It’s open enrollment time for Medicare; check your options

If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, now is the time to review your plan and your options for 2027.

The Medicare Open Enrollment Period begins Oct. 15 and runs for eight weeks. Changes must be made by Dec. 7 to guarantee your coverage will begin uninterrupted on Jan. 1, 2027.

Many plans have indicated that they intend to have increases, some significantly. This is not the year to simply say, “I’m happy with what I have,” without exploring your options.

Join me in supporting, thanking North Carolina’s first responders

First responders give more than their time to service us. Sometimes, they give their own lives.

This came to mind a couple of weeks ago when a 24-year-old Durham firefighter lost his life while he was in a building trying to make sure everyone else was safe.

First responders – men and women who serve us through emergency medical services, firefighters and law enforcement officers and respond when called – are critically important to our health and well-being, as well as to the insurance industry. While their response times and quality of service are a factor in insurance rates, their effect on preserving our lives and property is of even greater importance.

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Medicare Open Enrollment: SHIIP counselors serving all 100 NC counties

Medicare Open Enrollment begins Oct 15. Do you have questions about your coverage or need help understanding your options?

Our NCDOI Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) has coordinators serving all 100 North Carolina counties who help Medicare beneficiaries understand their coverage and make informed decisions.

SHIIP offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling to help you understand your options.

Contact: Call 855-408-1212 or visit ncdoi.gov/shiip to connect directly with a SHIIP counselor near you.

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The deer are out; here are some insurance, safety tips

Deer can be seen along roadways anytime of the year. However, the months of October, November and December account for 40% to 44% of all deer-vehicle collisions in the United States.

North Carolina, along with Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas and Ohio, is among the top states in total number of automobile crashes with deer. Rural, wooded and agricultural areas, especially during dusk or dawn, are particularly susceptible to such crashes.

Health insurance fraud is expensive; we all pay for it

Americans pay $308.6 billion annually just to cover the cost of insurance fraud, according to a 2022 study conducted by Colorado State University for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. That’s an average of $932.63 for every American or nearly $3,800 for a family of four.

A major part of insurance fraud is health insurance fraud, including Medicare and Medicaid fraud with a total of $105 billion in insurance fraud just within our healthcare system.

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