What You Should Know About MedicareWritten by LB Sedlacek
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If one has coverage with a group or business health plan, he/she may enroll any time while still working and if employer has more than 20 employees. If one cancels group coverage while still working or retires, he/she is given a special 8 month enrollment period beginning when group coverage ends. Be aware that when applying for a Medicare Supplement policy 6 months after Medicare Part B coverage is effective or after open enrollment ends, health questions would have to be answered on application. Also, when one is covered with a group health plan and Medicare, as long as employer has 20 or more employees one has option of making group health coverage primary and Medicare secondary. If one is automatically eligible for Medicare Part A then there is no premium to pay. A premium is required for Medicare Part B. If one does not enroll in Medicare Part B when initially eligible, then there is a 10% premium penalty for each year of delayed enrollment. Medicare options include original Medicare which comes direct from Federal government, and Medicare PPO (preferred provider organization), Medicare PFFS (private fee-for-service plan), Medicare MSA (medical savings account plan), and Medicare HMO (health maintenance organization) or Medicare PSO (provider-sponsored organization) which are offered by private health plans. There are also special Medicare programs for people with low incomes of $4000 per individual or $6000 per couple not including a house or car. These programs are: QMB, SLMB, Q1-1, Q1-2, or Medicaid. Over 80% of those eligible for Medicare select original Medicare. It is available everywhere in U.S. and one is enrolled in it automatically when becoming eligible for Medicare. Just about any doctor or hospital may be used with original Medicare, and it pays providers and doctors directly for services one receives. To fill in any gaps in original Medicare coverage, a Medicare Supplement insurance plan may be purchased. For more information, please contact Social Security at 1-800-722-1213 or log onto www.medicare.gov.
Editor of Poetry Market E-zine, Contributing Editor of Muse’s Kiss. Chapbooks include: …after Graceland, The Cat and the Carroll A. Deering and Other North Carolina Poems, Alexandra’s Wreck (Kitty Litter Press - http://kittylitterpress.com). http://www.thepoetrymarket.com
| | Accountability In GovernmentWritten by Arleen M. Kaptur
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So, what is proper way of handling current trend toward non-accountability and machine answered "thank-you" notes? Basically, it is studying candidates as people. Cross over party lines if a certain candidate does not possess values and innate ability to take his job with all attachments and demands on time and ability. Each candidate should be voted upon individually, as to how they will perform and what their particular attributes are. If each voter took this criteria to voting booth, our government would be stronger and more intuned to only requirement of each and every government office - "For people, by people..." Can you imagine what our country could do if our government officials and employees were truly accountable to those who elected them or actually give them a pay envelope? In no uncertain terms, each citizen should be priority and main concern, and then they can schedule their hectic appointments and meetings around this very basic job-related requirement. Also voters would not feel so taken advantage of when limos, airplanes, travel amenities, and other "perks" come into play. This election time, vote for person and who he/she is and what they truly stand for, and not which party they belong to, who they know, or who someone else tells you to vote for. You are alone behind that curtain in voting booth, so let your conscience be looking over your shoulder. ENJOY! ©Arleen M.Kaptur 2002 August
Arleen M. Kaptur has written numerous articles, booklets, fiction/non-fiction books http://www.Arleens-RusticLiving.com http://www.arleenssite.com http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving
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