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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 Myrtle Beach or simply have questions about signing up for Medicare, our team is here to help.
Service Areas
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 Myrtle Beach
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 Myrtle Beach 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 Myrtle Beach, 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 Myrtle Beach. 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.
Latest News in Myrtle Beach, SC
Behind the Menu: Grand Strand’s hospitality industry always evolving
Adriana Coterohttps://www.wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/myrtle-beach/behind-the-menu-grand-strands-evolving-hospitality-industry/
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The start of the new year brought a wave of new restaurants to the Grand Strand, but sadly it’s also meant the closing of some beloved businesses, a reality in the ever-changing hospitality industry.Among the new businesses is the region’s first authentic Korean restaurant, Mura, which opened last month. It’s the first to use a conveyor belt.Linda Lee is the owner of Mura, she opened the restaurant last month.“Some people have never seen it,” owner Linda Lee...
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The start of the new year brought a wave of new restaurants to the Grand Strand, but sadly it’s also meant the closing of some beloved businesses, a reality in the ever-changing hospitality industry.
Among the new businesses is the region’s first authentic Korean restaurant, Mura, which opened last month. It’s the first to use a conveyor belt.
Linda Lee is the owner of Mura, she opened the restaurant last month.
“Some people have never seen it,” owner Linda Lee said. “They have seen it on TV or on social media, and even the children love it.”
Lee is bringing a new cultural experience that she says people have welcomed with open arms.
“It’s steadily growing, and the last couple of days have been super busy,” Lee said.
Feeling the heat from spring-breakers, Lee did her research.
“Myrtle Beach is one of the fastest growing cities, so I thought this was a chance to introduce the Korean culture and Korean food to perhaps some people who never experienced it,” she said. “In the last five to 10 years in social media– K-pop music, movies and drama has been really popular, so that brings in a lot of draw.”
Mura this isn’t the only new spot in The Market Common. The shopping center has welcomed Gio’s Pizzeria Napoletana and CK Bistro, and both can be found at the upcoming Spring Taste of Market Common, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 20.
“This year is our largest participation to date, so we are having 15 different restaurants be a part of the event,” said Kirsten Camp, The Market Common’s marketing coordinator.
The Market Common is preparing to welcome quite a crowd for this event, and the additions to the growing list of restaurants on the Grand Strand don’t stop there.
Also new to Myrtle Beach is Cantina Imperfecto, which opened last month. It’s an authentic modern Mexican restaurant located in the Grand Dunes area. In North Myrtle Beach in the Cherry Grove Area, the Twisted Penguin is expected to open on April 22nd, and in Barefoot Landing, The Big Chill Island House will be opening later this spring.
New restaurants are also on the way in Surfside Beach. Christos Italian restaurant will open soon, and the Whistling Duck is coming to the new Surfside Beach fishing pier. In Murrells Inlet, Neal’s Creekhouse recently opened.
However, the hospitality industry is always a whirlwind, and while some doors open others have closed. Both Gemma’s Cafe and Banditos Cantina in Myrtle Beach show online the recent closures.
Camp said she thinks the success behind The Market Common-area restaurants are the supportive locals.
“We, of course, get the tourism coming in the spring and summer months and throughout, but this definitely is a local supportive center,” she said. “People have their favorite restaurants, and even those restaurants continue to evolve and grow and change their menus.”
Tickets for the Spring Taste of Market Common will be sold on the day of the event. For more information, including a site map, click here.
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Adriana Cotero is News13’s weekend evening anchor and a morning reporter. She joined the team in July 2023 after working in the island of Guam. Adriana is from Saline, Michigan, and graduated from Central Michigan University. Follow Adriana on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram and read more of her work here.
How likely is a white Christmas in Myrtle Beach, S.C? It happened once before.
Jason Leehttps://ca.movies.yahoo.com/likely-white-christmas-myrtle-beach-110000300.html
Could Myrtle Beach get a white Christmas this year?Christmas snow, to most Myrtle Beach area locals, is the stuff of holiday movies. In fact, many northerners, fondly nicknamed “snowbirds,” migrate to the Grand Strand every winter to escape the deep freeze of their home climes. But for those living in the area 33 years ago, 1989 was a Christmas they will never forget.Horry locals struggled to recover from Hurricane Hugo that year when the entire area was plunged into a deep freeze in late December.On Dec. 22,...
