I often here clients ask me about a plan held by a friend or family member who is out of state or in a different region of the state. While a similar option maybe available, Medicare Advantage plans vary by region.
Medicare Advantage plans require that you live in the county or counties of the plan for which you are signing up. Typically the list of counties can be found near the front of your plan book or on the cover. If you are signing up online, you will be required to type in your zip code so that you can select from the options for which you are eligible. If you are in the San Antonio area, you are fortunate to have a plethora of choices. So if you’ve heard of a plan you like but it happens to be in a different market, chances are you can find something that will fit your wants and needs in the San Antonio market as well.
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CNN recently reported that local Social Security offices, although closed, will still be available by phone and online services with a priority on critical services, including
People may also use the online services available, and the main website includes an email contact form. Below is a list of local office numbers in our area as well as the Social Security administration main number. Social Security Main Automated System number: (855) 829-8915 (TTY) 1-800-325-0778 Local Offices: Isom Rd. (866)-571-0718 Southcross Blvd. (866)-964-7432 SAN MARCOS (866)-388-8515 SEGUINE (877)-445-0831 Cesar Chavez – No local number listed Richland Hills – No local number listed Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) Hearing San Pedro - (855) 829-8915 Just a note to our many veterans in and around San Antonio - first off, thank you for your service to our country. Whether you're retired, disabled, still active - no matter the situation, if there's anything we can do on our end to serve your health care needs, we would be honored.
That being said, you may have wondered where Medicare comes into play when you are enjoying your VA benefits. The good news is, YOU CAN HAVE BOTH! If you are 65 or if you have Medicare through Disability, then you've earned Medicare. By serving, you've earned Veterans benefits. Anyone who is solely using VA should learn how to use Medicare to their advantage. As an agent, I can answer any questions you have and help you understand ways the two types of coverage can (and can't) work together. stop and do the math: part 1 Once upon a time, there was a husband and wife who, upon retirement at 65, signed up for $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans. For several years they remained in good health, neither having to stay at length in a hospital.
Meanwhile, several of their acquaintances who had retired around the same time had opted to sign up for higher premium Medicare Supplements, paying per person, an average of $175/month. They too remained in good health for many years. Eight years later, the wife in our couple scenario became ill and was in and out of the hospital several times throughout the year. They ended up hitting their out of pocket maximum of $3600. When they found out that an old acquaintance had also been in and out of the hospital, but all of her bills had been taken care of because she had been on a Medicare Supplement, the couple was furious. Why hadn’t they been on a Medicare Supplement? Now, it’s time to stop and do the math for this particular scenario: The couple who hit an out of pocket maximum of $3600 one time in eight years (and let's not forget they also probably had a few small co-pays here and there each year) did not pay anywhere near what the customer on the Medicare Supplement paid throughout that same time. $175/mo = $2100/yr x 8yrs = $16,800. And if she had a spouse on the same supplement plan, together they would have paid out $33,600 in eight years! Now who is coming out on the better end of the deal? The trouble with using hypothetical situations is, of course, that every person’s situation is unique. However, by thinking through some of these scenarios, having the facts, and paying attention to all of the details of your plan, you can make the best decision for you! Well, it’s not even May here in San Antonio, and it’s already pushing 90 degrees. Down south, we think we know heat, but I can’t even imagine what it was like before air conditioning.
While visiting my missionary sister in Indonesia, we spent time in a village with no electricity. AND IT WAS HOT! This girl was cranky, sweaty and pretty miserable. Everyone sat on a long, covered porch, doing their daily chores and socializing, venturing into the sun when needed. It’s amazing how much cooler it is in the shade of the trees or a porch. Actually, interesting fact: in the shade, it technically isn’t cooler at all. It only feels that way because you’re out of the sun’s radiation. Shade or sun, the temperature is exactly the same. (Thank you Bill Nye the Science Guy). When AC was invented around the turn of the century, it wasn’t even intended to be used for people’s comfort, just climate control for practical purposes. Apparently in 1902 environmental comfort wasn’t a priority, or at least it wasn’t something people were marketing to. May I never take for granted walking into a cool building on a hot San Antonio day, or forget that a glass of ice water is a beautiful thing. |
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