Helping Seniors Make Better-Informed Medicare Decisions

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Senior Medicare Advantage plan insurance in Aiken, SC

Trying to pick a health insurance plan can be a chore for anyone. For many people, just mentioning the word "open enrollment" sends shivers down the spine. It seems like there's always a nagging feeling that you're wasting money, choosing a plan with poor in-network care, or both. One would think that health insurance gets easier as you approach retirement age, but the truth is that picking an initial Medicare coverage plan can be daunting.

Unfortunately, the confusing process of signing up for Medicare causes many seniors to forego healthcare coverage altogether. After all, Medicare enrollment can involve several federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration (or SSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (or CMS).

At Senior Medicare Insurance Services, our passion is guiding seniors through the confusion of Medicare. That way, they can enjoy retirement with peace of mind knowing they are protected and ready for life after 65. We work with dozens of insurance companies, giving our clients the chance to choose a plan that best fits their lifestyle.

We choose to design our senior insurance plans with a focus on optimal benefits structure, lower costs, and personalized service. Some independent insurance agencies see their aging customers as nothing more than a financial transaction waiting to happen. In contrast, we treat each of our clients with respect and dignity as we help them navigate the confusing waters of Medicare. Combined with individualized service, we help older Americans make well-informed decisions about insurance. Whether you're in need of senior Medicare Supplement Plan insurance in Aiken or simply have questions about signing up for Medicare, our team is here to help.

Helping Seniors Make Better-Informed Medicare Decisions
What is Medicare?
The amount of money you pay for your health care depends on several factors, including
Senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in Aiken
Important Information About Senior Supplement Plan Insurance
Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance in Aiken, SC
How Medicare Advantage Plans Work
Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance Rules
Paying for Your Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance
The Senior Medicare Insurance Services Commitment

Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance Aiken, SC

Guiding You Through The Confusion of Medicare!

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What is Medicare?

If you're approaching the golden years of your life, it's important you understand what Medicare is if you don't already.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program reserved for people older than 65 who have worked full-time for at least ten years. The Medicare program is paid for by a combination of worker payroll tax, premiums paid by Medicare enrollees, and the U.S. government.

There are four parts of Medicare:

This type of Medicare is free for most U.S. citizens. Medicare Part A helps older adults pay for care in a nursing facility, hospital visits, and some forms of in-home senior care.

This tier costs around $100 per month. It covers different outpatient services like lab tests, preventative care, doctor's visits, mental health care, clinical trials, and some forms of surgery.

This type of Medicare is most often called Medicare Advantage. This tier of Medicare allows seniors to choose health plans provided by insurance companies like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. Individuals who use Medicare Advantage commonly use Medicare supplement plan insurance to help pay for health care costs that Original Medicare won't cover, like coinsurance, deductibles, and copayments.

Sometimes called "PDPs," these plans add drug coverage to standard Medicare, some Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS), some Medicare Cost Plans, and Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans (MSA).

The amount of money you pay for your health care depends on several factors, including:

What kind of care you need, and how often it is needed.
The type of Medicare coverage you choose.
Whether there are alternative insurance policies that will help fill gaps in your coverage
Whether a doctor agrees to charge you the same amount that Medicare will cover for a medical service

At Senior Medicare Insurance Services, we offer a number of health insurance solutions for seniors. Two of our most used services include Medicare Advantage plan insurance and Medicare supplement plan insurance.

Senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in Aiken

Sometimes called Medigap, the purpose of Medicare Supplement Insurance is to help fill in "gaps" that might not be covered by Original Medicare. You can think of a Medigap policy as a supplement for your Original Medicare benefits.

Private companies like Senior Medicare Insurance Services sell this type of insurance right here in South Carolina. While Original Medicare will pay for much of the cost associated with health care services you need, it may not cover all of your expenses. Generally, Medigap policies do not cover costs stemming from eyeglasses, private-duty nurses, dental care, hearing aids, or long-term care.

Depending on the Medicare Supplement Plan that you choose, it may cover out-of-the-country medical services when you travel abroad. Assuming you have Original Medicare coverage, your policy will cover its share of Medicare-approved health care costs. Once your Original Medicare coverage reaches its limit, your Medigap policy will pay its share of the fees.

Our Medigap policies are drafted to meet your specific needs, and can help cover remaining health care costs such as:

Deductibles

Copayments

Coinsurance

Important Information About Senior Supplement Plan Insurance

To dispel some confusion, you should know that a Medigap policy is not the same as a Medicare Advantage Plan. The latter helps you receive Medicare benefits, while the former supplements the benefits you obtain through your Original Medicare plan. As you begin to explore Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, keep the following important information in mind:

As you begin to explore Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, keep the following important information in mind:

To qualify for a Medigap policy, you must first have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B.
Payments on your Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan will be made to the private insurance company that you choose, like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. These payments are made every month and are paid in addition to the monthly payment you make for Medicare Part B.
If you are the holder of a Medicare Advantage Plan, it is illegal for an insurance company to sell you a senior Medicare Supplement Policy. If you plan on switching back to an Original Medicare plan, you may be able to purchase a Medigap policy.
If you have health problems as you age, your standardized Medigap policy is guaranteed to be renewable. So long as you pay your monthly premium, your insurance provider cannot cancel your policy.