Could Myrtle Beach get a white Christmas this year?
Christmas snow, to most Myrtle Beach area locals, is the stuff of holiday movies. In fact, many northerners, fondly nicknamed “snowbirds,” migrate to the Grand Strand every winter to escape the deep freeze of their home climes. But for those living in the area 33 years ago, 1989 was a Christmas they will never forget.
Horry locals struggled to recover from Hurricane Hugo that year when the entire area was plunged into a deep freeze in late December.
On Dec. 22, The Sun News reported frigid temperatures. Still, it said, “anyone hoping for a white Christmas will probably be disappointed,” citing a regional climatologist who expected warmer temperatures to prevail by the holiday.
Then, that very evening, the snow began to fall - and fall - and fall.
From the evening of Dec. 22 through Dec. 24, the entire area was covered with almost 15 inches of the white stuff. Loris recorded 14.5 inches of snow, Murrells Inlet had 11 inches and the sands of Myrtle Beach were covered in 14 inches of the winter precipitation that would last well through the holiday as temperatures plummeted into the low teens - even single digits inland.
According to the National Weather Service, it was the largest snowstorm in history for the South East coast.
It was a true winter wonderland for area locals. In rural fields, youths hitched homemade sleds, of trash-can lids and old car hoods, to 4-wheelers and slung their buddies across the frozen tundra.
Cars did playful donuts in mall parking lots.
On Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, The Sun News interviewed tourists who used the snow skis they’d brought for a planned trip to the mountains to ski down Ocean Boulevard.
The paper featured a picture of a 27-foot snow sculpture of an elf in Murrells Inlet.
But, according to those same articles, the arctic temperatures, snow, and ice created myriad problems for which The Grand Strand wasn’t prepared. The headlines from that week read: ‘Outages Bring Cold Home,’ ‘Snowstorm puts the breaks on shopping on Grand Strand,’ ‘Frozen water pipes put damper on holiday for some in Horry,’ and ‘Storm brings too much snow.’
Fact check: Is the Myrtle Beach, SC area seeing an uptick in tornadoes?
AOL.comhttps://www.aol.com/news/fact-check-myrtle-beach-sc-201657086.html
Myrtle Beach’s seen an uptick in tornadoes recently, but one expert says the area isn’t becoming more prone to them.The National Weather Service’s Wilmington, N.C. site issued a tornado watch for Horry County and Georgetown County Tuesday, Jan. 9. The current tornado watch is supposed to las...
Myrtle Beach’s seen an uptick in tornadoes recently, but one expert says the area isn’t becoming more prone to them.
The National Weather Service’s Wilmington, N.C. site issued a tornado watch for Horry County and Georgetown County Tuesday, Jan. 9. The current tornado watch is supposed to last until 6 p.m. EST. While Myrtle Beach has seen two tornadoes in recent months, the Grand Strand has not seen a particular uptick in activity recently, National Weather Service Wilmington, N.C. meteorologist Steven Pfaff said.
“It varies. It bounces around; you go a year without anything, and then you go a year where you’ve had a few in the county, in particular, the regional would be similar,” Pfaff said. “So there haven’t really been any noticeable trends. In our area that I’m aware of.”
Pfaff added that there are a couple of times a year when there is peak tornado activity, particularly between March and May as well as September.
“What it really comes down to (is) when the atmosphere has the right type of change in the wind. In especially the lower part of the atmosphere, we call that wind shear how wind changes with direction as you go up through the atmosphere and with speed as you build up,” Pfaff added. “You have an atmosphere that turns clockwise and increases in speed that allows for rotation and thunderstorms, and of course, those are the ones that produce the tornado ... we don’t really have those conditions set up too often like other parts of the country.”
Pfaff also said areas like the Gulf Coast states, Nebraska, Kansas, North Texas and areas along the Ohio River called “Hoosier Alley” are where most peak tornado activity occurs. He added that the Carolinas does have its own corridor of tornado activity, which runs from Bennettsville, S.C. to Raleigh, N.C.
Despite not being ideal ground for a tornado, Myrtle Beach has witnessed some in recent months.
