All posts by Debbie Sears

Short Term Updates!

Health Insurance, Healthcare updates

Short Term Medical plans with lengths of 90 days will not longer be available in Iowa.  This change applies to all carriers including United Healthcare and National General.

If you are currently on a short term plan, you will be fine until it is up for renewal, then I will be here to help you transition to a “new plan”.

New Short Term Products, up to 3 years in length, are now available in Iowa!

United Healthcare has just recently released their TriTerm option that is available in Iowa.  These are short term products that are good for 3 years, are available ALL YEAR LONG, and are quick and easy to enroll.  United Healthcare also has plans to file a new 2×12 Short-Term plan in Iowa sometime in 2020, which will offer additional price points if you are not needing 3 years of coverage.

National General has a new Short-Term product that just became available.  More details will be shared as we get them. 

If you are trying to bridge a gap, whether that be between jobs, after you turn 26 or between retirement and Medicare eligibility, these are for you.  Great coverage at affordable rates!  Please call us at Sears Insurance 515.285.6766 with all of your questions, we are here to help!

ACA Individual Market Special Enrollment Period (SEP)

Healthcare updates

Individuals may no longer enroll in individual and family health insurance until the next Open Enrollment Period, unless you would have a life event that qualifies for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).



Qualifying Life Events that roger a need for an SEP are:

* Birth or adoption of a child
* Addition of a foster child or stepchild
* Dependent turning age 26
* Marriage, including common law
* Divorce
* Termination of employment or reduction of hours
* Return from Military service

Wellmark and Medica clients must notify the company within 60 days of the event. New clients need to create an account on healthcare.gov to initiate the SEP enrollment.

If you have questions, you can always call us at Sears Insurance 515.285.6766 .

2020 Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP) Has Started!

Advantage Plans, Health Insurance, Healthcare updates, Medicare
  • Open Enrollment for Medicare Advantage plans runs from January 1, 2020 up through March 31, 2020, for effective dates of February 1st to April 1st.
  • Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is only available for beneficiaries who are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan. This is not an enrollment period for a beneficiary to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time.

Changes that can be made for the 2020 Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)

  • Beneficiaries can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another Medicare Advantage plan.
  • Beneficiaries can make a one time election to drop their Medicare Advantage plan and return to the Original Medicare – Part A and Part B. With this change, beneficiaries can sign up for a stand-alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan. New coverage will begin the first of the month following the month that the change was made. At that time, then one would enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan. In some cases, you may have to answer health questions to qualify.

Stay Safe

Community

Be sure to share your ID card with your significant other and be sure you have their card in your billfold, also. It could be icy, cold and you never know what may happen.

On New Year’s Eve, the ER departments are a popular spot. The patient is going to have to provide all of their insurance information and they’re not going to have it. Or they won’t be able to convey the information they do have. Therefore, if you share each other’s ID cards, you can be their best friend in their time of need.

Merry Christmas!

Community

As you welcome your family and friends for Christmas and you have your kids for a week or two, I’m sure you’re going to spend some time doing some traveling.

Be sure everyone has their current ID cards, make sure you’ve downloaded MyWellmark App on everybody’s phone so that you can access the services you need on the go. Call me if you have any problems. Have a very blessed Christmas and enjoy some of these fun community activities!

Mid-Year Renewal?

Health Insurance

If your employer-sponsored employee benefit package has a mid-year renewal, now is the time you should be shopping so that as we roll up to this renewal date that you presently have, you know if you’re going to keep it or if you have plans of changing.

If you do have plans of changing your current platform of products, this gives us ample time to roll from one to the other, keeping you compliant and keeping transitions as seamless as possible. Keeping your tax professional and your payroll specialist on a smooth and easy transition schedule.

Medicare Questions?

Health Insurance, Medicare, RX drug

Last call for everybody with Medicare questions, problems, plan changes, etc., December 7 is the cut off date for the annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period that started October 15.

During the annual enrollment period, you can make changes to various aspects of your coverage. I encourage you look at your Part D prescription drug plan in particular. Pharmacy expenses have had unprecedented increases over the last 3, 5, 10 years. This is the only commodity that you will purchase that you don’t know what it’s going to cost when you walk up to the register. You know what you’ll spend for a home, car and a loaf of bread. Does this sound familiar?

This is your last chance to have me review your pharmacy list and the plan that you have to make sure it is suitable for your needs for 2020. Give me a call.

Happy Thanksgiving

Community

Check out the CatchDes Moines calendar for a list of fun activities going on.

Sears Insurance would like to thank you and your families for the constant and continual 41 years of referral business. I boast about this because it is an esteemed position that money does not buy. I feel that to give is to receive and I will give you my best efforts, always. Have a wonderful and meaningful Thanksgiving, call me if you’ve got questions. We’ll cruise through December and get your sales set for 2020.

This is the time of year that we want to give extra thank yous and appreciation for your friendship, your business and your ongoing referrals.

I’m Your Advocate

Uncategorized

One of the jobs that I take great pride in is being your advocate and educating you on the choices that are available for your consideration. I consider your needs, wants and budget. If I lay out all your options, benefits, pricing, availability, etc., I feel confident you will make the right choice for you and your family. If you need some guidance, I’m always here to make recommendations.

Some of the extras that are built into a Wellmark Plan are household discounts for Medicare supplements, which can save you an approximate 10% of your premium each year. The percentage differs in the various Medicare plans such as Plan F as opposed to Plan G. Fitness discounts which I highly encourage. The partners that come with your Wellmark Blue365 are amazing. Plan choices on your Medicare supplements, all of your dental benefits, vision and hearing options, employer group retiree programs (EGRP), Doc On Demand, etc. There are benefits too numerous to mention, but trust me, you always get what you pay for when it comes to your health, so don’t cut yourself short.

Blue Distinction Centers

Health Insurance

These are Centers of Excellence available to ACA Iowa small group members. Small group ACA members will be required to use Blue Distinction Centers for knee and hip replacements, bariatric surgery and transplants.

These centers are being used because the statistics have proven higher quality outcomes for the patients and more affordable care. As an example, there’s a 21% lower re-admission rate for bariatric surgery patients: 48 – 73% lower surgical site infection rate for bariatric surgery, 4% lower re-admission rate for knee/hip replacement surgery, 7% lower complication rate for knee/hip replacement surgery and 15% better one-year patient survival rate for transplants.

Perhaps you have heard me over the many years refer to “Centers of Excellence” such as cancer centers, heart centers, etc. These are comparable to Centers of Excellence, but they are referred to as Blue Distinction Centers and the outcomes are substantially better. For sure, let’s discuss this.

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