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Senior Medicare Advantage plan insurance in West Ashley, 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 West Ashley 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 West Ashley
Important Information About Senior Supplement Plan Insurance
Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance in West Ashley, 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 West Ashley, 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 West Ashley

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 West Ashley 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 West Ashley, 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 West Ashley. 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.

O2 Fitness in West Ashley surprises members with 'disappointing' news about closure

A West Ashley gym will power down for good next month, leaving customers crushed.O2 Fitness at 1119 Wappoo Road sent an email to members at 2 p.m. April 18, stating, "our lease terminates at the end of May and we have been unable to find a path forward to maintain."The final day is May 31 with the closure time scheduled for 7 p.m.The gym anchors the Ashley Oaks Plaza, situated in the middle of a grou...

A West Ashley gym will power down for good next month, leaving customers crushed.

O2 Fitness at 1119 Wappoo Road sent an email to members at 2 p.m. April 18, stating, "our lease terminates at the end of May and we have been unable to find a path forward to maintain."

The final day is May 31 with the closure time scheduled for 7 p.m.

The gym anchors the Ashley Oaks Plaza, situated in the middle of a group of tenants that include West Ashley Hardware/TrueValue, Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant, Kings Sushi, Lavish Nail Salon, Ultratan and newly added Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids.

"As a local company born and raised in the Carolinas, with roots in Charleston going back 25 years, this is a disappointing situation," the email said.

The Raleigh-based fitness chain first opened the West Ashley location in January 2019.

The gym was one of three workout centers, including Daniel Island and Moncks Corner, to replace existing facilities O2 inherited after its purchase of the former East Shore Athletic Club's Charleston-area operations in 2013.

"These three upgrades, along with the addition of our beautiful James Island club late last year, help showcase our commitment to providing the Charleston-area with first-class fitness facilities,” O2 Fitness founder and CEO Michael Olander previously told The Post and Courier.

Memberships to the West Ashley location remain active at O2 Fitness on Folly Road, with no action required, the company said.

The chain operates 19 fitness centers, mostly in North Carolina.

Developers to break ground on Ashley Landing revitalization project

Proposed rendering of Ashley Landing site (Edens).WEST ASHLEY, S.C. (WCIV) — In West Ashley, city leaders and developing company Edens, plan to break ground on the Ashley Landing Shopping Center revitalization project next week.READ MORE| ...

Proposed rendering of Ashley Landing site (Edens).

WEST ASHLEY, S.C. (WCIV) — In West Ashley, city leaders and developing company Edens, plan to break ground on the Ashley Landing Shopping Center revitalization project next week.

Construction fencing is now present around the old Big Lots building as the project prepares to go underway.

This development is years in the making, and was officially approved by the Charleston City Council in September 2024. Following approval, Edens obtained ownership of the approximately 35-acre parcel of land, included the lot on Sumar Street, where Piggly Wiggly once stood.

The development company now aims to build a new town center for the community to enjoy, with a variety of renderings public on its website.

Charleston City Councilmember for District 9, William Tinkler, says he thinks this is the largest investment in West Ashley's history, with the city pledging $45 million, and Edens contributing $300 million.

“It's really good that they're giving back to the community here in West Ashley," says Bubba Walkins, who grew up in the area.

Tinkler says the public funds will be focused on infrastructure.

"The city's got some projects planned on Old Towne Road that are going to lead to some traffic infrastructure there that I think is going to benefit," he said.

Edens is required to conduct a traffic impact study for the project, and Charleston County will also be looking to make improvements on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard and Old Towne Road.

Nine acres of storm water retention will be built underneath the property to help with flooding in the area.

Tinkler says ensuring available affordable housing is also a focus.

"One of the benefits of this project is to be able to provide housing, and housing that those folks can afford." Tinkler says a certain portion of housing created will be workforce housing.

The public is invited to attend the ground-breaking on Wednesday, May 7, at 10 a.m.

Groucho's Deli opens new Charleston location, led by a fourth-generation member of original family

A sandwich chain that's operated in South Carolina for more than 80 years has added a West Ashley stop.Groucho’s Deli, led by Max Miller — the great-grandson of founder Harold “Groucho” Miller — opened at 975 Savannah Highway in St. Andrews Shopping Center.Miller has been working for the family business since growing up Columbia, wh...