The National Weather Service’s Wilmington location confirmed a tornado landed in the Myrtle Beach area Dec. 17, 2023, and the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach felt the brunt of a tornado Aug. 31, 2023.
Myrtle Beach nonprofit receives $26K from PGA tournament
Gracie Fuscohttps://www.wbtw.com/myrtle-beach-classic/myrtle-beach-nonprofit-receives-26k-in-funding-from-the-pga-tournament/
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The Myrtle Beach nonprofit group SOS Care was awarded $26,000 in funding from the PGA tournament ahead of the upcoming Myrtle Beach Classic.SOS Care is a nonprofit direct service provider that empowers those with autism and intellectual disabilities to thrive on their own. Before the Myrtle Beach Classic was officially announced, nonprofits in the area had the chance to apply for funding.SOS Care is one of nine nonprofits in the area to be chosen for the funding, which they say will make a big ...
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The Myrtle Beach nonprofit group SOS Care was awarded $26,000 in funding from the PGA tournament ahead of the upcoming Myrtle Beach Classic.
SOS Care is a nonprofit direct service provider that empowers those with autism and intellectual disabilities to thrive on their own. Before the Myrtle Beach Classic was officially announced, nonprofits in the area had the chance to apply for funding.
SOS Care is one of nine nonprofits in the area to be chosen for the funding, which they say will make a big difference in their organization and in the community.
The CEO of SOS Care, Sarah Pope, said they are looking for help with employment coaches who provide extra help to those finding their first job.
“We’re so excited that we got to be one of the chosen because we can make a difference right here locally,” Pope said. “So, when people are coming into town and they’re playing in the tournament, they know they’re going to help people right here.”
Along with the funding, all tickets for the tournament bought through the SOS Care link will automatically donate $5 of the ticket costs to SOS Care.
To find that link, click here.
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Gracie is a multimedia journalist at News 13 and is from Cleveland, Ohio. Gracie joined the team in June 2023 after graduating from the University of Alabama in May. Follow Gracie on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, & read more of her work here.
April marks 52nd year for Art in the Park in Myrtle Beach
Adriana Coterohttps://www.wbtw.com/news/grand-strand/myrtle-beach/april-marks-52nd-year-for-art-in-the-park-in-myrtle-beach/
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A popular art show is returning to the Grand Strand in April for its 52nd year.The spring edition of the Waccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild’s annual Art in the Park event is set for April 20-21 at Valor Park in The Market Common. The free show will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.The event’s director, Joanne Utterback, said passion and enthusiasm are two reasons why the show has had such success on the Grand Strand. This month’s show will have nearly 100 art vendors....
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A popular art show is returning to the Grand Strand in April for its 52nd year.
The spring edition of the Waccamaw Arts & Crafts Guild’s annual Art in the Park event is set for April 20-21 at Valor Park in The Market Common. The free show will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.
The event’s director, Joanne Utterback, said passion and enthusiasm are two reasons why the show has had such success on the Grand Strand. This month’s show will have nearly 100 art vendors.
“I have to tell you, our success is really from the artists,” she said. “The artists are starting to get really, really excited about this particular site, with the traffic we get here.”
The event was moved from Chapin Park in downtown Myrtle Beach about 10 years ago. It started small but has grown into an annual three-part show.
“They literally would pull the cars into the park and prop their art against the cars, and some people would try and string a rope and hang their art,” Utterback said.
A third of the artists are local, and the remaining two-thirds are traveling to the Grand Strand for the event, Utterback said.
“We have some Canadians, we have some from Washington State, and we had one last year from South Africa,” she said. “Now, the surrounding counties, we definitely will bring in artists who don’t have an opportunity like a 52-year-old show to exhibit their work.”
Paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry and home décor are just a few of the items that will be on display and for sale.
“The community can come out and start collecting local art,” Utterback said. “It does mean a great deal to most people who are new residents or building a home to have local art in their new home.”
The event is free and open to the public. The fall edition art shows are set for October and November.
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Adriana Cotero is News13’s weekend evening anchor and a morning reporter. She joined the team in July 2023 after working in the island of Guam. Adriana is from Saline, Michigan, and graduated from Central Michigan University. Follow Adriana on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram and read more of her work here.
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