is the key to happy living and is paramount for hosting over the holidays. With these tricks up your sleeve, you are now a cleaning expert!
Prepping for the holidays is exciting and fun, but it requires tons of planning, cooking, decorating, and cleaning. To avoid getting bogged down while preparing for cheerful celebrations with friends and family, try these easy ways to get your house sparkling clean and ready to host.
ROLL THE CEILINGS When it comes to ceilings, especially if they are textured, thoroughly cleaning off dust, dander, and cobwebs can be challenging. When you use a broom, chunks typically go flying around and make a larger mess. However, if you whip out a painting roller, dampen it, and roll your ceilings just like you are painting, you are sure to get the job done! SOCKS ON YOUR HANDS Have you ever run a finger along a panel of your blinds and it comes up black? Blinds tend to be huge dust collectors. By
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216-B E. Matilija St., Ojai, CA 93023
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