Tag: Dayton Ohio

Medicare: It’s as easy as A B C…and D

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Retirement Planning, Uncategorized

The Jackson Five’s number one hit single in 1970 takes the convoluted topic of love and boils it down to a few letters. Sweet simplicity. “All you gotta do is repeat after me,” Michael sings, “It’s as easy as A B C.”

Well, I figured if the Jackson Five can make love easy to understand, the least I can do is attempt the same thing with the complexities of basic Medicare. So here goes nothing. Medicare: it’s as easy as parts A B C…and D.

Part A (Inpatient Coverage)

Part A is hospital insurance. A.K.A inpatient care. A.K.A healthcare coverage for any care received while you are officially checked in at a hospital. Beyond that definition, Part A also covers limited home health services, hospice care, and skilled nursing facility care. If you paid into Social Security for more than 40 quarters (10 years), then good news! Part A is provided at no cost to you.

Part B (Outpatient Coverage)

Part B is exactly the opposite, covering care received while checked out of a hospital. It covers services such as outpatient surgeries, diagnostic tests, lab tests, x-rays, and a laundry list of preventive services that are covered in full. Unfortunately, Part B does have an associated premium of $121.80 per month (in 2016), a fee which is adjusted for those of higher income (don’t worry…this applies to very few people).

Part C (Medicare Advantage)

Part C is a whole different ball game. So pay attention, it could get a bit messy. Although Part C is offered as a Medicare associated program, it actually replaces Medicare Parts A and B as the payer of your claims. As opposed to being offered by Medicare, it is offered by private insurance companies who have contracted with Medicare. It covers everything that Parts A and B covers and may even provide additional benefits such as drug coverage. However, you usually have to pay a separate premium to receive Part C.

Part D (Drug Plan)

Part D helps cover the bills for your pills! In other words, it is your prescription drug coverage. Like Part C, it is offered through private insurance companies. And like Part B, the premiums are sometimes (but rarely) adjusted for those of higher income. The cost is difficult to pin down because it varies so drastically from company to company. But—just to give you an idea—the average cost of a Part D drug plan is $34.10 (in 2016).

At Seniormark, we believe that the transition to Medicare does not need to be confusing and stressful. We would love talk to you about your options to get you in the right plan for your needs. Medicare may not be as easy as the Jacksons’ suggest, but that does not mean it cannot be made simple with the help of our trusted experts. So sit down and relax! Let us spell it out for you.
Not sure what to do next? To get you started, download our free guide, “Introduction to Medicare”.

Call Seniormark today at 937-492-8800 for a free consultation!

Look who’s Turning 65! (You might be surprised!)

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Retirement Planning

Look Who’s Turning 65

April 6—Bert Blyleven

Source http://www.flickr.com/photos/35602564@N00/5513027855/ ES

Born in the Netherlands, Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1970 to 1992 and was best known for his curveball. In 2011, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Blyleven was drafted straight out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in 1969, and at age 19 in 1970, was called up to the Majors after only 21 minor league starts. In his first season, his sharp curveball helped him to 10 victories, and he was named American League (AL) Rookie Pitcher of the Year by The Sporting News. In 1973, he pitched the most shutouts of any AL pitcher, with 9.

In 1976, Blyleven was traded to the Texas Rangers, and his 2.74 career earned run average (ERA) with the Rangers remains the best in team history. After he gave the finger to a television camera, Blyleven was traded in 1977 to the Pittsburgh Pirates, with which he led the team in ERA, strikeouts and complete games in 1978 and helped them to a World Series victory in 1979. In 1980, Blyleven was traded to the Cleveland Indians but sat out most of the 1982 and 1983 seasons. He came back in 1984 with one of his best seasons: a 19–7 record with a 2.87 ERA. In 1985, he again led the AL in shutouts with 5 and pitched 293 ⅔ innings and completed 24 games, a feat never repeated. However, Blyleven forced a trade back to the Twins, where he passed the 3,000-strikeout mark and helped the Twins to a 1987 World Series victory.

Blyleven’s first two full seasons back with the Twins also produced major league records for home runs allowed in a single season (50) and in back-to-back seasons (96). He never surrendered more than 24 home runs in any year before and after the 1986–87 campaigns, averaging 21 allowed per season over the course of his career. In 1989, Blyleven went to the California Angels and pitched a 2.73 ERA for a 17–5 record in his first season, and led the league for his third and final time in shutouts (5). He retired following the 1992 season with a career 287–250 record, with 3,701 strikeouts (only 16 other pitchers have at least 3,000 career strikeouts) and a 3.31 ERA. In 1996, Blyleven became a color commentator for the Twins.

