8 Simple New Year’s Resolutions for Seniors
If you find yourself making resolutions and never keeping them, you’re like the other 92% of individuals who do the same…
That’s why we’ve put together 8 New Year’s Resolutions that are realistic. From taking advantage of Medicare’s free exams to double-checking your will, these 8 resolutions will make sure that your health and financial well-being are safe and secure.
1. Claim Your Annual Exam From Medicare
Medicare offers one free wellness exam each year.
During the exam, your doctor will give you a health assessment, he or she will do a medical and family history overview, you’ll get a checklist for preventive screenings, and you’ll get routine health checks like blood pressure and your weight.
This is a an way to keep up with your health. Plus, it’s free!
2. Have Your Medicare Supplement Reviewed
If you have a Medicare Supplement, it’s important to do a review with your agent each year.
You’ll double check that the price of your plan is the most competitive, and if it’s not, you can switch to a more affordable plan.
If you don’t know who your agent is, our agents here at Sams/Hockaday would be happy to review your supplement for you. We only need some basic information about your policy, such as the carrier and your monthly premium.
3. Go On Daily Walks
Not all of us like lifting weights and jogging on a treadmill. The good news? Walking is one of the most powerful ways to dramatically improve your health.
Various studies have shown that 30 minutes of walking every day can improve your mood, decrease your chance of chronic diseases, prevent varicose veins, and of course, lose belly fat!
Even if the scale stays the same, walking can help you lose inches while retaining muscle.
To make your walk even more enjoyable, we recommend listening to your favorite audiobook.
4. Have Your Life Insurance Reviewed
Each year, your insurance company will send you an annual statement. That’s a signal that you should meet with your agent to review your policy.
If your insurance plays into the stock market, it’s important to go over the numbers each and every year.
And even if your policy is straight-forward, an annual review is a great way to update your information. Whether it’s an address change or a change of beneficiary, an annual review makes sure that your life insurance is good to go.
If you don’t know who your agent is, our agents here at Sams/Hockaday are happy to review your policy for you. All we need is your last statement.
5. See If You Qualify for Medicare’s Weight Loss Coverage
If you have a lot of weight to lose, Medicare might be able to help. While Medicare can be very specific on the situations they’ll cover, you can always ask your doctor if you might be eligible.
For example, if you have diabetes, hypothyroidism, or cardiovascular disease (among many others), Medicare might help pay for you to lose weight, because it could improve the condition.
Medicare will also help pay if your doctor believes that weight loss could reduce complications during an upcoming surgery.
The type of weight loss services Medicare helps pay for are:
- An initial assessment of your eating and activity habits
- Health counseling
- Dieting and exercise education
- Follow-up visits to monitor your diet and weight loss progress
- Up to three hours of individual counseling services the first year, and two hours each year after that
If any of this is sounding like it could be a good fit for you, find out if you qualify for the Medicare weight loss coverage this year.
6. Get Your Free, Personalized Medicare Planner
There are so many risks in life, and we all do our best to protect ourselves against them.
But what happens if you’re not aware of a risk, and you’re blindsided by it?
That’s where we come in. Even if you don’t purchase insurance protection, our job is to educate you on the potential risks when it comes to retirement so that you’re empowered and prepared for your financial future.
That’s the idea behind the free, personalized Medicare Planner. We connect you with one of our local agents, and you talk about yourself, your family, your medical history, and what’s important to you.
From there, your agent will assess potential risks and will make personalized suggestions. You get to take that plan home, think it over, talk it over, and make a decision when you’re ready.
None of us want to be surprised with a $150,000 bill from an unexpected heart attack – yes, we’ve seen this happen! – so prepare for the new year with your very own free, personalized Medicare Planner.
7. Get Your Preventive Screenings With the Help of Medicare
If you have original Medicare, you’ll be glad to know that Part B helps cover many preventive screenings. From bone mass measurements to diabetes screenings to mammograms, there are 20 screenings that are offered.
Ask your doctor what screenings you should be looking into at your age, and make sure you mention your family history when making this decision.
The earlier you know about any potential issues, the better! And if nothing comes up, you can start off your new year with some peace of mind.
8. Look Forward to the Future
None of us enjoy thinking about… well, our funerals, but it’s important to get the details squared away now.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to complete your will, make any notes about your funeral and end-of-life wishes, and make sure your end of life is paid for.
Funerals are very expensive – the current cost for standard selections in the state of Illinois is about $8,000. However, the cost of funerals are expected to double in the next 20 years, so it’s important to plan ahead.
Final expense insurance is generally very inexpensive to have, so it’s important to ask your agent about getting covered.
Get Your Medicare Planner
Using our planner takes the headache out of Medicare… because it’s personalized just for you, showing you what areas you need to focus on right away, or in upcoming years, and what you can ignore.
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