Medigap policies only cover one person. If you have a spouse or family member that would like coverage, they must purchase a separate policy.
You may only buy a Senior Medicare Supplement Plan from an insurance agent that is licensed to sell them in your state. Senior Medicare Insurance Services has been licensed to sell Medigap policies in South Carolina for years. We have helped countless seniors get the Medicare coverage they need and continue to do so to this day.
In the past, Medigap policies were able to cover costs related to prescription drugs. As of January 1st, 2006, prescription drug coverage is not available on Medicare Supplement Plans. The best way to get coverage for your prescription drugs is to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, often called Part D. Contact our office today to learn more about paying premiums on Medigap and Medicare plans.

For many people, the best time to buy senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in Aiken is during the 7 months Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This period starts the day you turn 65 years old, so long as you hold Medical Insurance (Medicare Part B). Generally, during the enrollment period, you get more policy choices and better pricing. Once the enrollment period is over, you may not be able to purchase a Medigap policy. Contact Senior Medicare Insurance Services today to determine if you qualify for a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan.

Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance in Aiken, SC

A Medicare Advantage Plan is a kind of Medicare health coverage designed to provide seniors with all their Part A and Part B Medicare benefits. Many Medicare Advantage Plans will often include coverage of the following:

Preferred Provider Organizations
Special Needs Plans
Private Fee-for-Service
Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans
Health Maintenance Organizations

In addition, most Medicare Advantage Plans give seniors coverage for their prescription drug needs. When you enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan through Senior Medicare Insurance Services, your Medicare benefits are covered through your plan and will not be paid for by traditional Medicare.

How Medicare Advantage Plans Work

Sometimes called "MA Plans" or "Part C," Medicare Advantage Plans are considered an "all in one" solution to Original Medicare. Senior Medicare Advantage Plans are only offered by private companies that are approved, like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. Seniors who enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan are still on Medicare. However, these individuals enjoy bundled plans that give seniors the benefits of hospital insurance (Medicare Part A), medical insurance (Medicare Part B), and sometimes drug coverage (Part D).

Medicare Advantage Plans are very popular because they cover all Medicare services and make life a little easier for seniors who have trouble understanding the nuances of Medicare.

When you contact Senior Medicare Insurance Services to choose your Medicare Advantage Plan, ask your agent about Medicare prescription drug coverage. Unless you already have drug coverage (Part D), you should seriously consider Part D coverage to help reduce costs associated with prescription drugs. You may also want to consider a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan to help fill gaps in coverage that Original Medicare will not cover.

Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance Rules

Medicare works by paying a set amount of money to the companies that offer senior Medicare Advantage Plan insurance in Aiken. That money is used to pay for the care services that you need. Because Medicare Advantage Plans are different, you should expect out-of-pocket costs to vary depending on the plan you choose.

Different plans have different rules for how you receive services, such as:

If you must go to facilities, suppliers, or doctors that belong to your Advantage Plan for non-urgent and non-emergency care.
Whether you must get a referral to see a specialized doctor

Companies that offer Medicare Advantage Plans must follow strict rules, which are set by Medicare and can change every year.

Paying for Your Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance

How much you pay for your Medicare Advantage Plan varies and depends on a few different factors. In most cases, if you need a kind of medical service, you will need to rely on the doctors and providers in your plan's service area and network to pay the lowest amounts. In some cases, if you choose to use a service outside of your plan's network of coverage, you may have to pay out-of-pocket.

We encourage you to contact our office today to learn more about Medicare Advantage Plans, how they work, what your options are, and how often you will have to pay out-of-pocket, if at all.

The Senior Medicare Insurance Services Commitment

Since our company was founded, we have led the insurance industry by providing our clients with the most valuable, helpful insurance solutions available. We are fully committed to our current and prospective clients by:

Choosing to focus on personalized, one-on-one service. When you work with our team, know that we will always design your health insurance plan with your best interests in mind.
Listening to your specific needs.
Responding to all inquiries and questions promptly and with a friendly attitude.
Providing you with the best customer service in the senior health insurance industry, whether you have questions or are ready to move forward with a Medicare plan.

Our mission is to help give seniors the best Medicare assistance available so that they may understand the Medicare process and make an informed health coverage decision. We have the knowledge, skills, and experience to assist anyone interested in Medicare. Our personal goal is to become a lifetime resource for our clients and give them greater confidence in choosing their insurance plans.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 8 organizations which offer 82 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.

