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Ray's Retire Right Report Retire Right — Retire Smart! Raymond T. Martin, Retirement Coach and Medicare Planning

December 2025 Happy Holidays! No matter what your faith and which holiday you observe, I hope yours is filled with family and friends, health and happiness!

December is "Safe Toys and Gifts Month" December 25th – 31st is "It’s about Time Week" And December 31st is "No Interruptions Day"

Monkey Maid In 2007, at the Little Rock Zoo, a zookeeper accidentally left a door open. Judy, a 120-pound chimpanzee, escaped from her enclosure. The workers were shocked at what Judy chose to do with her new-found freedom. Her first action was to go to the bathroom in the staff area, grab a scrub brush and clean the toilet. Primate keeper, Ann Rademacher said, “Her technique was good enough to make me think she must have done it before.” (The 37-year-old chimp was a house pet before the zoo acquired her in 1988.) Judy then wrung out a sponge and cleaned off the front of the refrigerator. Afterwards she rewarded herself with snacks in the kitchen - juice, soft drinks and cinnamon-raisin bread. It took a couple of tries to catch her, but her domestic activities ended when she ate sedative-laced strawberry

What famous figure was carved on the prow of the first ship carrying Dutch settlers to America? (See the Answer Area.)

The Annual Disenrollment Period (ADP) is when you can disenroll from a Medicare Advantage plan to rejoin Original Medicare. You have two basic choices in Medicare to take care of your hospitalization, doctor visits and laboratory tests – Medicare Advantage plans (also called Medicare Part C) and original Medicare (comprised of Medicare Parts A and B). To fill in the holes and gaps of Original Medicare, it is often coupled with Medigap Medicare supplement plans. Most Medicare Advantage plans (but not all) are health maintenance organizations (HMOs). What if you opted for one that isn’t working for you? Are you stuck? No. January 1st to March 31st is when you can migrate back to Original Medicare. If you elect to switch between those dates, you will go back to having Original Medicare Parts A and B. Your coverage will begin on the first day of the following month. If you make this change you will also have the option of adding drug coverage. The change back to Original Medicare is no guarantee that you will qualify for Medigap Medicare supplemental insurance. You will have to apply and be accepted by the insurance carrier and may be turned down. During the Annual Disenrollment Period you may NOT switch:  Original Medicare for a Medicare Advantage

Plan  From one Medicare Advantage Plan to another  From Medicare prescription drug plan to another. Those types of changes can only be made during the Medicare Open Enrollment period, October 15th to December 7th. Confused about your Medicare choices? Call my office for help. That’s what I do!