April 7—Janis Ian

source https://www.flickr.com/photos/dubpics/71293417/in/photostream/

An American singer-songwriter who was mostly active in the 1960s and 1970s, Ian’s most successful songs were “Society’s Child” and “At Seventeen.” At the age of 13, she wrote and sang her first hit single, “Society’s Child (Baby I’ve Been Thinking),” about an interracial romance forbidden by a girl’s mother and frowned upon by her peers and teachers. After it became a national hit in the summer of 1967, some radio stations banned it from their playlists, and Ian received hate mail and death threats. In 2001, “Society’s Child” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. “At Seventeen,” a bittersweet commentary on adolescent cruelty, was released in 1975 and was a major hit, receiving acclaim from critics and record buyers alike, and winning the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female. The album, Between the Lines, was also a smash, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Album chart and was quickly certified Gold and later earned a Platinum certification for over one million copies sold in the U.S.

In 1979, “Fly Too High” earned Ian a Grammy nomination and became a hit single in many countries, including South Africa, Belgium, Australia, Israel and the Netherlands. Ian’s album Aftertones topped Oricon’s album chart in October 1976. After “At Seventeen,” she reached the pop charts only once more with “Under the Covers” at No. 71 in 1981. However, Ian continued to write songs from 1982 to 1992, which have been covered by, among others, Amy Grant, Bette Midler and Marti Jones. She released Breaking Silence in 1993, about coming out as a lesbian, and Folk Is the New Black, in 2006, her first album in more than two decades.

Ian’s short stories have been published in science fiction anthologies. In 2008, she released her autobiography Society’s Child to critical acclaim. An accompanying double CD, The Autobiography Collection, has been released with many of Ian’s best loved songs. In December 2015, Ian appeared in the series finale of HBO comedy series Getting On, playing a patient who refused to stop singing.

April 10—Steven Seagal

A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, actor Seagal began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan. After moving to Los Angeles, he worked as a martial arts instructor on the movie Never Say Never Again, accidentally breaking actor Sean Connery’s wrist during production. In 1988, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law, which was followed by four successful films. He achieved further fame in 1992, when he played Navy SEALs counter-terrorist expert Casey Ryback in Under Siege. During the latter half of the 1990s, Seagal starred in three more theatrical films and the direct-to-video film The Patriot.

Since that time, his career has shifted almost entirely to direct-to-video productions (released to the public on video instead of to movie theaters)—a total of 27 from 1998 to 2014. At the age of 58, he starred in his first widely released film since 2002, the 2010 film Machete. Between 2009 and 2013, he filmed three seasons of his reality show Steven Seagal: Lawman, which depicted him as a reserve deputy sheriff in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana (season 1–2) and Maricopa County, Arizona (season 3). He also created and starred in two seasons of the undercover police drama series True Justice between 2011 and 2012.

As an accomplished guitarist, Seagal released two studio albums (Songs from the Crystal Cave and Mojo Priest) and performed on numerous film scores. As a businessman, Seagal is estimated to be worth anywhere from $5 million to $16 million (as of 2015). Steven Seagal Enterprises markets his own energy drink, Lightning Bolt, and represents the Russian firearms manufacturer ORSIS. He is a supporter of both the 14th Dalai Lama and Vladimir Putin, calling Putin “one of the great living world leaders.”

April 21—Tony Danza

Born Antonio Salvatore Iadanza, the Italian-American actor is best known for starring on the TV series Taxi and Who’s the Boss?, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award and four Golden Globe Awards. A professional boxer, Danza got his start on Taxi after a producer discovered him at a boxing gymnasium in New York. On Taxi, he played a cab driver and part-time boxer on the award-winning comedy that aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. From 1984 to 1992, he starred in ABC’s popular comedy Who’s the Boss?, in which he portrayed retired baseball player, housekeeper and single father Tony Micelli.

Danza also starred in the short-lived sitcoms Hudson Street (1995) and The Tony Danza Show (1997), for which he won the 1998 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for a guest-starring role in the 1998 TV series The Practice. He made his movie debut in the comedy The Hollywood Knights (1980), which was followed by Going Ape! (1981). Danza received critical acclaim for his performance in the 1999 Broadway revival of the Eugene O’Neill play The Iceman Cometh.

