Senior Medicare Advantage plan insurance in Columbia, SC

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Helping Seniors Make Better-Informed Medicare Decisions

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 Columbia 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 Columbia
Important Information About Senior Supplement Plan Insurance
Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance in Columbia, 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 Columbia, 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 Columbia

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 Columbia 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 Columbia, 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 Columbia. 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.

Final scores from this week’s Midlands and SC high school football games

Final scores from high school football action around Columbia and South Carolina. It’s the last week of the regular season for public schools, and the first week of the playoffs for private schools.ThursdaySouth Aiken 40, Airport 27Gilbert 52, Aiken 7FridayRegular SeasonBatesburg-Leesville 8, Strom Thurmond 7Chapin 35, White Knoll 34Dutch Fork 24, Irmo 14Fairfield Central 45, Mid-Carolina 13Newberry 33, Silver Bluff 21North Augusta 20, Gra...

Thursday

South Aiken 40, Airport 27

Gilbert 52, Aiken 7

Friday

Regular Season

Batesburg-Leesville 8, Strom Thurmond 7

Chapin 35, White Knoll 34

Dutch Fork 24, Irmo 14

Fairfield Central 45, Mid-Carolina 13

Newberry 33, Silver Bluff 21

North Augusta 20, Gray Collegiate 17

River Bluff 24, Lexington 10

Saluda 57, American Leadership 0

Sumter 49, Ridge View 6

West Florence 53, Spring Valley 12

SCISA Playoffs

Augusta Christian 17, Ben Lippen 7

Hammond 35, Cardinal Newman 6

Porter-Gaud 44, Heathwood Hall 13

Northside Christian 53, First Baptist 28

Richard Winn 51, Newberry Academy 16

Jefferson Davis 46, W.W. King 22

Regular Season

Abbeville 48, McCormick 6

Blackville-Hilda 35, Ridge Spring-Monetta 12

Boiling Springs 41, Eastside 0

Cane Bay 28, Berkeley 23

Carolina Forest 49, North Myrtle Beach 24

Chesnee 47, Blacksburg 13

Christ Church 34, St. Joseph’s 14

Clinton 42, Liberty 22

Conway 49, St James 35

Daniel 42, Seneca 21

Fountain Inn 35, Laurens 14

Gaffney 27, Spartanburg 24

Greenville 49, Easley 21

Greenwood 35, Mauldin 13

Greer 51, Travelers Rest 0

Hilton Head Island 42, Bluffton 7

JL Mann 35, Woodmont 6

Mountain View Prep 48, Union County 7

Myrtle Beach 35, Socastee 23

Palmetto 57, Carolina High and Academy 6

Pendleton 26, Blue Ridge 0

Pickens 52, Berea 0

Powdersville 44, Southside Christian 0

Riverside 44, Wade Hampton 20

Stratford 21, Goose Creek 14

TL Hanna 43, Hillcrest 21

Ware Shoals 36, Whitmire 34

West Florence 53, Spring Valley 12

Westside 61, Southside 0

Woodruff 35, Broome 14

Wren 42, Emerald 25

Class 4A

Hammond 35, Cardinal Newman 6

Augusta Christian 17, Ben Lippen 7

Porter-Gaud 44, Heathwood Hall 13

Northwood 49, Laurence Manning 20

Class 3A

Wilson Hall 25, John Paul II 14

Hilton Head Christian 42, Florence Christian 7

Pinewood Prep 49, Trinity Collegiate 13

Northside Christian 53, First Baptist 28

Class 2A

Pee Dee Academy 56, Spartanburg Christian 19

Greenwood Christian 28, St. John’s Christian 14

Hilton Head Prep at Calhoun Academy

Bethesda 36, Orangeburg Prep 0

Class A

Thomas Heyward 55, Lee Academy 12

Dorchester 45, Colleton Prep 7

Williamsburg Academy 55, Patrick Henry 6

Beaufort Academy 23, Carolina Academy 21

8-Man

Richard Winn 51, Newberry Academy 16

Wardlaw 46, Holly Hill 44

Jefferson Davis 46, WW King 22

Laurens Academy 56, Cross Schools 22

This story was originally published November 8, 2024, 7:00 PM.

