Ray's Retire Right Report Retire Right — Retire Smart! Raymond T. Martin, Retirement Coach and Medicare Planning
September 2025 Happy September! Autumn officially begins on September 22nd, which also marks the midpoint between the most and least sunlight hours.
September is "International Strategic Thinking Month" September 6th – 12th is "National Waffle Week" And September 10th is "Swap Ideas Day"
Boardwalk Babies Coney Island’s boardwalk was a thriving resort which featured human oddities such as tattooed ladies, sword swallowers, fire eaters . . .and babies! Dr. Martin Couney invented the incubator for premature infants, but it was rejected by the medical establishment. For 40+ years starting in 1896 he paid for his work by displaying the tiny babies and charging 25 cents to see the show. The parents didn’t have to pay for the care and thousands of children survived who would not have otherwise. Lucille Horn was born in 1920 at just two pounds. She lived in the exhibit and was cared for by Dr. Couney for six months. Years later, she returned to the exhibit as a visitor. The doctor was there so she introduced herself. A man was standing nearby looking at his baby. The doc said to him, “Look at this young lady. She’s one of our babies and that’s how your baby’s going to grow up.”
What is a geoduck? (See the Answer Area.)
A Medicare Supplement (also called a Medsup or a Medigap plan) is a private insurance policy that fills in the gaps of Medicare Parts A and B. While Original Medicare’s benefits are quite comprehensive, they still have significant holes that could result in huge medical bills. This is especially true because it is offered to people most likely to need expensive treatment – seniors and the disabled. There are two ways to financially cover those gaps (besides paying medical expenses out of pocket): 1. Leave original Medicare Parts A and B to join Medicare Part C, called Medicare Advantage 2. Stay in original Medicare and supplement the coverage with private insurance. Generally, you will retain maximum freedom of choice for providers and treatment by staying in Original Medicare and buying supplemental insurance (plus a prescription drug plan.) Typically, Medicare Advantage premiums are less, which can be an important consideration. You should start thinking about these choices many months before your 65th birthday (and at the annual open enrollment each fall). There are many supplement options and numerous companies offering them. There are also several Medicare Advantage plans to choose from. And importantly, there is a deadline to sign up and a major penalty for missing it! If you would like help navigating the Medicare maze of options, whether you are new to Medicare or already enrolled, please call for a no-obligation consultation. I am happy to help!
© 2025 by CCS. All Rights Reserved.