Danza hosted his own TV talk show, The Tony Danza Show, which ended in May 2006. He starred on Broadway as Max Bialystock in The Producers in 2006-2007. In 2010, he had his own reality show Teach: Tony Danza (on A&E), in which he co-instructed a 10th grade English class in Philadelphia. The book I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High, was released in 2012 and was based on his year of teaching.

April 27—Ace Frehley

source: http://flickr.com/photo/43547797@N00/257190364 using Flickr upload bot

Best known as the former lead guitarist and founding member of the rock band Kiss, Frehley adopted the persona of the “Spaceman” or “Space Ace” and played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982. After leaving Kiss, Frehley embarked on a solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly successful reunion tour. His second tenure with Kiss lasted until 2002, when he left at the conclusion of what was originally purported to be the band’s Farewell Tour. His most recent solo album, Space Invader, was released in 2014.

Guitar World magazine ranked him as the 14th greatest metal guitarist of all time. His solos often incorporate the minor pentatonic scale and the usage of vibratos. Outside of Kiss, Frehley has continued to be commercially successful, with his first solo album going platinum. He is also known for the use of many “whimsical” guitars, including a Gibson Les Paul guitar that emits smoke from the neck humbucker pickup and produces spinning pyrotechnics, and a custom Les Paul that emits light based on song tempo.

Source: Wikipedia

Next “Solving the Medicare Puzzle Workshop” date set!

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Drug Plan, Medicare Supplement, Social Security

Announcing our next Solving the Medicare Puzzle Workshop, Tuesday, March 15, at 5:30 pm at our Troy office. Please call our office at 937-492-8800 to reserve one or more seats for yourself or a friend!

Happy birthday to these celeb favorites!

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Retirement Planning

Look Who’s Turning 65…

January 9 — Crystal Gayle, an award-winning country music singer, is best known for her 1977 country-pop crossover hit song, “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.” During the 1970s and 1980s she accumulated 20 No. 1 country hits with six albums certified gold. Gayle became the first female artist in country music history to reach platinum sales with her 1977 album We Must Believe in Magic. Also famous for her nearly floor-length hair, she was voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine in 1983. She is the younger sister of singer Loretta Lynn, who once told her, “You record what I couldn’t record—you do MOR,” middle of the road, “and that was the best advice I could get. I don’t think I ever would have made it if I went down the road and did the music my sister did. I would only have been compared to her.”

Gayle had her greatest success from 1977 to 1989 when she did music considered crossover. Her hits included “When I Dream,” “Talking in Your Sleep,” “Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For,” “Half the Way,” “It’s Like We Never Said Goodbye,” “You and I” (a duet with Eddie Rabbitt), “The Sound of Goodbye,” “Turning Away,” “Makin’ Up For Lost Time,” “Cry” and “Another World.” Gayle continues to perform and tour.

January 12 — Kirstie Alley, an American actress and comedian, is best known for her role in the TV series Cheers, in which she played Rebecca Howe from 1987 to 1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991. She is also known for her role in the thriller Shoot to Kill and the Look Who’s Talking film series as Mollie Ubriacco. More recently, Alley has appeared in reality shows revolving around her life.

Alley made her movie debut in 1982 in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, playing the Vulcan Starfleet officer Lieutenant Saavik. In 1987, she joined the cast of Cheers, replacing Shelley Long and remaining on the show until its eleventh and final season. In 1989, Alley starred with John Travolta in Look Who’s Talking, which grossed over $295,000,000 worldwide. They went on to make two other films centered on the same theme, Look Who’s Talking Too and Look Who’s Talking Now! In recent years, Alley’s weight gain and loss has received much public attention. In September 2012, she appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, where she said she spent her whole life eating obsessively. She has been a member of the Church of Scientology since 1979.

January 21 – Eric Holder, Jr. was the 82nd attorney general of the United States from 2009 to 2015. Serving in the administration of President Barack Obama, Holder is the first African American to hold the position of U.S. attorney general. Previously, he served as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, after being appointed in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed him United States attorney for the District of Columbia, the first black American in that office, and in 1997, nominated him the deputy attorney general under Janet Reno. While U.S. attorney, Holder prosecuted Congressman Dan Rostenkowski (D–Illinois) for corruption charges related to his role in the congressional post office scandal.

