This month on Making Medicare Fun, Ricki Stewart welcomes back Tammy Ward to celebrate National Organ Donation Month. Tammy, a passionate advocate with LifeQuest, shares inspiring updates since her last appearance—including the incredible news that over 3,250 people in Florida recently received life-saving transplants. Together, Ricki and Tammy dive into real-life donor stories (including a 98-year-old liver donor!), debunk common myths about age and eligibility, and explain how simple it is to register as an organ donor at DonateLifeFlorida.org or your local tax collector’s office.

The episode also touches on the importance of communicating your wishes with loved ones, the growing need for donors, and how to make sure your organ donation intentions are included in your will. Tammy even shares her current projects, like her move into a new home and plans for a shed build—all while continuing her mission to spread awareness. Want to help save lives? Tune in, be inspired, and consider becoming an organ donor. For more info, reach out to Tammy directly at 850-830-9600.

Hi, everyone. Welcome to Making Medicare Fun. I'm Ricki Stewart, a licensed independent agent serving my clients in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In this fall episode, we delve into the upcoming annual enrollment season from October 15th to December 7th, focusing on significant changes to Medicare for 2025.

We'll break down the removal of the coverage gap (donut hole), the reduction of the maximum out-of-pocket expenses for Part D prescription drugs, and the introduction of a new prescription payment plan option. It seems these updates aim to provide more peace of mind and potentially lower your overall prescription costs.

Join me as we talk about how these changes, stemming from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, may affect your Medicare coverage and prescription expenses in 2025. Whether you're new to Medicare or a long-time beneficiary, this episode offers valuable insights to help you navigate the new landscape in 2025. For more details and personalized assistance, visit my website or contact me directly.

Here are the links mentioned in this episode to credit the sources and get connected. Thanks for listening!

"Unpacking the changes to Medicare in 2025": https://www.uhc.com/news-articles/medicare-articles/ira-medicare

"What’s the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan?" https://www.medicare.gov/prescription-payment-plan

Connect with Ricki: https://blinq.me/SANHxMGuvt0ZZ7FFHHVs

Doug Shellabarger CLU, ChFC, is an Independent Financial Advisor who sells long-term care. He has worked in this field for 30 years. He tells us what you need to know about long-term care if you are on Medicare. Thanks for listening! Connect with Doug below. Thanks again!

Cell: (727)512-6700

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.innovateyourinsurance.com

Happy Spring! This season, we are talking with Tammy Ward, the Public Education Coordinator for LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services in the Pensacola Area. She discusses the importance of knowing if you are an organ donor. 

Connect with LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services:

www.LifeQuestFla.org

https://www.instagram.com/lifequestfla/

https://www.facebook.com/LifeQuestFla/

The online registry at https://www.donatelifeflorida.org/Register/ allows residents, as well as even those who live outside Florida to designate themselves as organ, tissue and eye donors.

Podcast Host, Ricki, Contact: https://insuredbyricki.com/

https://www.donatelifeflorida.org/

This winter season, we get to talk with the owners of The Exercise Coach Pensacola, Evan and Tracey Forbes. They were so kind to talk about their gym, what a membership includes, and what my members can access through their local Medicare plan (that I am licensed to offer for those who qualify). Please seek your local Medicare agent to see if you qualify for this benefit.

This podcast is for my Medicare clients. My Medicare clients who have a fitness benefit in their plan can get a gym membership to this local gym in Pensacola. At the time of this recording, the gym is in the network of the local plans I offer to my clients on Medicare. Networks do change, so be sure to double-check with me if you are one of my clients to ensure The Exercise Coach Pensacola is still in our network in the months and years to come. Networks do change so double check first. I am not responsible for any membership fees anyone acquires from taking action and getting a membership from listening to this episode. The point of this episode is to give my clients on Medicare advise on how to use their local Medicare plan now.