A sandwich chain that's operated in South Carolina for more than 80 years has added a West Ashley stop.

Groucho’s Deli, led by Max Miller — the great-grandson of founder Harold “Groucho” Miller — opened at 975 Savannah Highway in St. Andrews Shopping Center.

Miller has been working for the family business since growing up Columbia, where his grandfather opened the first restaurant in 1941 in the Five Points area.

“When I was 12 years old, I remember my dad used to pull a bar stool up and set me in front of the cash register,” Miller said.

After attending the College of Charleston, he opened his first Groucho’s Deli in Mount Pleasant in 2020.

The West Ashley outpost is Miller's second franchise, co-owned by Nick Basile, a lifelong friend and the former manager of the Five Points Groucho’s.

“He and I worked there almost every day in high school,” Miller said.

The West Ashley shop renews Groucho's presence in Charleston after the downtown location at 364A King St. closed in 2022 after 20 years. The franchise owner stated he had been priced out of the market.

Another Groucho’s Deli opened in Summerville in 2017 and is still going strong and another is in Mount Pleasant.

The deli, known for its “dipper” subs, large salads and signature “Formula 45 Sauce, was first franchised in the early 2000s by Bruce Miller, the third generation to operate the restaurant. The chain has grown to 32 locations in three states, with about three new stores added a year.

The count has come far since its namesake founder to Columbia in 1941 after spending his childhood in a Philadelphia orphanage with "a handful" of original recipes for potato salad coleslaw and dressings for salads and sandwiches.

‘Tough pill to swallow’: Limestone University closing changes West Ashley student’s course

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - A West Ashley High School senior learned the private South Carolina Christian university was abruptly shutting down months before he expected to begin classes.West Ashley Senior Jackson Welch was on a spring break trip with his father and grandfather, bonding over the passion that drew Jackson to Limestone University: golfing. While they were on the trip, they received a call from Jackson Welch’s mother about Limestone’s precarious future.“It was kind of like a bucket list place to...

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - A West Ashley High School senior learned the private South Carolina Christian university was abruptly shutting down months before he expected to begin classes.

West Ashley Senior Jackson Welch was on a spring break trip with his father and grandfather, bonding over the passion that drew Jackson to Limestone University: golfing. While they were on the trip, they received a call from Jackson Welch’s mother about Limestone’s precarious future.

“It was kind of like a bucket list place to go and I didn’t even pretty much enjoy it for the rest of the day,” Jackson Welch said. “I was just trying to think about like, ‘What am I going to do now?’”

The 180-year-old university stunned its students, alumni and community when it announced earlier in April, without warning, that it was in such bad financial shape that without an immediate infusion of $6 million, it would have to close.

Just like that, Jackson Welch was back on the hunt for a college and one that would allow him to further his golfing career.

“I was kind of in a rush to just open my recruitment up and try to find somewhere to go,” he said.

They remained optimistic that the college would find funding to stay open.

“But the limbo couple of weeks. I kept getting texts from my son when they would get a new donation. He’s like, ‘Look, see there’s a new donation,’” Jackson Welch’s father, Justin Welch, said.

Limestone University officials said that after two weeks of furious fundraising and other actions, they collected just a little over $2 million. It wasn’t enough, and they said they had no choice but to close the Gaffney campus and online programs.

“We’ve always talked to them about looking at things like everything is meant for a reason,” Justin Welch said about his son’s news. “He’s 18. This is a tough pill to swallow. He wants to continue his golf career.”

But soon after, Spartanburg Methodist College accepted him.

“My mom wanted to do like a little signing for me, which I thought was really sweet,” he said.

The family hosted a family gathering on Sunday to celebrate the success and reflect.

“Like we say, everything happens for a reason,” Justin Welch said. “And what if this had been the end of his freshman year next year or two years in? Or what if he was a rising junior there going into senior year?”

Now he’ll get to continue his passion for golf, just on a new course.

“But I really just want to continue to play golf because that’s just like what I worked the past five or six years for,” Jackson Welch said.