During Obama’s presidential campaign Holder was his senior legal adviser and one of three members of Obama’s vice-presidential selection committee. During the Fast and Furious investigation (involving guns and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), he became the only cabinet member in U.S. history to be held in contempt of Congress. From 2001 until he became attorney general, Holder worked as an attorney at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., representing clients such as Merck and the National Football League. After he resigned as attorney general in 2014, he returned to Covington & Burling. The law firm’s clients have included many of the large banks Holder declined to prosecute for their alleged role in the financial crisis.

January 30 — Phil Collins is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, actor and author. He gained fame as both the drummer and lead singer for the rock band Genesis, as well as worldwide success as a solo artist. Collins sang the lead vocals on dozens of hit albums and singles in the U.K. and the U.S. between 1976 and 2010, either solo or with Genesis. He is among the best-selling music artists of all time, with 33.5 million albums sold in the U.S. and an estimated 150 million worldwide. He is one of three recording artists (along with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson) who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide both as solo artists and (separately) as principal members of a band. AllMusic describes Collins as “one of the most successful pop and adult contemporary singers of the ’80s and beyond.”

Collins joined Genesis in 1970 as the group’s drummer and became its lead singer in 1975 following Peter Gabriel’s departure. In 1981, Collins launched a solo career. His best-selling singles include “In the Air Tonight,” “Against All Odds,” “Sussudio” and “Another Day in Paradise.” His music has earned him seven Grammy Awards, six Brit Awards, an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and a Disney Legend Award. Totaling his work with Genesis, other artists and his solo career, Collins had more U.S. Top 40 singles than any other artist during the 1980s. In 2008, Collins was ranked the 22nd most successful artist on the “Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists.”

Source: Wikipedia

Prescription Drug Assistance: Where to Get Help

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Drug Plan, Medicare Supplement

Here is a Helpful article that was recently in the Dayton Daily News.

By Marci Vandersluis

Contributing Writer

I recently visited with a couple that shared that they were having difficulty paying for some of their prescription medications. One spouse stated that some of their medications had very high out of pocket costs. These co-pays were affecting their ability to pay for some needed home repairs along with food purchases. While this article has no magic solutions on how to eliminate prescription drug costs, it should be of some relief to know that with a little perseverance, along with some web “surfing”, there are programs and services available directed towards providing prescription assistance to lower income older adults.

Since 2006, those eligible for Medicare have been encouraged to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan, which provides prescription drug coverage. The two ways to get coverage are either through adding drug coverage to original Medicare, or to enroll in a Medicare advantage plan that offers Medicare prescription drug coverage. Beneficiaries must first have Medicare A and/or B to enroll in a drug plan and must have Medicare A and B to qualify for enrollment in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan. It is important to note that while enrolling in a Medicare D plan, is voluntary, not signing soon after eligible or when other medical coverage (such as an employer sponsored plan) ceases will result in a monthly financial penalty that will continue through the duration of coverage.

Most have found that while the implementation Part “D” has provided significant cost saving, it continues to present some challenges for beneficiaries. One such frustration is the feared coverage gap or “doughnut hole.” In 2015, once the beneficiary and drug plan have spent $2960, the person is responsible for much higher of pocket costs for prescriptions. Once these costs reach $4,700 the beneficiary is only responsible for 5 percemt of prescription costs, for the remainder of the year. While Medicare is working on more discounts for those in the coverage gap with the ultimate goal of closing the gap in 2020, there are still significant costs while in the “ doughnut hole.” Monthly statements from your drug plan will outline explanation how much has been spent on medication and if you have reached the coverage gap.

Co-pays for some medications can be very expensive even when not in the coverage gap. Fortunately, for those who meet certain financial guidelines there are some programs to help with prescription drug costs. One such program is the Chubby Checker, Patty Duke, endorsed Medicare Extra-Help program. Individuals with income of approximately $17,655 yearly income ($23,895 for married couples), with resources of approximately $13,640 ($27,250 for married couples) should consider applying for this program as it can offer considerable savings. See below for the link to apply online. If there are additional circumstances, if only marginally above these guidelines, or even if in doubt regarding eligibility, it is encouraged to apply. The Medicare website also advises contacting and your specific drug plan to see if eligible for any type of extra help.

