For those of us ancient enough to qualify for Medicare, it’s Open Enrollment Time. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”, a holiday period when all the good FOPs (I.e. not yet dead) get to decide if they want to make any changes in their Medicare Part C and/or Part D coverage.
For many people, Medicare can be confusing. Is Medicare a result of Intelligent Design, created by HayZeus to “encourage” folks to care for the medical needs of older people? Or is it a plot by evil George Soros to bankrupt … oh, wait.
That’s not the confusing part. It has to do with how the Insurance Industry entices seniors to designate a particular company as their (the seniors’) choice for medical and/or prescription coverage for the coming year. In the rapidly changing and competitive landscape of insurance, the various companies might add perks (8 free meals, delivered to your home when you are discharged from the hospital!) or change payment allowances. HMO? PPO? Out of Network? As they say in Chinatown, “Ho Lee Cwap!”
Fortunately, the Open Enrollment period isn’t like Thanksgiving or Easter. Is Turkey Day the last Thursday, or the third? Why was Easter in late March some years and late April in other years? Nope, the Open Enrollment period is 15 October – 7 December. No confusion there! But the other stuff can be as clear as mud.
That’s why god gave us a wonderful Medicare Insurance Broker. She’s never further away than the telephone, sends us regular email communications and has educational seminars with colorful and informative literature. Oooh, shiny.
A few weeks ago she invited us to join her (and her husband, who is also a broker) for a seminar to explain the newest changes by several Medicare Part C and/or Part D managed care providers. Since it can be a bit confusing (unless presented side-by-side by someone who has combed through it all) we marked our calendars.
But wait! The seminar was going to be at Marie Callender’s – and Denise (our broker) was going to give us each a free pie! Naturally we RSVPd with our choices and arrived on time (ten minutes early, right?).
We listened to the presentations, filled out the necessary forms for Denise to file on our behalf, collected our pies, tipped our server, and left feeling like the universe was as harmonious as ever.
Little did we realize that there might be a test waiting for us when it was time to cut into our first pie. How does one, in good conscience, stab a holy image? Take a look at the photo above. Do it again. Squint your eyes. Move it closer, then further away. Once you “see” the image, take a deep cleansing breath, and take this test:
1) is it a virgin (nameless, for reasons you’ll understand in a moment)?
2) is it a prophet (nameless, and you now know why)?
3) is it the face from Edward Munch’s “The Scream”?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those selections you might be suffering from Fake News Syndrome. Turn off your TV, disconnect from social media, and go for a walk.
4) is it a lemon meringue pie?
Congratulations! Feel free to cut a slice and enjoy.
Then go for a walk.
B & B 