New Medicare ID Cards will be arriving this year. Currently, Medicare cards include the beneficiary’s Social Security number. To reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft, CMS is issuing new cards that replace the Social Security number with a randomly assigned Medicare Beneficiary Identifier. This is good news for anyone concerned with security, but the transition may lead to confusion. Here’s what you need to know to make the process go as smoothly as possible.      

Seniors, do you want to have fun, learn new things and keep your brain active? Then keep on reading – and I don’t just mean this article. Reading books, magazines and other materials is a great way to stay mentally sharp.

2018 has arrived. If you’re like many people you probably have a few goals in mind for the New Year.  However, according to US News, 80% of New Year resolutions fail by February! Don’t become part of that statistic. Take steps now to bolster your self-discipline and focus. The resources below will help.

AEP may be over, but the selling continues! If you’re having trouble keeping your mind focused on work, you might need a little extra motivation, and we’ve got just the thing. Let’s say you earn an average commission of $327. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or you’re buying gifts for all your family and friends, here’s what you can buy with $327 or less … in these last 12 days of Christmas!    

This week we’re sharing a blog that first ran in the AgencyBloc blog on 11/28. Erica Kiefer, the Vice President of Marketing and Sales at AgencyBloc interviewed me about why technology is so important to our sales process. Enjoy!

When people turn 65, they qualify for Medicare – and if they miss the initial enrollment period, they can face lifetime penalties as a result. The punishment can seem harsh, especially given that some people may miss the deadline simply due to a lack of awareness regarding the rules. The BENES Act aims to rectify the situation. 

Social Security beneficiaries will be getting a little more money in 2018. The Social Security Administration has released its Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2018. It’s based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) between the third quarter and 2016 and the third quarter of 2017.

These days, everything is done online, from shopping and banking to dating and working. People are even getting medical care online. Telemedicine offers many benefits, and you should make sure your Medicare clients know about it.

Identity theft is a serious problem in the modern world. To minimize the risk, people are warned to keep sensitive information private – but that’s difficult to do when your Social Security Number is written on your Medicare card. This is why CMS will start issuing new Medicare cards that do not include Social Security Numbers.

A big thanks to all of you who are joining us this week for #WAPCon2017. We got off to a great start on Tuesday. Below are some snapshots from our Day 1 Highlight Reel …