Resources

Ohio Benefit Bank-Consumer Hotline: 800-648-1176 or www.ohiobenefits.org

United Health Solutions: 937 220-6600 or www.uhs-dayton.org

Partnership for Prescription Assistance: 888-477-2669 or https://www.pparx.org

Needymeds: Helpline 800-503-6897 or http://www.needymeds.org/newuser

Ohio’s Best Rx: 866-923-7879 or http://www.ohiobestrx.org/en/index.aspx

Good RX-drug discount card: 888-799-2553 or https://www.goodrx.com

Drug companies that offer assistance:http://www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/get_free_prescription_drugs.html

Medicare information on lowering drug costs: 800-633-4227 or https://www.medicare.gov/part-d/costs/coverage-gap/ways-to-lower-drug-costs.html

Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP): 800-686-1578 orhttp://www.insurance.ohio.gov/Consumer/OSHIIP/Documents/whatisoshiip.pdf

Medicare Extra Help: 800-772-1213 or www.socialsecurity.gov/extrahelp (Online application)

Aetna increasing household discount!

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Retirement Planning, Social Security

Medicare Supplement Household Discount Increasing to 7% in OH

Aetna will increase the household discount from 5% to 7% on Medicare Supplement plans issued in Ohio effective June 15, 2015.

No action needed to get the higher discount

Eligible applicants and existing policyholders will receive the increased household discount.

For new business, the 7% household discount will apply to new applications written on or after June 15, 2015. All pending applications that qualify for the discount will be issued at the new 7% discounted rate.
For existing policies issued with an effective date of July 1, 2015 or later (with premiums already paid AND where eligibility for the household discount was provided on the application), AHLIC will issue a new policy, which will include the higher household discount.
All other policyholders who previously received the 5% household discount will automatically receive the 7% household discount on their future premium that have a premium due date of June 15, 2015 or later.

Excess premiums, if any, will be applied to the policyholder’s future premiums.

Is your Medicare Supplement currently with Aetna? They are offering great rates in addition to this additional discount. Call our office today (937-492-8800) to see if you might be able to save money with Aetna and Seniormark.

Do you “wonder” who turned 65 in May?

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Retirement Planning

May 12-May 12- Gabriel Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. People listed him as one of the “Sexiest Men Alive,” while Entertainment Weekly dubbed Byrne as one of the hottest celebrities over the age of 50. Before becoming an actor, Byrne worked as an archaeologist, cook and Spanish and history schoolteacher. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined London’s Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne’s screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the spin-off show Bracken. He has now starred in more than 35 feature films, including The Usual Suspects, Miller’s Crossing, Stigmata, Spider and End of Days, in addition to writing two. Byrne’s producing credits include the Academy Award–nominated In the Name of the Father. He received much critical acclaim for his role as Dr. Paul Weston in the HBO drama In Treatment from 2008-2010. In 2013, Byrne starred in Oscar-winning director Costa Gavras’ Le Capital. He was cultural ambassador for Ireland until he criticized the tourism initiative “The Gathering,” describing it as an attempt by Ireland’s politicians and media to fleece wealthy Americans. In addition to being a human rights activist, Byrne is actively involved in various charities. In 2004, he was appointed a UNICEF Ireland Ambassador. Although the actor is noted as a fiercely private person, he released a documentary for the 20th Galway Film Fleadh in the summer of 2008 called Stories from Home, an intimate portrait about his life. Byrne married his long-term partner, Hannah Beth King, in August 2014.

April 12- Stevie Wonder (born Stevland Hardaway Judkins), musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist, has become one of the most creative and loved musical performers of the late 20th century. Wonder signed with Motown’s Tamla label at the age of 11 and was still performing in 2010. He has been blind since shortly after birth. Among Wonder’s works are the singles “Superstition,” “Sir Duke,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” Albums include Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. He has recorded more than 30 U.S. top 10 hits and received 25 Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist. Wonder has sold more than 100 million albums and singles, making him one of the top 60 best-selling music artists. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, with Wonder at number five. He is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2014, Wonder announced plans to release two new albums, the first in eight years: When the World Began—a collaborative LP with legendary songwriter David Foster—and Ten Billion Hearts.

