Savvy Senior Solutions

10/04/2026

You may have heard some people on Medicare are getting a surprise $90 payment this week. Yes, it’s real. But NO, not everyone on Medicare gets one.

WHO GETS THE $90?
✔️ You have and pay for Original Medicare Part B and
✔️ You live in the U.S. and
✔️ Medicaid does NOT pay your Part B premium and
✔️ You do NOT pay IRMAA

WHO DOESN’T?
❌ Anyone enrolled in Medicare Advantage
❌ People whose Part B premium is paid by Medicaid
❌ People who pay IRMAA

Personally, I think the Medicare Advantage exclusion is ridiculous. People on Medicare Advantage pay the Medicare Part B premium too. So if this $90 is supposedly to help people pay their Part B premium, why are they excluded?!

It makes me wonder whether the people who came up with this big idea even understand that.

About 20.8 million people will receive the payment, less than a third of the roughly 70 million people on Medicare. Most will get it by direct deposit around October 8; others will receive a check. You don’t need to apply for it.

** NO ONE FROM THE GOVERNMENT WILL CALL YOU ABOUT THIS, so do not give anyone your Medicare, Social Security or banking information over the phone!!

But here’s the part I find much more interesting:

The money is coming from something called the Medicare Improvement Fund, created by Congress in 2008 to make improvements to Original Medicare.

And yet, according to the Congressional Budget Office, as of its 2023 review, CMS had never spent money from the fund to actually improve Medicare.

Congress has moved money in and out of it repeatedly over the years, under both parties. And now roughly $2 billion is being used to send $90 payments to 20.8 million people.

👉 I think sending $90 checks to 20 million people a month before the midterm election is a pretty blatant attempt by Trump to curry favor with voters.

And don't you think that $2 billion could have been used to actually IMPROVE Medicare instead? Such as better physician reimbursement, better access to doctors, lower ONGOING costs for beneficiaries...maybe sSomething that lasts longer than a one-time $90 check?

I’ll put the CMS link in the comments.

And as for the two $180 payments coming to our household? Tony and I will donating that money directly to the Democratic Party.

VOTE BLUE IN NOVEMBER
VOTE BLUE IN NOVEMBER
VOTE BLUE IN NOVEMBER

10/02/2026

SCAN is coming to Sonoma! Stop by the Sonoma County SeniorExpo USA event October 8 from 10 - 1 in Santa Rosa. I'll be there with two of my agent pals for our own biz plus SCAN!! Lots of info and goodies.

We'll be the table having the most fun!

Have you heard the news? SCAN Costco Medicare Advantage (HMO) is coming to 17 counties in California and two counties in Nevada!

Starting January 1, 2027, the plans will be available in California’s Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, Alameda, Placer, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Yolo, Fresno, and Kings counties and in Nevada’s Clark and Nye counties.

For more information on the plans and the SCAN and Costco partnership, visit: https://www.scanhealthplan.com/about-scan/press-releases/scan-costco-hmo

10/01/2026

I was temporarily suspended from my personal Nextdoor account people because a guy reported me for posting "misinformation" about how many people were losing Advantage plans and that agents don't get paid for drug plans. I just had to laugh. So I posted this today in my local (Marin county) Nextdoor, on my business page, and I'm posting it here in case they take it down. And also because I think this is helpful info for people, especially in California.

🔹 2027 MEDICARE UPDATE 🔹

I’m finally allowed to talk about 2027 Medicare plans, so I’m going to share with you what I know to be coming. I will focus on Marin but include info that affects all Californians and likely a few outlying counties, as I know people have friends and family nearby.

THIS IS ALL INFORMATION I KNOW TO BE 100% ACCURATE. My personal account was temporarily suspended for supposedly posting “misinformation” on my last Medicare post. LOL What I posted then and now is all information that can now be found publicly on official websites if you know where to look.

🔹 STANDALONE PART D RX DRUG PLANS🔹
Californians will be losing two standalone Part D plans in 2027: the Aetna SilverScript Choice plan and the HealthSpring Extra Rx plan. If you’re on either of those plans, you will need to enroll in a new plan between 10/15 - 12/7.

As I said in my last post, agents are no longer compensated for any Part D plans, so our insurance doesn’t cover us if we help people with them. In the past, I’ve sent everyone to medicare dot gov to do the research. But based on personal experience, I no longer think that’s a viable option. I wrote an extensive Part D Cheat Sheet that covers my suggested solutions. I’m happy to share with anyone who texts me at 415 539 2979 and includes their name & email. Or just email me and ask for it, cheri @ savvyseniorsolutions dot com, and I’ll email it to you.

💚 BY THE WAY, MY PART D CHEAT SHEET WORKS IN ALL STATES 💚

Simple hint: the plan to choose is the one that covers ALL of your medications at a pharmacy you like for the lowest overall annual cost. But because these plans can change significantly every year, you must do this ever AEP (10/15-12/7).