The family said they are keeping all the students, staff and their families affected by the closure in their thoughts.

Jackson Welch will be starting the year with a friend. He is keeping his original planned roommate from Limestone. He also got accepted into the same golf program.

Limestone University held its final Commencement ceremony on Saturday. It was an emotional tribute to the Class of 2025. The University celebrated 446 graduates during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Demolition of West Ashley shopping center to kick off construction for $348 million redevelopment

CHARLESTON — Fencing and yellow caution tape already surround part of a West Ashley shopping center, where construction on the long-awaited redevelopment project along Sam Rittenberg Boulevard will finally begin after a ceremony planned by city officials and developers on May 7.The ...

The overall proposal covers 35 acres that combines the larger Ashley Landing shopping center and a vacant lot across Sumar Street where a Piggly Wiggly once stood. Plans call for more than 6 acres of green space, a four- to five-story apartment complex with 285 units, 100 townhomes and 240,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

"We're addressing what people have been wanting there," said Councilman William Tinkler, who represents the district where the site is located. He called the investment completely unprecedented for West Ashley, home to more than 40 percent of the city's population.

Demolition of part of the existing shopping center will kick off the construction. This will make way for a new Publix. The grocery chain is currently located across the parking lot in the middle of the planned development.

Publix will remain open during construction, as will many retail and commercial spaces along the periphery of the shopping center.

The same can't be said for the Crunch Fitness or Charleston Stage's West Ashley Theatre Center, which are also slated for demolition.

The theater production company preforms at the city-owned Dock Street Theatre downtown, but rehearses and holds classes and programs at the West Ashley location.

The developer behind the shopping center's upgrade is renovating a vacant 10,000-square-foot space for Charleston Stage in the same development, according to Marybeth Clark, the company's artistic director.

"We're not going away," Clark said. But there will be a pause in their fall classes as they wait for the new location to be complete, she said. The new space will feature more studios, office space and theater seating than they have currently.

"Ultimately, we will have a beautiful new space in a beautiful new center," said Clark, who hopes to be in the new location by the start of next year. "Between now and then, it will be inconvenient."

West Ashley project a longtime coming

People visiting the shopping center should expect to be "inconvenienced for the next few years," Tinkler said. But once the dust of construction settles, he believes the "vibrant community" left behind will be worth the wait.

The city and county are both planning improvements to traffic around the site, which Tinkler said is one of the biggest complaints for residents who live nearby. He hopes the investment will encourage additional traffic mitigation from state authorities.

"This is revitalization," Tinkler said. "We're finally realizing plans that were envisioned 20 years ago."

Back then, his father sat on City Council, and every councilman since has pushed for redevelopment of the area, he said.

Past proposals ground to a halt as council failed to come to a consensus last year about what to do with the smaller former Piggly Wiggly site the city bought in 2017. When Mayor William Cogswell took office, he began courting developers with deeper pockets to tackle the larger redevelopment effort.

The overall plan will cost taxpayers an estimated $48 million, with another $300 million investment from Edens, a Columbia-based real estate company that owns properties in Mount Pleasant, Kiawah, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and California.

Edens purchased the Ashley Landing shopping center in October for more than $38 million, and in December paid the city $1.1 million for the 3-acre Piggly Wiggly parcel, according to county property records. That's nearly $2 million less than the city paid for the property in 2017.

The city also changed how it approves development along the busy commercial corridor in order to fast track the project. The property sits in a tax-increment financing district, or TIF district, which the city is relying on to fund its portion of the site's public infrastructure. That will include $10 million for affordable housing; $9.6 million for public streets and right of ways; $4.7 million for parks and green space; $1 million for a 3,000-square-foot community space; and $13 million for stormwater infrastructure.

A TIF essentially allows municipalities to borrow against future tax revenue generated from improvements to blighted properties and reinvest it back into the district. The West Ashley TIF was created eight years ago, and according to county tax records, still hasn't accrued any revenue. If the city doesn't issue any bonds within the next two years, then the TIF expires.

If all goes to plan, construction is slated to complete in 2028.

Reach Ali Rockett at 843-901-1708. Follow her on Twitter @AliRockettPC.

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