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Asian fusion restaurant, nail salon set to join businesses based at Aiken Towne Park

AIKEN — New businesses are on their way to Aiken Towne Park, located on the Southside where the former site of the Aiken Mall is being redeveloped.The latest additions to be revealed are Mirin Fusion Kitchen and Sky Nails.There already are Mirin Fusion Kitchen restaurants in Georgia in Augusta and Evans.The Mirin Fusion Kitchen page on Facebook describes them as “fast casual Asian fusion” eaterie...

AIKEN — New businesses are on their way to Aiken Towne Park, located on the Southside where the former site of the Aiken Mall is being redeveloped.

The latest additions to be revealed are Mirin Fusion Kitchen and Sky Nails.

There already are Mirin Fusion Kitchen restaurants in Georgia in Augusta and Evans.

The Mirin Fusion Kitchen page on Facebook describes them as “fast casual Asian fusion” eateries.

Among the options on their menus are hibachi dishes, Japanese ramen, Korean barbecue tacos, raw ahi tuna nachos, shrimp dumplings, “stir-fried” noodles, beef gyoza, spring rolls, shrimp dumplings, fried rice and seaweed salad.

Boba and oolong teas also are available.

Mirin Fusion Kitchen’s food “is really good. My family eats it all the time. It’s a big hit with grownups and kids,” said Jason Long, a senior vice president with Augusta-based Southeastern Development Associates, which is spearheading the creation of Aiken Towne Park.

Aiken’s Mirin Fusion Kitchen will be in a 3,000-square-foot space in the new 12,000-square-foot building located near Belk.

The Aiken Standard tried to obtain additional information by telephone and email prior to the deadline for this article's publication, but failed to do so.

Sky Nails is “coming soon,” according to a banner hanging at its future location in a new 5,800-square-foot building that is close to Aiken Towne Park’s Whiskey Road entrance.

Services offered at Sky Nails will include manicures, pedicures and eyebrow waxing.

Sky Nails’ address is 4150 Julep Way S.W.

In the same area as the building that will be Sky Nails’ home are two others constructed during the Aiken Mall redevelopment process. Tropical Smoothie and Eyemart Express are in one of the structures and Chicken Salad Chick is in the other.

Generations of memories: Aiken welcomes annual Memorial Day parade

AIKEN — One of downtown Aiken's biggest annual gatherings took place May 24 with mild temperatures, several generations of warriors, an abundance of red, white and blue and a soundtrack presented largely by local teenagers.Aiken County Veterans Council presented the Memorial Day parade, with the procession rolling along Park Avenue and Laurens Street, with emphasis on "remembrance...

Aiken County Veterans Council presented the Memorial Day parade, with the procession rolling along Park Avenue and Laurens Street, with emphasis on "remembrance, respect and reverence," in the words of Aiken County Council member Kay Brohl, who was the first lady in this year's parade.

Lowell Koppert, the council's chairman, said this year's event included a variety of new participants, including one veteran who provided a fly-over in a private plane. "The weather was perfect," Koppert added. You'd couldn't ask for better weather. All in all, a good day."

One of Koppert's fellow veterans, Don Burke, offered a summary. "It was an amazing experience for a veteran to get to participate in a celebration of the people that we veterans hold with the most reverence, and that's the brothers and the sisters that made the ultimate sacrifice, so to see an entire town come out like that and just show their support ensures that ... all of those men and women are remembered, which, in a way, gives them immortality," he said.

"They're never gone, because we always remember them."

Burke and Koppert are both lifetime members of Special Forces Association, a group that had several representatives in the parade, and Burke's son, Conor, 7, was among the more prominent participants, as he rode -- in full uniform -- atop an M113 armored personnel carrier, in position to man the turret of a .50 caliber machine gun.

The procession included costumed participants representing American history from 1775 (the beginning of the Revolutionary War) through the modern day, and spectators ranged from infancy through "senior" status, including some in military uniform.

Brohl said, "It was such a good group of people – a good mix – and I know this time of year, a lot of people take a three-day vacation, or there would have been more. It was just great to see the little kids, with their flags waving ... and people yelling at you."

The occasion, she said, presents a challenge. "This is a tough one, because it's a happy time, but it's also very melancholy, because of what it represents – remembrance, respect and reverence. Those are the things that are going through my mind."

Brohl can speak from some experience, as her father was a Pearl Harbor survivor and her husband was a Navy man, serving on a nuclear submarine. "All of my uncles were in the military, at different times," she said.

As for the mood of the day, she added, "I don't think you can ever be too patriotic, no matter what ... your age, or whatever side of the aisle you're on."

The idea is to remember "those that gave the ultimate sacrifice, so that we could have a three-day weekend," she said. "We're very fortunate. We're blessed, in the U.S. Freedom isn't free. It comes at a real cost, in the blood of our military."

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