Suddenly Single

 For-profit companies sell Medicare Advantage (MA) policies because these plans can be highly profitable. Medicare Advantage plans are private insurance alternatives to traditional Medicare and receive monthly fixed payments from Medicare for each enrollee. The companies manage the care of these beneficiaries and are paid to do so, often receiving more money per enrollee than traditional Medicare spends, which creates a financial incentive to maximize enrollment.  These insurers make money by receiving government payments for each enrollee, collecting additional premiums and out-of-pocket costs from members, and managing care to control costs while maintaining revenue. The plans also compete by bidding for these payments, and if they can provide care for less than Medicare pays, they can keep the difference as profit. Additionally, Medicare Advantage plans sometimes engage in "upcoding," a practice to document higher severity of illness to increase payments, though this is co...

 For-profit companies sell Medigap policies because these supplemental insurance plans provide a steady revenue stream through premiums paid by policyholders. Medigap policies cover some out-of-pocket costs not covered by Original Medicare, such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance, making them attractive to many Medicare beneficiaries. These policies are sold by private insurers who generate profit primarily through the premiums they collect. Companies make money on Medigap policies by setting premiums that exceed the expected costs of the claims they will pay, including administrative costs and profit margins. Although premiums can vary by insurer and state, companies use medical underwriting and pricing strategies to manage risk and profitability, except during certain guaranteed issue periods where they must sell policies without denying coverage or charging higher premiums for pre-existing conditions. Additionally, some companies offer policies like Medicare SELECT with...

 Here is the combined total of your monthly medical insurance premiums as a South Carolina state retiree under PEBA in 2025, including your base health plan, Dental Plus coverage, and Medicare Part B premium: | Coverage Type             | Monthly Premium Amount     | |--------------------------|----------------------------| | PEBA Standard Plan (Single coverage)   | $97.68                     | | Dental Plus (Single coverage)          | $21.38                     | | Medicare Part B Premium (2025 standard) | $185.00                    | ### Total Monthly Medical Insurance Premium $$ 97.68 + 21.38 + 185.00 = \mathbf{304.06} $$ Your estimated total monthly premium for medical insurance coverage including PEBA Standard Plan, Dental Plus, and Medicare Part B in 2025 is ...

 Here is the full updated list of questions to ask a health insurance broker, along with clear, predictable answers for a 78-year-old female with polymyositis considering switching from Medicare Advantage to Medicare Plan F: ### Questions with Predictable Answers for the Broker Meeting 1. **Am I eligible to enroll in Medicare Plan F?**      - *Answer:* Yes, if you became eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. Otherwise, you cannot enroll in Plan F.[2][9] 2. **Will my polymyositis preexisting condition affect enrollment or premiums?**      - *Answer:* Outside your initial enrollment period, medical underwriting may apply. This could mean higher premiums or denial unless you have guaranteed issue rights, such as switching from Medicare Advantage.[9][10] 3. **How do Plan F and Medicare Advantage differ in coverage for my monthly infusion treatments?**      - *Answer:* Plan F covers 100% of Medicare Part B costs for infusions, resulti...

  So what do I value? What do I believe in? I believe in freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of choice in personal relationships, with all of the above prefaced with the word responsible. I believe in democracy, and the right of each individual male or female to be able to vote and that their votes are counted.  I believe in preserving and protecting the environment, just as God gave us the garden of Eden it’s our responsibility to tend to it and take care of it for future generations. And this would mean moving away from fossil fuels and moving towards green and sustainable energy sources. I believe in freedom of religion and freedom from religion I believe that people acquire beliefs from what they learn and experience, and they have the right to gather together to express those beliefs. This too prefaced by responsibility and respect for the dignity of all peoples and all ages. My personal religious beliefs are based on the teachings of Jesus. ...

  AMERICA NEEDS A MASS MOVEMENT—NOW Without one, America may sink into autocracy for decades. By  David Brooks Illustrations by Nicolás Ortega https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/11/autocracy-resistance-social-movement/684336/?gift=FkzNubd7ozbGPM2NYd1WDX7RYTmhQO9FebPtbKD8aCk&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social Summary of article In  “America Needs a Mass Movement—Now,”  David Brooks warns that U.S. democracy is eroding as institutions act in isolation while authoritarian forces, led by Trumpism, gain strength. He argues that resisting autocracy requires not just elections or policies but a broad civic movement—one that unites working- and middle-class Americans, rebuilds trust across divides, and revives the nation’s founding ideals of liberty and dignity. Brooks urges citizens to craft a hopeful national narrative, coordinate across institutions, and achieve cultural as well as political victories before complacency allow...