Teacher arrested for assaulting two students at Lexington County school, SC sheriff says

A man who’s a teacher at a Columbia-area school was arrested for assaulting two students this year, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.Jermaine Cornelius Singletary, 51, was charged with two counts of third-degree assault & battery, the sheriff’s department said Wednesday i...

A man who’s a teacher at a Columbia-area school was arrested for assaulting two students this year, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

Jermaine Cornelius Singletary, 51, was charged with two counts of third-degree assault & battery, the sheriff’s department said Wednesday in a news release.

The sheriff’s department said Singletary teaches at Irmo Middle School. The Lexington-Richland 5 school is on Wesctott Road near the intersection with St. Andrews Road, in the area of Columbia between Harbison Boulevard and Lake Murray Boulevard.

While Singletary is listed on the roster of teachers on the school’s website, a link to his bio leads to an error page.

“School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties received notification that a district employee has been arrested,” L-R 5 officials told The State when asked about Singletary. “We are cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation, and the employee is on administrative leave.”

The assaults involved two students in incidents that were separated by several months this year, according to the sheriff’s department release.

Singletary struck a student in March after he thought the student touched his head, the sheriff’s department said. The teacher hit another student in October after the student retrieved a portion of an assignment Singletary threw in a trash can, according to the release.

Information on the students’ conditions, and if they needed any medical treatment, was not available.

Singletary did not report either incident to school administrators, the sheriff’s department said.

“When we became aware of these two incidents, we opened our investigation and determined Singletary allegedly assaulted two students on two separate occasions,” Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release.

Singletary turned himself in Wednesday morning and was booked into the Lexington County Detention Center, the sheriff’s department said. No bond has been set and Singletary remains locked up, jail records show.

Following a bond hearing, the Columbia resident is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 19, Lexington County judicial records show.

If convicted on the misdemeanor assault and battery charges, Singletary faces a maximum punishment of 30 days in jail and a $500 fine for each count, according to South Carolina law.

There was no word what a conviction would mean to Singletary’s status with L-R 5, and if he would lose his teaching certification.

In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.

The State

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Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription

SC woman woke to find large snake behind toilet in apartment, sheriff’s department says

A South Carolina woman woke up Tuesday morning and went to her apartment’s bathroom where she was met by a large snake that was behind the toilet, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.It wasn’t a plumbing tool, and the reptile was not the woman’s pet.An incident report said the woman screamed and called for help, an understandable reaction to unexpectedly ...

A South Carolina woman woke up Tuesday morning and went to her apartment’s bathroom where she was met by a large snake that was behind the toilet, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.

It wasn’t a plumbing tool, and the reptile was not the woman’s pet.

An incident report said the woman screamed and called for help, an understandable reaction to unexpectedly finding a ball python at about 5 a.m. inside of an apartment in Columbia. Information on the length and estimated age of the brown and black snake wasn’t available.

Neither the woman nor the snake was hurt, as deputies who responded to Rice Terrace Apartments and Townhomes were able to extract the exotic animal, initially placing it in a pillowcase, according to the incident report.

“We were able to provide a solution to the resident quickly and save the snake’s life!” Master Deputy Alexandra Salrin told The State.

Other than possibly frayed nerves, the only damage reported was a bathroom that was flooded because of the snake, the incident report said. Information about how the snake caused the bathroom to flood was not available.

The apartment complex is at 107 Rice Terrace Drive, in a section of Columbia between Hardscrabble Road and Longtown Road, near Ridge View High School.

The woman who found the snake first called a friend, then they both reached out to law enforcement for help, according to the incident report. Master Deputy Shannon Huffman, a member of the Community Action Team, responded to the apartment, “and knew exactly what to do!” the sheriff’s department said.

Huffman has been with the sheriff’s department for almost 4 years, according to Salrin.

Huffman’s efforts were shared on social media, While it’s common for the sheriff’s department to be called to an animal-related issue, it’s unusual to have to assist in incidents involving exotic animals such as snakes, according to Salrin.

“This was definitely a unique call for service for us,” Salrin said.

Despite the unusual nature of the call, deputies are trained to deal with a variety of situations, according to Salrin.

“We prepare our deputies to expect to be called to incidents that they never expected to be dealing with and our deputies are trained to assess the situation and determine if there is another agency or specialized unit that needs to assist,” Salrin said. “Thankfully, in this situation, (Master Deputy) Huffman has experience with a variety of animals and was comfortable dealing with the snake.”

