Subject:November 2006 Newsletter Date:Sat, 3 Feb 2007 07:26:00 -0600 From:VERNON BELL <info@vernbellagency.com> To:<vern@vernbellagency.com> You are receiving this email from Vern Bell Agency because you purchased a product/service or subscribed on our website. To ensure that you continue to receive emails from us, add vern@vernbellagency.com to your address book today. If you haven't done so already, click to confirm http://visitor.constantcontact.com/c.jsp?t=1101350784480.preview.3623708.2&m=1101166970373&wl=F your interest in receiving email campaigns from us. To no longer receive our emails, click to unsubscribe http://ui.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=un&m=1101166970373&ea=vern%40vernbellagency.com&se=&t=1101350784480&lang=en&reason=F&id=preview.1101166970373. ------------------------------------------------------------ Insurance News & Advice Health Insurance Options...November 2006 Getting and keeping health insurance has become a major challenge for many today. This challenge stems from the rapid increase in the cost of medical care. Medical products and services consumption threaten to consume 20% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2015. See my article ?An Answer to Sky High Health Insurance Premiums (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fvernbellagency.ihoststudio.com%2Fselfserve%2FArticle01.html)? for more discussion of this trend, and one possible alternative. This issue's lead article discusses the how we got where we are with Medicare. And, the follow up article discusses the Medicare Annual Election Period. This is a critical time for those who qualify for medicare. It is my sincere hope that this information will be of benefit to my readers. However, the topic is complicated and getting more so every day. If you have questions, I'm available via email and phone. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ in this issue Medicare Annual Election Period... Medicare & You Self Serve Insurance Request a Quote.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Medicare - A Short History Medicare and Medicaid were established by the Social Security Act in 1965. Original Medicare is national health insurance designed for individuals 65 years of age or greater, individuals with certain disabilities and individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Medicare is administered by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency. Medicare was modified in 1984 by the Deficit Reduction Act. Some provisions in this act made the Medicare Risk Program more attractive to managed care companies. In 1997 the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) created the Medicare+ Choice Program. In 1999 the Balanced Budget Refinement Act established Medicare Advantage (MA) programs which allow Medicare beneficiaries to choose private health plan to administer Medicare coverage. The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 allowed the Federal Government to move more beneficiaries to private coverage by sharing cost with private insurers. It also provided for prescription drug coverage through Medicare for the first time in history. This act was designed to increase private sector infrastructure in order to prepare for the impending baby boomer population. Currently, Medicare consists of: Part A - Inpatient Hospital, Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), Home Health Services and Hospice; Part B - Doctors' services and outpatient care; Part C - Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans; and, Part D - Prescription Drug Plans (PDP). You can learn more about medicare and medicaid from www.medicare.gov (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicare.gov) or at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services web site: Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cms.hhs.gov ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Medicare Annual Election Period... Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans are private insurance company run health insurance plans that are approved by Medicare. Sometimes these plans are referred to as "Medicare Part C." Medicare Advantage Plans can be any of the following: * Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) * Medicare Advantage Prescription Drugs (MAPD) * Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) * Private Fee for Service (PFFS) * Medicare Savings Account (MSA) Medicare Advantage Plans provide all of your Part A and Part B coverage and must cover medically- necessary services. Generally, these plans offer extra benefits, and many include Part D drug coverage. People turning 65 or otherwise newly becoming eligible for Medicare can sign up as soon as they qualify. Those who are already enrolled in Medicare can select a new Medicare Advantage health plan for 2007 during the annual election period from November 15 through December 31, 2006. As you may well imagine, this is a very busy time of year for those of us who serve Medicare recipients. I have been certified on Medicaid Advantage Plans from three firms: Secure Horizons, WellCare and Universal Health Insurance. If you want to consider your Medicare alternatives please call or phone as soon as possible to schedule an in-home consultation. Contact us.. - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vernbellagency.com%2FContact_Us.html * Medicare & You If you qualify for Medicare, or are already receiving Medicare benefits, you should definitely read the official government handbook "Medicare & You 2007." You should already have received this document in the mail. If you have not received this document click on the link below for a Texas specific soft copy. This is an absolutely essential resource for all Medicare recipients. Medicare & You 2007 - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cms.hhs.gov%2FPartnerships%2FMY2007%2Fitemdetail.asp%3FfilterType%3Dnone%26filterByDID%3D-99%26sortByDID%3D1%26sortOrder%3Dascending%26itemID%3DCMS1188596%26intNumPerPage%3D10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Self Serve Insurance During July I launched a new web site designed to enable consumers to shop for insurance at their own pace. This site provides access to the same technology insurance agents use to generate health insurance and life insurance quotes. In addition the new web site has a glossary of terms, and a series of articles written to help you make better insurance purchase decisions. Since launching my Self Serve Insurance web site I?ve had a growing number of visitors and much helpful input in the way of suggestions and comments. Every month I?ll be adding new articles and self-service alternatives. So, feel free to visit my new site often. Get a quick quote on-line with no phone calls.. - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fvernbellagency.ihoststudio.com%2Fselfserve%2F * Request a Quote.. You may request a quote directly from my agency by clicking any of the underlined products: Individual or Family Health Insurance (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vernbellagency.com%2FIndividual_Health_Quote_Request.html) Group Health Insurance (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vernbellagency.com%2FGroup_Health_Quote.html) Life Insurance (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vernbellagency.com%2FLife_Insurance_Quote_Request.html) Long Term Care Insurance (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vernbellagency.com%2FLong_Term_Care_Quote.html) Final Expenses Insurance (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vernbellagency.com%2FFinal_Expenses.html) Or, click on the following link to go to my quote web portal. There you will find links to word document (.doc) quote request forms which you can print out and fax. Go to Agency Quote Portal... - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=apt5zwbab.0.0.fqbvkrbab.0&ts=S0210&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vernbellagency.com%2FQuote_Request.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :: vern@vernbellagency.com :: http://www.vernbellagency.com :: 214.227.8735 Forward email http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?m=1101166970373&ea=vern%40vernbellagency.com&a=1101350784480&id=preview This email was sent to vern@vernbellagency.com, by info@vernbellagency.com Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe(TM) http://ui.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?p=un&m=1101166970373&ea=vern%40vernbellagency.com&se=&t=1101350784480&lang=en&reason=F&id=preview.1101166970373 Privacy Policy: http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp Powered by Constant Contact(R) www.constantcontact.com Vern Bell Agency | 1004 South Fork Drive | Little Elm | TX | 75068