Even if your Part D plan is not terminating, you really need to check your meds against next year’s plan, as things are changing dramatically.

Next year there will be no $0 premium Part D plans in California. *** VERY IMPORTANT: If you are on the $0 premium plan this year, make sure you look for AND PAY any bill you receive from the plan you’ll have in 2027. People often miss this step. If you don’t pay your premium and the plan can’t reach you, they will eventually disenroll you, so pay attention.

On the Annual Notice of Change for one of the plans, it shows the premium going from $0 this year to $7.30 next year. However, official CMS documentation as well as the carrier enrollment kits all show it to be $9.30. I have no idea which will be the final price, but if you’re affected, you will eventually find out LOL. (This is the Part D plan I’m on, so I’ve seen the ANOC.)

🔹IF YOU HAVE MEDICARE, MEDI-CAL, AND A PART D PLAN WITH LIS 🔹
If this is you, make sure you are on a plan for 2027 with a premium that falls below the LIS threshold, which will be $7.28 next year. LIS will only pay $7.28. If your premium is higher than that, you’ll have to pay the difference.

🔹WANT A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT BUT AREN'T HEALTHY ENOUGH TO QUALIFY? 🔹
If this is you and you are on a Medicare Advantage plan that is going to change 15% for the worse in any way (i.e., increased premium or copay on major services, or higher MOOP on the medical–not drug–side, etc.), you will have a period of guaranteed issue at the end of the year. In other words, if this describes you, you can get a Supplement (aka Medigap) without having to be healthy enough to qualify. Many Advantage plans, even the ones sold by the company that starts K, often change 15% or more from year to year. If that’s you, reach out. If you’re not sure if your plan is going to change enough, email me with the exact plan you’re on and I’ll let you know. I love Medigap plans and am always happy to help people make that transition.

🔹MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS/MEDIGAP PLANS 🔹
If you are on original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement plan (aka Medigap plan), YOUR PLAN NEVER CHANGES (other than going up in price each year). They are permanent plans. The only thing YOU need to do during 10/15-12/7 is look at your drug plan & follow the instructions above.

🔹MEDICARE ADVANTAGE 🔹
CMS released the 2027 Medicare landscape files today, and 17.7% of people nationwide with Medicare Advantage are in a plan that will not be available in 2027. That’s about 5.27 million people. Some will be automatically “crosswalked” into a different plan, but not all. Some of those details haven’t been released yet.

If your plan is being terminated and you don’t take action, you will go back to original Medicare with no supplement plan, leaving you exposed to 20% of all medical costs, high hospital deductibles, and no Rx drug coverage. So please pay attention to anything you receive from your plan.

The good news for Marin is that 2027 should be a pretty stable year. I know there have been some network disruptions here this year, which is somewhat normal for Advantage plans, but compared to other counties, Marin will be stable in 2027. The carriers we have in 2026 will all remain here, and no new ones are coming in for 2027. There are a couple of new plans, but remember that some plans require things such as Medi-Cal or a chronic condition. If your plan has been working well for you, I advise you just stay put for 2027.

🔹 SONOMA COUNTY 🔹
In our neighboring Sonoma county, there is some great news: SCAN Health Plan will be returning there with Medicare Advantage plans for 2027!! 👏🏻 You’ve probably seen the SCAN Costco commercials and ads; the two companies are co-branding Advantage plans in two states, California and Nevada. This is super exciting news for our friends just north of us, as they have had limited choices the past few years, and SCAN is an awesome company.

SCAN will also have a Costco branded Medicare Supplement plan in Washington state (!!) and a co-branded Medicare Advantage plan with Walmart in Arizona and Texas.

Side note: I’ll have a table at the Sonoma County Senior Expo, Sonoma County Event Center at 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, on Thursday October 8 from 10-1. I’ll have more Medicare calendars & info, and lots of info on SCAN, so even if you don’t live up there, stop by!

🔹PLANS LEAVING CALIFORNIA 🔹
Central Health: I know this company isn’t in Marin, but it is in neighboring counties where Marinites have family and friends. ALL Central Health plans will be terminating in 2027, as well as many Molina plans.

ALL Aetna PPO plans will be leaving California on 2027. This affects most of southern CA but also the Bay Area: San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

IF YOU ARE LOSING YOUR PLAN, reach out to me. I'll keep you evaluate your options and choose what works best for you. 💜

🔹WHERE TO FIND INFO 🔹
Medicare dot gov is a great place to see what plans will be available for 2027, but give that site a bit of time. It’s rarely accurate on October 1, and even by October 15 the plan info isn’t always completely right. I’d give it until the 20th or so. By then the plans you see there should be pretty solid.