May 22 – Bernard “Bernie” Taupin an English lyricist, poet and singer, is best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for a majority of the star’s songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock’s history. The pair have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date. Taupin’s lyrics include the songs “Rocket Man,” “Levon,” “Crocodile Rock,” “Honky Cat,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” “The Bitch is Back” and “Daniel.” Hits in the 1980s include “I’m Still Standing,” “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues” and “Sad Songs.” In the 1990s, Taupin and John had more hits, including “The One,” “Club at the End of the Street” and “Believe.” In September 1997, Taupin rewrote the lyrics of “Candle in the Wind” for a tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Taupin and John had their first Broadway musical in March 2006 with Lestat: The Musical. They also collaborated on five original songs for the Miramax movie Gnomeo and Juliet, released in February 2011. In addition to writing for Elton John, Taupin has also written lyrics for use by other composers. In 2009, he debuted his American Roots Radio with Bernie Taupin, a roots music show on satellite radio Sirius XM Radio. Since the 1980s, he has lived on a ranch north of Los Angeles.

May 23 – Linda Thompson, is an Emmy Award-winning American songwriter/lyricist and former actress and beauty pageant winner. She was Miss Tennessee Universe in 1972 when she met Elvis Presley and had a four-year relationship with him, which was portrayed in the 1981 television movie Elvis and the Beauty Queen. In 1977, Thompson became a regular on the TV series Hee Haw. She appeared as Linda Jenner in a workout video by then-husband and Olympics champion Bruce Jenner, four documentaries about Elvis Presley between 1997 and 2004 and in the short-lived Princes of Malibu, a reality show about then-husband David Foster’s efforts to improve her two sons and herself. She began her career as a lyricist with the Kenny Rogers’ single “Our Perfect Song.” Thompson collaborated with other composers, including on Josh Groban’s first hit record, “To Where You Are,” on the Celine Dion hit “Miracle,” on “Drowning” by the Backstreet Boys. She also worked with Foster on several compositions, including “I Have Nothing,” sung by Whitney Houston in the 1992 motion picture, The Bodyguard. For this, they were nominated both for the Academy Award for Best Song in 1993 and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television in 1994. Thompson and Foster received the 2003 Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for “Aren’t They All Our Children” for the “The Concert for World Children’s Day.”

Which Saturday Night Live cast member turns 65 in March? Find out here!

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, Retirement Planning, Social Security

March 13- William Macy may be best known for his lead role in Fargo (1996), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, Macy has described himself as “sort of a Middle American, WASPy, Lutheran kind of guy . . . Everyman.” He got his start in theater and had roles in more than 50 Off-Broadway and Broadway plays in New York. Later, he appeared in numerous films that David Mamet wrote and/or directed, including House of Games, Homicide and Spartan. Other Macy roles of the 1990s and 2000s included Boogie Nights, Pleasantville, Magnolia, Jurassic Park III and Seabiscut. Macy has also had a number of roles on television. In 2003, he won two Emmy Awards, one for starring in the lead role and one as co-writer of TNT’s Door to Door, based on the true story of a door-to-door salesman born with cerebral palsy. His work on ER and Sports Night has also been recognized with Emmy nominations. In 2007, Macy starred in Wild Hogs, a film about middle-aged men, which was a financial success. In 2010, Macy received high critical acclaim for his performance in Showtime’s Shameless, eventually getting an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2014. Macy made his directorial debut with the independent drama Rudderless (2014) and serves as director-in-residence at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York. He and actress Felicity Huffman have been married since 1997.

March 20- William Hurt made his film debut as a troubled scientist in the science-fiction feature Altered States (1980), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year. He subsequently played a leading role, as a lawyer who succumbs to the temptations of Kathleen Turner, in the well-received neo-noir Body Heat (1981). The step-grandson of Henry Luce, founder of Time magazine and actress-writer Clare Boothe Luce, Hurt co-starred in The Big Chill. In 1985, Hurt garnered substantial critical acclaim and multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award (British Academy of Film and Television) for Best Actor, for portraying an effeminate gay man in Kiss of the Spider Woman. He received another two Academy Award nominations for his lead performances in Children of a Lesser God (1986) and Broadcast News (1987) and for Best Supporting Actor in A History Of Violence (2005). Throughout the 1980s, Hurt remained an active stage actor, appearing in Off-Broadway productions, including Henry V, Fifth of July, Richard II and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 1985, he received his first Tony Award nomination for the Broadway production of Hurlyburly.Hurt appeared in the cast of Vanya, an adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, at the Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon. In 2006, he was in the TNT mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes. In 2008, Hurt starred as General Thunderbolt Ross in The Incredible Hulk. He appeared as President Henry Ashton in the 2008 action-thriller Vantage Point. In 2009, Hurt became a series regular on the FX series Damages, playing a corporate whistleblower, for which Hurt earned a 2009 Primetime Emmy Award nomination in the “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series” category. In September 2010, Hurt played U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson in the HBO film Too Big to Fail and starred as Captain Ahab in the 2011 television adaptation of Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick.

