Ray's Retire Right Report Retire Right — Retire Smart! Raymond T. Martin, Retirement Coach and Medicare Planning
June 2024 Happy Summer! The longest daylight of the year and the official start of Summer is June 20th. Enjoy the day but don’t forget to wear sunscreen!
June is Give a Bunch of Balloons Month June 27th – 30th is Watermelon Thump Seed Spitting Week June 5th is Festival of Popular Delusions Day
Don’t Break a Sweat In 1979, Bill Rabe, a manager of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan, noticed people were suffering from hectic schedules with little time left for anything more than work. In that era, jogging was becoming hugely popular too. He felt people lacked time and inclination to just slow down and really look around with curiosity, wonder and appreciation of our world. So, he started the World Sauntering Society. Sauntering means you don’t care where you’re going or when you’ll get there and you never, ever work up a sweat. The Society is headquartered on Mackinac Island, a perfect location for sauntering because no cars are allowed on the remote island; transportation is all via horse, bicycle, or foot. There is even a World Sauntering Day each year on June 19th which you can celebrate anywhere. Just set aside your endless to-do lists and enjoy a leisurely stroll!
What year was Father’s Day first celebrated in the US? (See the Answer Area.)
If you’ve had Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly “Wellness” visit to develop or update your personalized plan to help prevent disease or disability, based on your current health and risk factors. The yearly “Wellness” visit isn’t a physical exam. You don’t need to have had a “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit to qualify for a yearly “Wellness” visit. You pay nothing for this visit if your doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment. However, you may have to pay coinsurance and the Part B deductible if your health care provider performs additional tests or services during the same visit. If Medicare doesn't cover the additional tests or services, you may have to pay the full amount. Your health care provider may ask you to fill out a questionnaire, called a “Health Risk Assessment” to help you and your doctor develop or update a personalized prevention plan to stay healthy. Your visit may include:
Routine measurements (height, weight, etc.) Review your medical and family history. Review your current prescriptions. Personalized health advice. Advance care planning. A screening schedule preventive services. A cognitive assessment to look for signs of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. (Medicare covers a separate visit for a more thorough review and to check for conditions like dementia, depression, anxiety, or delirium and design a care plan.)
If you have questions about your Medicare plan or benefits, call my office. That’s what we do!
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