🔹UNSOLICITED ADVICE 🔹
As a licensed Medicare-certified independent agent, and a Medicare beneficiary myself, I know how complicated this system can be. That’s exactly why I decided to get into this industry. My best advice to anyone navigating Medicare–either at the beginning or when they’ve had it for a while–is to find a local trusted independent agent to help you. I still thank my lucky stars that many years ago when my husband went onto Medicare (and we were living in Mexico, so not in the loop at all!), I found an agent who gave me advice that made the entire experience better then and still now. Had he steered us the other way, my husband likely would not still be here. And that’s not hyperbole.

An agent like me costs you nothing, as we’re compensated by insurance companies so you don’t have to pay. Our help doesn’t increase what you pay in any way.

And once you have an agent, you always have an advocate in your corner and someone you can call in a panic when you have a question or heard something on the internet and want to know if it’s true. We work very hard for our clients, often for free, and would not do this if we didn’t love helping people.

Reach out to me if I can help in any way or if you want my Part D Cheat Sheet.

10/01/2026

Good morning, Capricorn & Aquarius peeps 🙂

Is your milestone 65th birthday coming up in January? If so, your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period starts today, October 1st, and ends April 30, 2027.

If you sign up for Medicare between now and early December, your coverage can start as soon as the first day of the month you turn 65.

But SHOULD you or do you HAVE TO sign up for Medicare parts A and/or B now? The answer is: IT DEPENDS. If you have large employer coverage (generally with an employer having 20+ full-time employees), and creditable drug coverage, you MAY be able to wait. But you may not want to. Many times, Medicare can provide either better and/or less expensive coverage. You don't know until you compare.

Reach out if you are at all confused (and most people are). You don't know what you don't know...but I do. And my help is completely free. Insurance companies pay me so you don't have to. The cost is the same whether you use an agent or not.

My goal is to make sure you know ALL your options and make the process as easy as possible for you.

Also... if you were born on the 1st day of any month....your seven-month Medicare window starts FOUR months before your actual birthday month, not three, and everything is as if you were born in the previous month. Weird, I know.

PS - If you were born in July of 1961, your Initial Enrollment Period ends on Halloween this year! 🎃

09/28/2026

HEADS UP. IF YOU ARE ON MEDICARE, please open every letter you receive from Medicare or any company you currently have insurance with, including anything sitting on your desk that came in recently.

There are LOTS of changes coming in 2027. Three million people will be losing their Advantage plans. Many people who be losing their Part D Rx drug plans, and of the plans remaining, many will be going up in price--some SIGNIF**ANTLY. (We cannot talk about any details until Oct 1st.)

Some of you who are losing your plan will not even hear about it in writing for another month!

You probably just received your Annual Notice of Change, either from your Medicare Advantage plan or from your Part D prescription drug plan. Open it and read it.

But do not stop there.

If your Advantage plan has been fine for you, and your doctors are still in network, you're probably best leaving it as is. You will want to double-check the formulary to make sure your medications are still covered, especially any that are expensive or on higher tiers.

** If you are on original Medicare and a standalone Part D Rx drug plan, you MUST check your prescriptions against the 2027 plans once they are announced on October 15. **

These plans often have many changes from year to year, and not just to the premium. The meds covered can and do change. The copays, the tiers, the deductible, the Max Out of Pocket, and more can also change.

THIS IS SOMETHING YOU MUST DO EVERY SINGLE YEAR BETWEEN 10/15 AND 12/7, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR!

Agents are no longer compensated for drug plans, so our insurance doesn't cover us if we help people with these plans, Which we all really hate.

So we have to get creative.

I'm finishing up my free 2027 Part D Cheat Sheet, and I'm making an entirely new (and better and more accurate) recommendation for how to do your research this year. I haven't even sent it out to my clients yet but so be doing so within the week.

If you want a copy, email me at Cheri @ savvyseniorsolutions dot com and I'll send it to you as soon as I'm done.

These steps will work for anyone in any state.

One last thing: If your ADVANTAGE plan is canceling, you have a guaranteed right for a short time to get a Medicare supplement plan without having to answer health questions--IN ANY STATE. If you already have an agent, they can help. Reach out to me if you don't.

Please, pay attention this year if you're on Medicare. And tell your friends.

09/02/2026

Good morning, Sagittarius & Capricorn peeps 🙂

Is your milestone 65th birthday coming up in December? If so, your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period started today, September 1st, and ends March 31, 2027.

If you sign up for Medicare in the next two months, your coverage can start as early as the first day of the month you turn 65.

But SHOULD you or do you HAVE TO sign up for Medicare parts A and/or B now? The answer is: IT DEPENDS. If you have large employer coverage (generally with an employer having 20+ FTE employees), and creditable drug coverage, you MAY be able to wait. But you may not want to. About half of the time, Medicare may give you either better coverage or cost less or both. You don't know until you compare.