The sheriff’s department doesn’t know how the snake ended up in the apartment. Because of the size of the snake, Salrin said there is speculation that the snake is someone’s pet and may have escaped from another apartment in the complex.

“However, that cannot be confirmed because no one has come forward” to claim the snake, Salrin said.

The snake won’t be left to fend for itself, as it was taken home by one of the sheriff’s department’s Operations deputies, according to Salrin.

This story was originally published November 6, 2024, 8:06 AM.

SC Underground Film Festival returning to The Nick for 3 days of 'underseen filmmakers'

The South Carolina Underground Film Festival returns to Columbia Nov. 8.Back at the Nickelodeon Theater, the festival continues to provide a place to watch indie feature films and shorts from South Carolina and beyond.The festival, founded by SC filmmaker Tommy Faircloth, presents a mix of genres, including horror, comedy, animation and documentary. For Faircloth, what unites all of these disparate parts is the opportunity to spotlight unde...

The South Carolina Underground Film Festival returns to Columbia Nov. 8.

Back at the Nickelodeon Theater, the festival continues to provide a place to watch indie feature films and shorts from South Carolina and beyond.

The festival, founded by SC filmmaker Tommy Faircloth, presents a mix of genres, including horror, comedy, animation and documentary. For Faircloth, what unites all of these disparate parts is the opportunity to spotlight underseen filmmakers.

“When people hear underground, they think that must mean it's some kind of crazy, over the top type of movie.” Faircloth said. “The point of underground, originally, when I started the fest, was that it just meant any film that didn't have an audience somewhere. So it could be a crazy slasher horror movie, or it could be a love story.”

Griffin Davis, an SC native now living in Los Angeles, will screen his debut feature “Counting In,” a mockumentary about a man whose only job is counting in rock songs.

Davis is a part of a sketch comedy group called Probably a Cult. He originally wrote the script for “Counting In” as a seven-page sketch for the group. But over the course of two years, it grew into a full length feature as the actors in the film drew on their improv skills to fill out the world of the story.

“We just kept adding and adding and adding, and then left the interview room and started going out and shooting characters in their element,” Davis told Free Times. “It almost felt like a true documentary process, in a way, even though obviously it's all fiction, because we were discovering the story as it was going along.”

Screening “Counting In” at SCUFF also has a personal connection for Davis: he used to work at The Nick.

“This is my first feature film that I've ever made, and to get to go and show it where I started, where I discovered indie film, and kind of grew with it,” Davis said. “I’m proud to come home and show it.”

In the South Carolina shorts block, another filmmaker has a connection to The Nick.

Artist Yasmin Lee, who’s short film “Girl Talks To God” will premiere at SCUFF, had a marketing internship at the Nickelodeon in 2018. Now, she’s a multidisciplinary artist who wrote, directed and starred in the new short about a young dancer who finds God isn’t who she expected him to be. For Lee, having a film in SCUFF and The Nick is a connection to how she views her identity as a filmmaker.

“I myself don't totally identify as a Southerner," she said. "However, I do identify as a Southern filmmaker, because the environment in which Columbia/the Sandhills exist in, that's the context of where my imagination runs free, because that's what I grew up looking at.”

Both Lee and Davis said part of what makes a good film festival is the people. Lee said the community SCUFF has built, a group of people who want to celebrate the work that filmmakers are doing and the stories being told without having high budgets or big names, is what drew her to submitting her film.

“With films, it's easy for us to get caught up in the glitz and the glamor and the high value editing and everything. But sometimes filmmaking is just having access to a camera and having a crew that's willing to go through that journey with you,” Lee said. “It's really cool that Underground seems into that real process of filmmaking.”

While a festival can seem intimidating to first-time attendees, Faircloth encourages people to come out anyway. He recommends looking at the festival schedule ahead of time to find the films you don’t want to miss, and taking advantage of the chance to talk to filmmakers and film lovers alike.

“We’re trying to expose people to stuff that you normally wouldn't watch or consider going to the movies to see. But now it's here in front of you, so just check it out and see if you like it,” Faircloth said. “It's really no different than just going to the movies. It's just you're going to, you know, 50 movies.”

SCUFF takes place Nov. 8-10 at The Nick on Columbia's Main Street. A three-day, all-access pass is $50. For more information, including a schedule, visit nickelodeon.org

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