Medicare Is Always Changing—Is It Time to Review your Plan?
July 8, 2024
Hosted by Ron Roel
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
Anyone who has gone through the process of signing up for Medicare quickly comes to the same conclusion: It’s complicated! Even if you’re already enrolled, plans and regulations may change, as well as your personal health needs, so it’s a good idea to review your policy every year—long before the annual open enrollment period in the late fall. In today’s episode, James Donnelly, a Certified Medicare Advisor, explains not only Medicare basics, but offers valuable insights and information that cut though the deluge of mailings, phone calls, marketing pitches and commercials we’re exposed to every year. He will talk about how to make sure a plan fits your needs; how you can switch coverage during special enrollment periods (even if you don’t think you can); and how you can qualify for extra financial assistance or programs to help pay for coverage. The host of a regular “Medicare Monday” podcast, James will offer examples of specific scenarios from his wide-ranging experiences, including advice about avoiding Medicare scams. “Where you get the facts matters,” he says. “Education is everything.”
45 Forward
Monday at 12 Noon Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.
My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.
The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.
Ron Roel
I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.
I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.
I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.
Episode Directory
July 2024
- 7/22/2024: How to Create a Personal Wellness Plan through Your Elder Years Coming Soon
- 7/15/2024: Taking a Hot Summer Break with Good Humor—and not Just Ice Cream Listen Now
- 7/8/2024: Medicare Is Always Changing—Is It Time to Review your Plan? Listen Now
- 7/1/2024: How to Stop Striving for ‘Happy’ and Find True Well-Being Listen Now
June 2024
May 2024
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