Reach out if you want help. You don't know what you don't know...but I do. And my help is completely free, as I'm compensated by insurance carriers when I submit an enrollment on your behalf. The cost is the same whether you use an agent or not. My job is to make sure you know ALL your options and make the process as easy as possible for you.

Also... if you were born on the 1st day of any month....your seven-month Medicare window starts FOUR months before your actual birthday month, not three, and everything is as if you were born in the previous month. Weird, I know.

PS - If you were born in June of 1961, your Initial Enrollment Period ends on September 30th.

08/18/2026

Those of us in the Medicare space are very excited about the announcement this morning from SCAN Health Plan....that they will be partnering with Costco. Who doesn't love SCAN AND Costco??

SCAN has Medicare Advantage plans in six states, California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, New Mexico, and Washington. ** They are not in all counties, **

SCAN Health Plan is not your run-of-the-mill Medicare carrier.

They were founded in 1977 by "twelve angry seniors" in Long Beach, California who wanted better access to the services and support older adults needed to remain healthy and independent at home. Their grassroots effort became the Senior Care Action Network (SCAN), which remains a not-for-profit organization focused on serving older adults today.

BTW, I'm licensed in all of those states except NM and AZ. :)

If you want to explore Medicare and related healthcare/life options, reach out to me. Email [email protected] or call 415 742 6000.

Link in the first comment.

07/20/2026

Ok, listen up if you're on or near Medicare. DO NOT FOLLOW THIS GUY - "Dr Ed, Former SSA Manager" OR TAKE HIS ADVICE. He is CONSISTENTLY and DANGEROUSLY WRONG. I shudder at the people who will follow his advice and end up with huge penalties, miss enrollment periods and more all because he claims to have worked at the SSA.

For example, on one of his recent posts he says "COBRA and Marketplace plans both count as creditable coverage, so either one protects you from the Medicare Part B late penalty as long as you enroll in Medicare within 8 months of losing that coverage."

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE. If you stay on either one at 65 you WILL incur penalties (two of them) that will last you forever!! And there will be no way for you to ever get out of them, unless you go on Medicaid forever.

Stop listening to just anyone on the internet, especially when it comes to Medicare or Social Security. You do not want to make mistakes with either, I promise you.

Rely on smart, ethical licensed independent Medicare-certified agents, not internet hacks who post misinformation every day.

Please share this with people you know who may be affected.

Cheri

07/18/2026

I've followed Dr Greger for years. You can watch his How Not to Die documentary now for free. Pretty cool.

06/13/2026

One of the biggest Medicare mistakes I see people make is when they decide to work past age 65 and assume they can just continue on their employer coverage rather than go onto Medicare.

If you remember just one thing, this is it: ** When you turn 65, and forever afterwards, the government requires you to maintain "creditable" coverage for both medical and prescription drugs or else face lifetime penalties. **

Q - What is considered "creditable" coverage?
A - Either Medicare (Part B-medical and Part D-prescription drugs) or coverage that is deemed as good as Medicare.

Q - How do I know if my coverage is "creditable?"
A - If your employer has 20 or more full-time employees, their group insurance is probably creditable. PROBABLY. If your employer gives you a letter stating that your medical AND prescription drug coverage is creditable, you're fine to stay on their coverage if you wish. If they don't state in writing that your coverage is creditable, or if your employer is small, you need to go onto Medicare when you turn 65.

Q - What happens if I don't maintain creditable medical and drug coverage starting at age 65?
A - You will begin to accrue penalties - one for Part B (medical) and one for Part D (prescription drugs) that will follow you forever.

Q - Can I go onto Medicare when I turn 65 even if I have creditable coverage and want to keep working?
A - Absolutely. That's your right. Given the rise in costs for employer insurance, in many cases you might get better coverage and/or lower prices by going onto Medicare than you are getting with your current employer coverage.

Q - What about Part A? Do I have to sign up for that when I turn 65?
A - Most people are entitled to free Part A because they've worked at least 10 years and paid F**A taxes. If that's you, you aren't required to sign up for your Part A, but it often makes things easier when you later sign up for Part B. HOWEVER, if you have an HSA account, you and your employer should stop making contributions 6 months before you retire so as to avoid tax penalties.

Many mistakes can happen when you decide to work past 65: missing the window to sign up for Medicare when you're coming off employer coverage; not getting the proper form from your employer or filling it out incorrectly; missing the short deadline to get prescription drug coverage if you want to stick with original Medicare; using the wrong Special Enrollment Period when enrolling; choosing one Medicare path without learning about both of them; and many more.

Feel free to reach out to me for help. I'm licensed in CA and 9 other states. My guidance is free and comes with no strings. If you already have a trusted Medicare-certified agent or broker, reach out to them. But please don't rely on the well-meaning advice of friends or coworkers or AI or medical offices or any one insurance company. This is a nuanced system and very easy to mess up!

Cheri