March 26 – Martin Short is best known for his comedy work, particularly on the TV programs SCTV and Saturday Night Live. Originally intending to pursue a career in social work, in 1977 he came to public notice in Second City Television, or SCTV, which ran for several years in Canada, then the United States. At SCTV Short developed several characters before moving on to Saturday Night Live for the 1984–1985 season, including oddball man-child Ed Grimley. In addition to his work on SCTV and SNL, Short has starred in several television specials and series of his own, including The Martin Short Show (1994-2000), as TV interviewer Jiminy Glick on Comedy Central’s Primetime Glick (2001–03) and I, Martin Short, Goes Home (2011), which follows Short’s return to his native Hamilton, Ontario. Beginning in October 2014, Short has been starring in the Fox sitcom, Mulaney, playing the boss of the show’s central character.In film, Short appeared ¡Three Amigos!, (1989), the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride and Tim Burton’s sci-fi comedy Mars Attacks! (1996); and wrote and starred in Jiminy Glick in Lalawood (2004). Short also provided the voices of several animated film characters, including in We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story (1993) and in Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012). In theater, Short played a lead role in the 1993 musical version of the Neil Simon film The Goodbye Girl, on Broadway, receiving a Tony Award nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award. He had the lead role in the 1999 Broadway revival of the musical Little Me, for which he received a Tony Award and another Outer Critics Circle Award. In 2003, Short took to the stage once again in the critically acclaimed Los Angeles run of The Producers. Short performed in his satirical one-man show, with a cast of six, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, on Broadway and has continued to tour in his one-man show, which features many of his best-loved characters and sketches.

Medicare Supplement Policyholder Alert!

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Dan Hoelscher - Uncategorized

Have you received this postcard in the mail? Is it coming from Medicare? Is it important information? It does say, “REGISTERED DOCUMENT – DO NOT DESTROY.” The truth is this is just a solicitation for insurance, and if you mail in the return postcard you are sure to get a call from an insurance agent, or worse yet a knock on your front door. The unfortunate truth is we now live in a world of information overload and everyone is vying for your attention…yes, even me. And in the world of Medicare, some lead companies resort to making the older population believe their mailing is more than it is.

If you look closely at the small print at the bottom you will read, “This information is not affiliated or endorsed by government agencies or the federal Medicare program. You may be contacted by an insurance licensed representative.” This disclaimer language is a sure sign that the mailing is a solicitation as it is required by Medicare. I am not judging those who use these postcards to drum up business, in fact these cards are completely compliant with current regulations. I just believe there is a better way…honesty!

Why can’t we replace the words, “REGISTERED DOCUMENT – DO NOT DESTROY” with, “THIS IS NOT A REGISTERED DOCUMENT – DESTROY IF YOU WANT…BUT IF YOU DO, OUR AGENCY WON’T BE ABLE TO HELP YOU!” Why can’t we just get back to letting people know we are here to help when they need it.

Here is a great example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrmYLo3tMA8

Next “Solving the Medicare Puzzle” Workshop

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Dan Hoelscher - Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Drug Plan, Medicare Supplement, Retirement Planning

Announcing our next “Solving the Medicare Puzzle” Workshop! Monday, March 16 at 5:30 pm in our Troy office at 1385 Stonycreek Road in Troy.

Are you, or someone you know, feeling overwhelmed about signing up for a Medicare Supplement? Is your mailbox overflowing with flyers and invitations? Are you more confused now than you were a couple of months ago? What do all of the letters of the alphabet have to do with healthcare? Well, look no further. Sign up today so you can be in the know!

Call our office at 937-492-8800 to reserve a seat (or two!), or simply complete the form below:

[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’I would love to come! There will be a total of __ people in our group:’ type=’radio’ options=’1,2,3,4’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Website’ type=’url’/][contact-field label=’Comment’ type=’textarea’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]