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LYN’S LEDGER
Lyndon Thomas Insurance
Sep 2017
We Help You With Medicare.
Hola, Me Llamo Lyn
LEARNING SPANISH AT LAKE TAHOE
O ver the past few weeks, Kathy and I have taken a lap of a vacation. We’ve circled up through Oakland, through Lake Tahoe and Utah, and then back down to our home here in Ojai. In the Bay Area and Utah we were able to do some catching up with family, which was great. The main focus of the trip, though was the time we spent at the Intensive Summer Spanish Institute at Lake Tahoe Community College. It’s been hard work — I’ve been reminded that learning a new language isn’t something you pick up simply by rolling out of bed — but hopefully it’s been an attempt at growth. and letting go of things that hold us back. Living in Southern California, I’ve always viewed my inability to speak Spanish as a major limitation. At the church where I am a pastor, I have a few bilingual congregants, and I’ve always thought it would be nice to speak with them in their native language. Moreover, I simply love engaging with the people of our community, and I want to have the tools to engage with as many people as possible, whether as a pastor, volunteer, or simply as a neighbor. Spanish is a very useful tool in this respect. A mentor of mine defined growth as consisting of three components: losing limitations, leaving old ways behind,
Program. She said one of the benefits was that it offered intensive immersion, rather than a strictly textbook approach. I’m the type of person who likes to dive right in when I’m learning a new skill, and this seemed like the best way to do it. Oh, and the beautiful setting of Lake Tahoe didn’t hurt. It’s been on our to-do list for quite some time, so I’m thrilled we finally had the chance to attend. The Low Beginner class was exactly the right place for Kathy and me. The last time I learned a language was English, and that was quite a few years ago. The instructors at ISSI were fantastic, as was the time making new friends. It definitely was nice to have some people struggling along side us! Another thing I really appreciated was the number of online resources the instructors pointed us to. Their goal was to make sure our learning continued even after we’ve left their classrooms. If you ask me, that’s the sign of an exceptional teacher. Now that we’re back home, I’ll be seeking out opportunities to put my hard work in the classroom in practice in the real world. We’ve hardly even begun our Spanish journey, but the old saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it” rings true. Another piece of wisdom that this experience has reminded me of is that it’s never too late to learn new things.
I learned of this program several years ago from a former staff member at the HELP of Ojai’s Community Assistance
– Lyn Thomas
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www.LT-ins.com
Published by The NewsletterPro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Published by The NewsletterPro • www.NewsletterPro.com
L yndon Thomas Insurance
THIS MONTH INHISTORY August 1914
“Time flies when you’re having fun!” Or, so the saying goes. I’m getting to the stage of life where time just simply flies. Do I hear an “Amen, brother?” Another Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is just around the corner. Annual Enrollment Period, aka the Open Enrollment Period, is the time of year when anyone already in Medicare may add, change, or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan or Stand Alone Prescription Drug Plan. On or about October 1 If you are enrolled in a 2017 MAPD or SA-PDP, your Healthplan will mail you an Annual Notice of Change. The ANOC highlights any changes in your current plan for 2018. If you are satisfied with your plan and any changes are acceptable, you do not need to take any action for your plan to “roll over” and continue next year. You may also inform your plan that you wish to receive such plan materials via email. October 1–14 Medicare Advantage Plans and Stand Alone Prescription Drug Plans publish online their next year’s plan benefits, including any premium, copays, and plan changes. Agents may begin marketing activities and meeting with Medicare beneficiaries to discuss their 2018 plan benefit options. However, agents are prohibited from accepting AEP enrollments during Pre-AEP. October 15 through December 7 This is the Annual Enrollment Period, during which agents may continue marketing activities and receive enrollments. AEP enrollments become effective on January 1. It’s Time Again for Annual Enrollment Period! HERE’S THE TIMELINE: January 1 through February 14 This is known as the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period. this is the period of time when someone who has enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan during the previous AEP may disenroll from that MAPD and return to Original Medicare and, if desired, enroll in a Stand Alone Prescription Drug Plan. Keep in mind that all enrollment activities for those turning 65 and entering Medicare follow the Initial Enrollment Period guidelines. Medicare Supplement policy changes follow different guidelines. In a future issue, we will discuss Special Enrollment Periods.
August 1914 may be the most important August in history. Earlier that summer, Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been assassinated in Sarajevo (in an attempt that was almost botched but was ultimately successful). Tensions that had been simmering in Europe for years began to boil over, and in August the first shots were fired — the beginning of World War I. Patriotic and nationalistic jingoism amongst European nations soon turned to horror as the full picture of mechanized slaughter became clear to all. By the end of the year, a million European soldiers and citizens had been killed in the trenches and city streets. They were the first casualties of a war that would claim the lives of 16 million — and the souls of a rapidly globalizing world.
