The ICHRA - a form of Employee Group Health Insurance
A relatively new phenomenon in the employee benefits world is the Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement or ICHRA. This program is an employer sponsored plan that employers can ...
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What is a Medicare Special Needs Plan?
You're probably familiar with Medicare, but you may not know much about Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs), a type of Medicare plan designed for individuals with specific healthcare needs. These ...
Traveling Internationally with Medicare
It's important to be prepared when you are getting ready for an international trip so that you can relax and enjoy your vacation. Besides remembering to grab your passport and pack extra socks, it's ...
What to Look For When Choosing a Medicare Plan
Are you looking for a Medicare Plan to fit your specific needs but don’t know what important factors you need to consider? Whether you are just starting to consider enrolling into Medicare, or you've ...
Navigating Medicare While Caring for Aging Parents and Your Own Family
As part of the sandwich generation, you may find yourself helping to care for your aging parents while managing your own family's responsibilities. This can be a challenge on it's own, but it only ...
Recognizing Medicare Gaps in Home Health Care and How to Fill Them
If you or a loved one is in need of home health care, it's important to understand what Medicare covers for these types of services and what is excluded. In this blog, you'll learn what home health ...
Does My Medicare Cover the Shingles Vaccine?
Shingles can cause intense pain and discomfort, but the good news is that it can be preventable with the Shingrix vaccine. If you’re wondering whether your Medicare plan covers this vaccine, you’re ...
Medicare Star Ratings and Why They Are Important
When choosing a Medicare plan, one important attribute to consider is a "Star Rating." The overall Star Rating gives a ranking of the Medicare plan's quality and performance for the types of services ...
Understanding Medicare Vaccine Coverage: What’s Included, from Flu to RSV
Have you mastered your Medicare coverage, or are you still trying to figure out the specifics of what's covered and what's not? If you're wondering how various vaccines are covered by your Medicare, ...
Does Medicare Cover Nursing Homes?
Planning for nursing home care can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to understand how Medicare fits into the picture. Whether you're planning for the future for yourself or navigating ...
Does My Medicare Plan Cover a Fitness Membership?
Staying active as we age is essential for a long and healthy life. If you’ve been looking to maintain your health and energy levels as you get older, you may be wondering if Medicare can help. The ...
Medicare Advantage Plan Updates for 2025
What do Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Part C, have in store for 2025?
Why Medicare Education Matters for Making Informed Choices
As you near the highly anticipated age of 65 years old, the excitement of joining Medicare can be overwhelming. Understanding Medicare coverage and the various plan options can be time-consuming and ...
5 Indoor Exercises for Seniors
It can be hard to find the motivation to work out, especially when there is snow on the ground and the winter blues have set in. However, staying active has countless benefits, especially for ...
5 Tips to Prevent Caregiver Burnout
Caregiver burnout is real. Just like workers lose energy at their jobs or parents lose energy around their kids or spouses, caregivers can easily feel burnt out constantly being “on” and focusing all ...
Life Insurance for Seniors: What To Consider and Knowing Your Options
There are two crucial topics that are of the utmost importance as you age: Life insurance and medical insurance. On one hand, you want to maintain a healthy, positive way of living so you can live ...
Alternative Health Care Coverage with Medicare
Alternative health care options like acupuncture, supplements, and therapeutic massage are becoming increasingly popular. With this growing interest, many find themselves wondering if Medicare covers ...
Does Medicare Cover Eyeglasses and Vision Care?
Do you foresee a new pair of glasses in your future? Maybe your current ones are barely staying together or perhaps you’re finally ready to admit that squinting at the TV isn’t as effective as it ...
What Preventive Services Are Covered By Medicare?
Staying on top of your health is easier when you know what’s covered by Medicare. From essential screenings to vaccinations, preventive services are an important part of maintaining your health. Keep ...
Are Medicare Premiums Tax Deductible?
Navigating the complexities of Medicare can be challenging, especially when it comes to understanding the financial aspects. One common question that our team receives from the Medicare beneficiaries ...
Tips for Safe Winter Travel for Older Adults
Winter travel can be a daunting endeavor, fraught with concerns about the weather, hazardous road conditions and personal comfort levels. Embarking on winter adventures doesn’t have to be stressful. ...
Get the Right Coverage with Twin City Underwriter’s SurePlan® Medicare System
Choosing a Medicare plan can be hard – there are so many to choose from. How do you know you have the right one? Twin City Underwriters uses their very own SurePlan® Medicare System to ensure you ...
Long-Term Care Insurance: Is It Worth the Investment?
Long-term care is becoming a growing concern for individuals. With the generational family unit playing a less active role in the care of elders, more and more senior individuals naturally find ...
Common Medicare Scams to Avoid
Unfortunately, Medicare scams are on the rise. As technology continues to become more advanced, these scams are increasingly common and sophisticated. Scammers will try just about anything to ...
How to Choose the Best Travel Health Insurance Plan for Your Needs
A common goal among individuals, young and old, is to travel. Traveling and exploring new destinations is an opportunity to witness new sights, enjoy new experiences, and immerse ourselves in diverse ...
