Medicare Comparison =Savings!

Mary Loftis gives instructions to the Tekamah-Herman Computer and FBLA Club members on how to use the Medicare Plan Finder as they prepare to assist Medicare recipients October 30 at the school.
Photo Courtesy Mary Loftis.

Linda Bisanz, Nebraska SHIIP Volunteer assists Mark Heaney in the computer classroom as he learns how to compare Medicare Prescription Drug Plans with the on-line Medicare Plan finder program. Call UNL Extension at 402-374-2929 to make an appointment to get help comparing your Medicare plans so you don’t pay too much next year.
Photo Courtesy Mary Loftis.

Medicare Open Enrollment Comparisons have already netted savings for Medicare recipients at the first Open Enrollment event. Medicare Drug plan comparisons were made last week at the Chatt Center in Tekamah by SHIIP Volunteers, Linda Bisanz and myself for 28 individuals. From these comparisons several individuals went home with the peace of mind knowing their current prescription drug plan will continue to be the best value for them next year with their current prescriptions.

Fifteen individuals compared their prescriptions and current plan to all 30 plans available and yielded savings as their reward. The savings varied from $123 to $1,133 for the year with a grand total estimated savings for the day being $7120.00. That money stays in our communities to pay bills, buy groceries and donate to church and community funds.

Several other individuals either didn’t have all the information they needed for a true comparison or had doctor appointments coming up in the near future and decided to wait to make a plan decision at a later event or appointment.

If you had the least expensive drug plan last year and still take no prescriptions, you will pay $171 too much during 2014 for coverage. Last year’s lowest premium plan is no longer the least expensive and has increased $11.90/month while the new lowest premium plan for 2014 is just $12.60/month.

How do you know? You compare…and we’ve got help available for you.

The Tekamah-Herman High School Computer and FBLA Clubs sponsored by Linda Farrens are again helping out at Open Enrollment Events. Eighteen of these talented high school students were recently trained how to use the Medicare Plan Finder to assist Medicare recipients with their comparisons. I encouraged them to offer their new skills to grandparents and neighbors who might appreciate their help and the savings or peace of mind it could provide. Many of these students are excited to help out during a Medicare Open Enrollment Event scheduled in the Tekamah-Herman High School Computer Room #106 on Wednesday, October 30.

With their excellent computer skills and Medicare helpers like Linda Bisanz, Linda Farrens and I around to answer questions or explain information it becomes an outstanding win/win situation. Medicare recipients win by having their prescription drug plans compared and possibly saving money by enrolling in a less expensive plan. The high school students learn how to work with this clientele and it results in a very interesting and unique experience to put on their scholarship and application forms. If they are able to save their clients’ money it has an even bigger impact!

Make plans now to compare your prescriptions to the Medicare Prescription Drug Plans during one of the Open Enrollment Events in Burt County. I’d especially invite you to be part of the Tekamah-Herman High School event on Wednesday, October 30. Call the UNL Extension Office in Burt County at 402-374-2929 for an appointment at this event or one of the 9 others remaining in Burt County.

Anyone from any county or even state may have their plans compared at these events as the comparison is based on the zip code where the Medicare recipient lives.

No matter where you live, if you are on Medicare, you’ll only know if you could save money if you make an on-line comparison. Call for an appointment now and you’ll smile all the way to the bank next year!

Mary Loftis,

Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929

Fax: (402) 374-2930

Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu

National Program Targets Northeast NE

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and Nebraska USDA Rural Development have obtained funding for a regional economic development plan for Northeast Nebraska. The region includes Burt, Cuming, Dodge, Colfax, Butler, Nance Boone, Antelope, Knox, Cedar, Dixon, Thurston, Platte, Wayne, Stanton, Butler and Pierce counties.

The plan will be an outcome of the Stronger Economies Together program that has been successful in 50 regions in 28 states since 2009. Stronger Economies Together is a collaborative program between the United States Department of Agriculture, the Purdue Center for Regional Development and the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University.

UNL Extension Educator, Carroll Welte, and USDA Rural Development Program Support Director, Roger Meeks are recruiting civic and business leaders in Northeast Nebraska to participate in the SET program. They are looking for individuals who can identify opportunities and correlate them with business development and job creation.

According to Ms. Welte, the state advisory team for the SET program is waiting for The Purdue Center to furnish them with a sophisticated data set based on Northeast Nebraska’s industry clusters.  Tim Lemmons, an Extension Educator and economist at the Northeast Research and Extension Center in Norfolk added “having access to otherwise restricted business data will help to focus the strengths of the region towards a measurable impact.  Knowing where the holes are and what industry clusters fit the need, will help economic developers target and attract successful businesses to their communities.”

Lemmons, along with Dr. Ken Lemke, an economist with NPPD and Dr. Randy Cantrell, a rural sociologist with the Rural Futures Institute, will present the data to the SET participants in layman’s terms. In turn, the economic developers, civic and business leaders will look for opportunities for business and job creation. Sheryl Hiatt, Field Service Manager for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development said “the hard work comes in setting three to five goals and writing an economic development plan that 17 counties can work together on over the next five years or so.”

The Stronger Economies Together program will kick off in late November. Participants will be asked to meet monthly for a half day to work through the process, as defined by the national SET program. The program will be augmented with tours and presentations correlating with the planning process.

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, has a portfolio of programs designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers and improve the quality of life in rural America. Stronger Economies Together participation will help Northeast Nebraska obtain greater funding for regional economic development projects.

For more information or to participate in the SET meetings, contact Carroll Welte at UNL Extension in Burt County, (402) 374-2929 or cwelte1@unl.edu or Roger Meeks at (402) 437-5742 or Roger.Meeks@ne.usda.gov.

Source: Carroll Welte, Extension Educator, UNL Extension Burt County, 111 N 13^th St. Suite 6, Tekamah, NE  68061, cwelte1@unl.edu.

Peterson visits LDNE choir

By Amelia Schlichting

LDNE

Jon Peterson and talking to Christian Macario, Tony Macario, and Layne Miller. Photo courtesy LDNE.

Jon Peterson talking to Cassidy Mentink, Kassandra Prieto, Amanda Alford, Brandi Simonsen, Janice Wuestewald, and Matt Hartley. Photo Courtesy LDNE.

Jon Peterson talking to the High school Choir. Includes in the picture Aaron Williams, Kayci Karmer, Lupita Prieto, Sarah Alford Jesika Karmer, Amelia Schlichting, Tatiayana Harris, Blair Preston. Photo Courtesy LDNE.

Last Monday, the choirs had a special guest named Jon Peterson. He works for the Nebraska Wesleyan University.He came to listen to the choirs and give them tips on how to perform better. He helped them improve the sound quality of the choirs .He had so much energy he had the choirs laughing so hard, some of them had tears in their eyes. He helped them get more energy into their songs. The choirs learned to project and emphasize the right words the most when they sing. The choirs were very grateful that Jon Peterson came to help them.