 Why Trump won the election of 2024

 

The No Kings Act of 2024 was written and introduced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), joined by 34 Democratic colleagues as co-sponsors including Senators Mazie Hirono, Brian Schatz, Jack Reed, Richard Blumenthal, Tom Carper, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. The bill clarifies that Presidents and Vice Presidents are not above U.S. law and do not possess immunity from criminal prosecution for illegal acts performed while in office. It reasserts Congress’s authority to determine the reach of federal criminal law and strips the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over presidential immunity cases, safeguarding core democratic principles. As of October 18, 2025, the No Kings Act has not been brought to a vote in either the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. The bill was last reported as placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders after its introduction in September 2024, with no record of a subsequent vote or advancement beyond initial procedural steps. ...

 Going off the grid 😊 Yesterday I was faced with one more solicitation to expand or upgrade my storage capacity plan on Google and I get the same solicitations for the Apple and Jennifer had just gotten them and we were talking about it so you know I almost clicked on it. I almost upgraded my plan to spend a little more money every month to have more space and then you know I just thought about it and said I don’t need all these emails. Why am I saving all these emails? Why am I searching through all these emails to see what I should save and what I should delete I just decided to delete them all so I deleted all of my previous emails and that means I have no paper Trail for Fidelity or Wells Fargo. I have no history of emails with any of my friends and you know what I’m thinking is anything we send in the future I’ll have and I’ll probably delete that too because the reality of it is once you read it it’s done and that’s part of this process part of this process of getting older ...

 

  https://www.mooncool.com/products/tk1-folding-electric-trike I bought the Moon Cool TK one folding electric trike. I took the leap on Sunday after studying it and watching a lot of videos I even talked to ChatGPT about it and I also talked to Jennifer about it. I decided it was better  to involve her. You know in it rather than kind of pulling a big surprise because even though I love surprises, you know there are a mixed things about this. Does she really want to ride a bike you know or a trike I’m buying it because I wanna go riding together and because I think it will be safe and sturdy for her to ride. I also want to ride it. I want to be able to ride to the end of the acoustic trail to ride downtown to go to the grocery store buy groceries to take Zeke with me because I can load him. I got the pet carrier I can put him in the back basket or maybe even the front basket so I’m excited about it and you know I have this irony of feeling guilty about it like I’m gonna spend ...

  Jennifer … I just wrote my review for Mad Co. Brew House and as I finished I realized what we just did together today. When we entered and talked about where to sit, I just automatically wanted to sit where we could overlook the river. In that moment I wasn’t even thinking about the stairs… even though we had talked about that as an obstacle to Dave and JoAnna’s and even at Hot Springs… in that moment I was oblivious and not even considering how those stairs may have looked or felt to you.   You didn’t blink… well maybe you did but I sure didn’t see it. You were just all game, all into it and so I just want to tell you how much I love you. I was going to say, love you for that, which is true but really, I just love your spirit and our companionship. I love that we can do things together and I want to believe that they are as much fun for you as they are to me. I’m very excited about getting this Cool Moon and I know you are going to look Cool and Beautiful riding on it. ...

I’m 77. It’s hard to believe that a rock and roll group that I liked in my teens is still lighting up the internet…. The internet that didn’t even exist when I was in my teens. You see Ed Sullivan struggling to get control of his audience… this whole experience of a group called the Beatles was unprecedented… the hair, the clothes , the British accent and of course the completely new musical sounds punctuated by the ooooos … and the girls going wild… if you were a guy all you wanted to do was be a Beatle… Chris Rock said that, he said “I wanted” to be a Beatle” and that’s just a sample of how powerfully universal their appeal was…. And is! 😅

  The Beatles mapped out my teenage life… beginning with Meet the Beatles and Ed Sullivan, a Really Big Shoe! 😅 But as rock bands grew and evolved I sometimes wondered if the Beatles could really do it… the guitar leads of Led Zeppelin, the drum solos and heavy riffs of Free Bird… but… but they could and they did do it.. in The End 😢