How To Have Fun with Medicare!
Fun and Medicare are two words you don’t typically expect to be in the same sentence. We get it; Medicare can be an overwhelming topic, especially when you are just starting out. But at Twin City ...
Understanding Life Insurance Beneficiaries
Life insurance is used for many purposes, from covering outstanding debts, providing financial protection for a young family in the event of the policyholder’s death, and leaving a financial legacy ...
Do Medicare Advantage Plans Require Prior Authorization?
Prior Authorization—whether you’re on Medicare or not, you’ve likely heard this term and may have some questions about it. This process, which is often necessary for certain medical services and ...
Medicare Part D Changes for 2025
If you are enrolled in Medicare, you likely know that changes are a common occurrence. Because of this, staying informed is critical to understanding how you may be affected and being confident that ...
Does Medicare Cover Chiropractic Care?
Are you curious about chiropractic care and if it’s covered by Medicare? You are not alone. Whether you’re seeking relief from back pain or considering alternative therapies for another condition, ...
What is an ANOC and What Do I Need to Know About It?
If you are enrolled in a Medicare plan, you may have heard the term or even received an “Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).” If you are not quite sure what this is, its significance, or the details you ...
Do Medicare Plans Automatically Renew?
If you have a Medicare plan, you may wonder if it automatically renews each year or if you need to take action to keep or change your plan. It’s important to be aware of how your Medicare plan ...
Review Your Medicare Coverage To Prepare for Changes
Whether you just started Medicare this year or have been on Medicare for several years, it’s probably no surprise that things can change often. In fact, premiums, plan benefits and more can change ...
Who Should Buy Life Insurance?
Life insurance is a complex subject that can seem intimidating at first. As a young and healthy individual, it’s easy to put off purchasing life insurance. However, it’s important to consider buying ...
Benefits of Working with a Medicare Broker
Navigating Medicare can be overwhelming. Understanding the enrollment periods, the difference between a Medicare Supplement and a Medicare Advantage plan and the varying coverage options can be a ...
Does Medicare Cover Long-Term Care?
Recent studies estimate that at least 70% of older adults aged 65 years and older will require long-term care at some point. Long-term care costs vary throughout the country, but according to the ...
Are Annuities a Good Investment for Retirement Planning?
Retirement planning should be an essential aspect of each individual’s life. The timing and tactics are often quite varied. Still, it is something that every person needs to make an effort to ...
Medicare Advantage vs Medicare Supplements: Which One Is Right For Me?
As you approach your 65th birthday, you’re likely to be bombarded with information, emails, and mailers from various Medicare insurance companies. It can be overwhelming to decipher the medicare ...
What’s the Difference: Insurance Agent vs Insurance Broker
Understanding the roles of insurance agents and brokers is significant when it comes to insurance. These terms are often used interchangeably, which can be confusing. You might be wondering if they ...
How Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids?
As we age, it’s common for our senses to be less sharp than they once were. You may have a more challenging time reading the text in your novel, or you might find yourself asking the grandkids to ...
How to Compare Medicare Plans
When it’s time to sign up for Medicare, there is a lot of information to take in. Signing up for Original Medicare Parts A and B is typically a rather straightforward process, but when it comes to ...
Are Medicare Plans Free?
When you hear something is free, you may say that it’s too good to be true! In some cases, it is; in others, it’s not. So, when it comes to Medicare plans, the question arises: Are there really free ...
What Happens to Debt After Death?
When a loved one passes away, amidst the grief and sense of loss, the emotional unrest is often amplified by the practical matters that must be addressed. Among the many tasks and concerns to sort ...
MYGA’s vs. Fixed Annuities: What Sets Them Apart?
Annuities can provide individuals with significant value in retirement planning, such as increasing savings, managing tax exposure, or providing guaranteed income. Understanding the different types ...
Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans in Minnesota
Medicare Advantage plans have become a popular choice for seniors seeking comprehensive coverage beyond Original Medicare. Also known as MA or MAPD plans, they offer supplemental benefits and often ...
How Does Medicare Part D Work?
Medicare consists of several different parts of coverage. Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B make up Original Medicare, which provides hospital coverage and doctor care, among other services. Find ...
Are Medicare Premiums Income Based?
When it comes to Medicare, there’s a lot to consider beyond just the basic coverage options. One crucial aspect that often catches new enrollees off guard is the fact that Medicare premiums are ...
What is Family Life Insurance?
Most individuals are familiar with the term and concept of life insurance, but what about family life insurance? How is family life insurance different from any other life insurance policy? We’ll ...
Can I Laminate My Medicare Card?
Shortly before your 65th birthday or when you sign up for Medicare, you’ll receive a red, white and blue paper card – this is your official Medicare card. Your Medicare card will be used for many ...
What is Legacy Life Insurance?
Many individuals decide that one thing they would like to achieve in their lifetime is to leave a meaningful legacy or inheritance for their family and loved ones. One of the ways this is achieved is ...