Our Most Popular Articles of the Year | Sams/Hockaday

It's always interesting to see what kinds of topics our readers enjoy the most. From baby boomer podcasts to a review of the 2023 Wellcare prescription drug plan, here are our 10 most popular articles of 2022.

10. Retired Teachers in Illinois: Is TRS Really the Best Option?

In 2014, the Teachers’ Retirement Insurance Plan (TRIP) in Illinois changed to offer a few Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. These plans come with deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and provider networks.

This popular article explains how this insurance works and what your other options are. Even if you’ve been happy with this coverage in the past, is it still serving you? Are you going to be taken care of if you have a medical concern?

That's what the 10th most popular article on our site looks to uncover.

9. How Do I Cancel Medicare, Social Security, and Medicare Supplements After Death?

If you’re 65 or older, you might have Medicare, a Medicare Supplement, and Social Security. After death, what happens? Do your loved ones need to call and cancel your Medicare coverage? What about your monthly Medicare Supplement premium?

It’s not a fun subject to cover, but as Patty in our office says – it’s the circle of life! It’s best to be prepared and ensure your family understands their role when you pass.

This article uncovers all of those important details, and it was our 9th most-read article of 2022.

8. 2022 Fireworks Guide for Decatur, IL

We serve the Decatur, IL community and enjoy putting together guides and helpful articles. We noticed a few years ago that there was no master list of local fireworks shows. And when 2020 hit, a lot of fireworks were cancelled, and it was hard to figure out what the remaining options were.

Since then, we’ve updated our fireworks guide annually, and it has become our 8th most popular article of 2022!

While the 4th of July may be a long way away, you can subscribe to our email newsletter to get notified of our new weekly articles.

7. Using an HSA to Pay for Medicare Premiums, Copays, and Deductibles

Once you’re enrolled in Medicare, you can’t contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA) anymore. However, you still have access to the HSA funds you’ve accumulated over the years.

The question is: how can you use your HSA funds once you’re getting Medicare benefits?

Discover the answers in our 7th most popular article of 2022.

6. Celebrities Turning 65 This Year

Our Celebrities Turning 65 article is an annual tradition here on the Sams/Hockaday blog.

Each year, we let you know which celebrities are aging into Medicare. Yep – you're not alone! In 2022, familiar faces like Steve Harvey, Bernie Mac, Vanna White, and Donny Osmond turned 65.

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter or like us on Facebook to see which celebrities will be turning 65 in 2023.

5. 5 Modern Ways to Listen to Music

Sometimes, the articles that gain the most traction are a shock to us, and this one definitely is! Who knew that the up-and-coming ways to listen to music would be so interesting to our readers?

Now that we have smartphones, tablets, computers, and satellite radio, we have a ton of different ways we can listen to music. There are virtually hundreds of apps, websites, and systems that offer music streaming services, so we've broken it down to our top 5 recommendations.  

We think you'll enjoy them along with all the individuals who helped this article become the 5th most popular of 2022: 5 Modern Ways to Listen to Music

4. How Do Medicare Advantage Plans Make Money?

If you’ve shopped around for a Medicare Advantage plan before, you might’ve noticed there are some options with very low or even a $0 monthly premium.

A lot of people wonder how these plans can do that – how are MA plans making any money if they don’t have a premium?

We take you behind the scenes to learn where the money is flowing.

3. 2023 Wellcare Value Script PDP Review

WellCare has become one of the most well-known companies in the Medicare Part D drug plan space. Many of our clients here at Sams/Hockaday have a WellCare PDP, so we decided to put together a full review on their Illinois drug plans.

We're happy to see so many of our readers doing their research, so if you'd like to learn more about WellCare, check out our 6th most-viewed article of 2022.

We update this annually as the next year’s drug plans are announced.

2. 27 Best Podcasts Perfect for Seniors, Baby Boomers, and the Older Generation

In a world where there are over half a million podcasts to choose from, it can be tough to find one that’s particularly interesting to the older generation.

We’ve sifted through some of the most popular podcasts to bring you the 27 best podcasts for seniors and baby boomers.

We even updated this article this year to feature new and exciting podcasts that you may not have heard of before.

Check out this 2nd most popular article here: 27 Best Podcasts Perfect for Seniors, Baby Boomers, and the Older Generation!

1. 12 of the Biggest 21st Century Medical Advancements

Every day, scientists and doctors are working hard to make medical advancements. The 21st century is only 20 years old, and we have already had some pretty amazing breakthroughs.

From the completion of the human genome draft to cutting-edge cancer treatments, there are some incredible medical breakthroughs that are changing the way conditions and diseases are treated.

Check them out in our most popular article of the year, which takes you through 12 of the biggest recent medical advancements.

Conclusion

It’s always fun to see which articles were the most popular among our readers.  

If you’re interested in learning more about Medicare and retirement planning, be sure to subscribe to our email newsletter for weekly updates!