Insurance Insights
November 30 - December 6, 2015
Thanksgiving table talk
By Allen Kerr
I wish all of you reading this week’s column a safe and restful Thanksgiving holiday. As the weather turns cool, it is always a welcome holiday to bring family and friends together. As you wait for the turkey to finish (and hope no one accidentally turns off the oven), I hope you take the opportunity to discuss some important issues with your loved ones: Medicare enrollment and making sure those about to be out of college start off adulthood on the right foot.
Open enrollment for Medicare ends on Sunday, Dec. 7. Open enrollment is when Americans with Medicare can change their health plans and prescription drug coverage for 2016 in order to better meet their needs.
It’s worth it to take the time to review and compare Medicare coverage options. There are several avenues for assistance.
Visit AID’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) at http://Insurance.Arkansas.gov/shiip.htm or call us at 800-224-6330.
Visit http://Medicare.gov/find-a-plan to compare your current coverage with all of the options that are available in your area, and enroll in a new plan if you decide to make a change.
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24-hours a day/7 days a week to find out more about your coverage options. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
Review the Medicare & You 2016 handbook. It’s mailed to people with Medicare in September and is also available online at http://Medicare.gov.
It is also very important to make sure those members of your family belonging to the millennial generation also have the insurance they need as they go off on their own. I firmly believe it is our duty to give our younger generations every opportunity to start their adult lives on the right foot.
As you know, many twenty-somethings often assume they have all the time in the world to get insured, and bad breaks won’t occur to them as they are young and invincible. They also don’t realize that the flat screen television, iPad, laptop, and guitar they have can add up to a hefty price tag should they have to replace them all at once due to a fire or break-in.
I encourage you to have these conversations during the holiday season in order to ensure that your loved ones, whether they are older or younger, take the proper steps to protect themselves and give everyone in your family peace of mind.
It is my pleasure to continue to serve you as your Insurance Commissioner. For more information on the Arkansas Insurance Department, please visit http://insurance.arkansas.gov, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ARInsuranceDept and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ArkansasInsuranceDepartment.
Allen Kerr was appointed Arkansas Insurance Commissioner on Jan. 13, 2015, by Governor Asa Hutchinson.