While young men were being cut down by the newest technology in the trenches, the folks back home in many European nations were being cut down by famine and disease. The war put
immense pressure on lines of supply — pressure that was intensified by intentional blockades of civilian food supplies by both sides of the conflict. Historian N.P. Howard writes that these blockades “spread death and disease, as famine encroached upon the civilian populations of Central Europe.” Blockades on some countries, especially Germany, were not lifted after the war ended in 1918. Punitive measures like these were designed to prevent Germany from rising again. Instead, they resulted in needless death and more tensions between Germany and the rest of the world, which ultimately led to the Second World War a few decades later. Some countries fared better. America and Canada, untouched at home across the Atlantic, found what Canadian Lieutenant Timothy C. Winegard describes as “a context of nationhood and a sense of pride in an achievement” as new-world nations testing their mettle. They had no food shortages, and the war boosted their economies. This was particularly true in America, which entered the war relatively late for the final effort to topple the German alliance. It was the United States’ first European intervention. But in August 1914, nobody knew any of that. Not the world leaders, not the men and women back home, and certainly not the millions of soldiers headed for the trenches. It was a lesson the world would never forget, even when war broke out again two decades later.
This flyer has not been approved by Medicare, and all information included here may be verified at www.Medicare.gov.
2 216-B E. Matilija St, Ojai, CA 93023 www.LT-ins.com CA# 0D96309
We Help You With Medicare.
HowWe Help YouWith the Annual Enrollment Period
I’d like to outline the services Lyndon Thomas Insurance provides for our clients and prospects throughout the year, with a focus on the upcoming Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. PRESCRIPTION DRUG REVIEW Medicare Advantage Plans and Prescription Drug Programs change from year to year. Premiums may go up (or down!), copays may change, a drug you are taking may change tiers. Birthday presents are nice surprises. Finding out in January that your premium or copays went up is not the way to begin the new year. Lyndon Thomas Insurance will mail clients a Prescription Drug Review Worksheet in September. If you would like us to review your prescriptions, simply complete the utilization worksheet and return to our office via mail or email. SALES EVENTS MEETINGS In the October issue of Lyn’s Ledger, we will list our Annual Enrollment Period sales meetings if you would like an in-depth
review of your plan’s 2018 benefits. Each sales meeting will be plan-specific in compliance with Medicare guidelines. In this way, you may attend meetings based on the plan about which you would like information. Please invite a friend to come along! INDIVIDUAL BENEFITS CONSULTATION You may always schedule an individual appointment with Lyndon Thomas Insurance for a benefits review of your MAPD, SA-PDP, or Medicare Supplement. You may call or text us at 805- 798-3245 or email to Lyn@LT-ins.com for an appointment. Our goal is to make your entry to Medicare and any changes during the Annual Enrollment Period as informed and as smooth as possible. Let’s get the Medicare piece solved so you can move on to what you’d rather be doing, like getting ready for the holidays or hanging out with the grandkids!
This flyer has not been approved by Medicare.
SUDOKU
ONE-PAN HARVEST PASTA
Grid n°1669070380 easy
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This easy, healthy, hearty recipe is a delicious way to employ the harvest from your vegetable garden. Recipe courtesy of midwestliving.com Ingredients
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 cup dried whole grain elbow macaroni
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups) 1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped (2 cups) 2 tomatoes or 4 Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
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1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
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Kosher salt
Ground black pepper (optional)
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1/3 cup chopped red onion
Snipped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. In a very large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, and garlic. Cook, uncovered, 7–10 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Add beans, broth, pasta, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 7–10 minutes more or until vegetables and pasta are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper; top with basil and Parmesan cheese and serve.
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We have all the free sudokus youneed!400new sudokuseveryweek. Make your own free printable sudoku at www.PrintMySudoku.com
Solution
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CA# 0D96309
805-646-6409
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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Hola,Me Llamo Lyn
August 1914
It’s Time Again for Annual Enrollment Period! HowWe Help YouWith the Annual Enrollment Period
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One-Pan Harvest Pasta
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When Therapy Comes on 4 Paws
9 LIVES OF LOVE The Healing Power of Therapy Cats
While dogs are considered the go-to therapy animal, cat lovers will vouch for how quickly a sweet kitty can brighten your mood. Pet Partners, a therapy animal certification program, offers felines the opportunity to use their powers for good. In nursing homes, cats have been shown to help seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia recall happy memories. Kitty volunteers in psychiatric wards and hospitals help patients relax in stressful environments. There are many accounts of friendly cats providing invaluable support to autistic children. One such child is Richard Manerling, who, at 4 years old, was still nonverbal. Richard’s father hoped a therapy animal would help the boy come out of his shell, but Richard showed no interest in the dogs at their local animal shelter. As the family walked past the cat room, Richard pointed to a black-and-white tuxedo feline and declared, “Cat!” From the first day the new family member, later named Clover, came home, Richard could be heard practicing conversations with his new friend. Cats continued to aid Richard throughout his life. Today, Richard attends college and majors in art. While Clover passed on many years ago, two new cats, Linus and Melody, follow in
Clover’s pawsteps. Richard’s family credits the loving felines in their lives with helping Richard through hard times and teaching him to not be ashamed of his autism. Not every cat is suited to take on the responsibility of being a therapy animal. A cat must be affectionate, comfortable around new people and other animals, unaffected by loud noises, and relaxed in unfamiliar environments. Does your feline have what it takes to be a therapy cat? Visit petparners.org to learn more about the program and find out how you and your cat can register today.
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216-B E. Matilija St, Ojai, CA 93023
Published by The NewsletterPro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Published by The NewsletterPro •www.NewsletterPro.com
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