Contact The Excise Coach Pensacola

Website: https://exercisecoach.com/pensacola/

Address: 2190 Airport Blvd Suite 2650, Pensacola, FL 32504

Last year's episode on the Annual Enrollment Period was our most popular episode ever! So I knew this year for this fall season I would need to bring in THE MEDICARE MOMMA who I go to for AEP advice... Which is my actual mother! Diana Albritton runs and operates Albritton Insurance Services in central Florida. She has worked in the medical field for the last 30-plus years. Within the last 19 years, she started selling Medicare insurance specifically as Albritton Insurance Services. She is coming up on 20 years working as a Licensed Independent Agent and I am super proud of her! 

If you are on Medicare -- This is going to be a very valuable podcast for you!! Enjoy! 

Here is Diana's contact info: http://albrittoninsuranceservices.com/

Here is my contact info: insuredbyricki.com

Thanks for listening! Please share this with anyone you think would benefit from this Medicare information this fall!

This summer we are talking with the Center for Independent Living of Northwest Florida (CILNWF)'s Executive Director, Carolyn L. Grawi, MSW, LCSW, LMSW, ACSW, ADAC. The Center for Independent Living of Northwest Florida promotes independence for people with disabilities in Northwest Florida since 1980.

Carolyn and her team at Center for Independent Living of Northwest Florida are amazing and I'm so grateful for the wonderful service they provide in this area!

As promised in this episode, here are the ways to connect with Carolyn and her team:

Contact info:

https://cilnwf.org/

[email protected]

Address:

21 South Tarragona St.

Suite 101

Pensacola, FL 32502

Phone number: (850)595-5566

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Info to donate to CIL:

Please Text CILALWAYS  to 44-321 to donate!

CIL is always Engaged!

CIL is always Essential!

CIL is always Here to Assist!

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If you learned something good from this episode or know someone who would benefit from this information, please share this podcast with them. Thanks for listening and have a great day!

Account Executive with Advanced Diabetes Supply®, Carla Albuquerque joins us this season to encourage people who are diabetics how to get connected with her to help them get the supplies they may need. Thank you Carla for coming on and helping listeners on Medicare make it fun!

Contact information for Carla:

https://advanceddiabetessupply.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#4W000005jX4G/a/4W000000kr70/6U5NsaFF7BJqUliUH94j_LMOHUNjzmmPqkerFYlRBIk

Happy Winter! This season we are talking with the Marketing and Communications Director at Council on Aging of West Florida. Her name is Emily Echevarria and she cares so much about our aging population. I loved getting to hear how her daughter was positively impacted by a volunteer with Council on Aging of West Florida before she even worked for them! How fun is that!?

We hope this conversation gives you more clarity about what this organization does and who they help in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. 

As Emily explained in this conversation, the first step to getting connected with Council on Aging of West Florida is to call their Elder Helpline at (850)494-7100. She explained that if you're interested in receiving some of their services, this is the first step to getting assistance from their organization. Emily also encouraged people who are interested in their services to call their Elder Helpline as soon as they can if they have been thinking about wanting their assistance. 

Connect with Council on Aging of West Florida for more information on what services they provide in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, here:

Call their office in Pensacola - (850)432-1475

Go to their website - https://www.coawfla.org/

Call their Elder Helpline - (850)494-7100

Making Medicare Fun is a podcast released quarterly for my clients and their friends. My name is Ricki Stewart and I am a licensed independent agent serving my clients in northwest Florida. If you would like to get more information on what I do and how I may be able to serve you, click here: https://insuredbyricki.com/

Thanks for listening and if you are on Medicare, we hope you are having fun! Please share this podcast with your friends if you think it will encourage them. Thanks again! 

This season it’s all about AEP! Below are the links we talked about in this episode. 

2023 Part B Cost: https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/medicare-costs

https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-qa-tool/when-can-i-enroll-in-a-part-d-plan/

Contact Ricki: insuredbyricki.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/makingmedicarefun