Karen

 Taking care of your medical needs is a responsibility that shapes so much of your quality of life. People over a certain age or with specific health conditions need to get to know Medicare coverage. This means understanding what Medicare is, who is eligible, and how you can use it. Read on to learn more about Medicare requirements so that you can get the plan that will help you with your health and well-being. 

What are the Medicare Requirements?

Medicare coverage is mostly intended for people who are 65 years of age or older. It’s a form of medical coverage that is also available for people who are younger or who have certain disabilities. In order to qualify for Medicare, you must also be a United States citizen with no less than 5 years of residency. You must have worked long enough to have the Medicare benefits taken out of your check over the past several years. 

What Should I Know About Filing for Medicare Coverage?

Now that you understand a bit more about Medicare coverage, it’s important to put your filing together. Here are some points you should know:

File as Soon as Your Enrollment Period Opens

When starting Medicare, you’ll either file for yourself during open enrollment or be automatically enrolled once you turn 65. Don’t drag your feet when taking advantage of your Medicare benefits. You become eligible on your 65th birthday, but you can apply during the 3-month period leading up to your birthday. 

Starting this early ensures that you will have the coverage that you need on day one of your eligibility. This 3-month lead-up gives you plenty of time to research the details and determines what you need and what obligations come with medicare.

Starting early also helps you avoid the penalty that comes with missing your Medicare enrollment window.

Understand the Difference Between the Different Kinds of Medicare

Get to know the differences between medicare types.

Medicare part A refers to hospital insurance. This is the plan that everyone is automatically enrolled in once they become eligible.

Medicare Part B is used anytime you stay overnight at the hospital, require nursing assistants, or enroll in hospice care. For the most part, medicare recipients do not typically pay a monthly premium for this version of Medicare.

The federal government sets the deductible amount for Medicare part A each year. Make yourself aware of the deductible so that you can understand and manage all of the out of pocket costs that will come with the territory.

Medicare Part B refers to any forms of outpatient work. Some examples of Medicare Part B coverage include getting blood work done, hiring medical transportation services, going in for physician visits, specialist visits, and other types of outpatient care.

You do pay a premium for Medicare Part B, which is set each year by the federal government. You might also expect to pay a higher premium depending on your income level.

Medicare Part D covers services like food delivery, wheelchairs and ramps, and other sorts of medical needs.

Finally, Medicare Part D covers your prescription medication costs. You will be able to choose between an assortment of options regarding monthly premiums, deductibles, and how much you will pay for the name brand or generic prescriptions.

Know Your Point of Contact for Your Application

Before filing your application, you need to find out your point of contact. Though Medicare is a federal program, your case may be handled by a local office within your state. When you know your point of contact, you can check into the status of your application and learn the timetable. 

Make a Phone Call to Ask Questions if You Need To

When you need answers about the Medicare program, it’s important that you get on the phone with an office that can address them. By putting the time in to have these issues hashed out upfront, you’re more likely to avoid missteps. 

Put together a list of questions to address before starting Medicare coverage. 

If you need specific services, consider looking into Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). With this program, you can get help from a one-on-one counselor that can address all sorts of questions that you might have. 

They can offer answers to both general questions and issues specific to your individual Medicare plan. These counselors can also walk you through the process of making changes to your plan when necessary.

Look Into Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage is helpful because it allows you to fill in issues that Medicare Part A, Part B, and Part D don’t cover. 

Medicare Part C refers to the Medicare Advantage program. This is a form of private insurance that fills in the gaps for anything not covered by Medicare part A and Medicare Part B. This gives you more flexibility and autonomy for the type of medical care that you receive and how much you pay for it.

Keep close tabs on your health needs and make sure to hold onto your documents as you move forward with your Medicare application.  

Enjoy Your Medicare Coverage

Understanding your Medicare requirements will help you get started with enrollment. These are the points that will help you get Medicare coverage that takes care of any treatment options that you’re looking into.  

Use these tips so that you can get the Medicare coverage that you need. Let us be your resource when you need to learn more about healthcare. 

 

It’s estimated that around forty percent of Americans took family trips in 2019. Because family vacations are so popular, you can probably expect that you and your family will likely be going on one soon. However, you should never just go on a vacation without putting in plenty of forethought and planning. And that’s especially true if you’re traveling with young children. You can leave room for spontaneity but you still want to be as prepared as possible. Interested in learning more? If so, then continue reading and we’ll walk you through the ultimate packing checklist.

Sealable Plastic Bags

It’s a good idea to travel with a variety of zip-style plastic bags. You can use bigger ones for wet bathing suits and to also transport bottles of body wash and shampoos. This way, they won’t spill in your suitcase. 

Medium-sized plastic bags are great for protecting cell phones when you go to the beach or the pool. Your phone will stay dry and free from any sand. But you’ll still be able to use your cell phone keys through the bag. 

Small sealable bags are excellent for snacks. You can buy snacks in bulk and then separate them into smaller bags for easy handling and portioning. 

You can also use these bags to bring home treasure like cool rocks and seashells.

Diaper Wipes

Whether or not your children are still in diapers, it’s still extremely useful to carry diaper wipes around. These are great because they can clean hands, faces, dirty surfaces, and are also good for spot removal on clothes. You can use flushable toddler wipes as well. These are helpful for when you’re in porta-potties or other gross bathrooms where you’d rather not touch anything. 

Duct Tape

When you’re in a jam, you’re going to be grateful that you remembered to bring duct tape. Duct tape does everything – it can fix broken shoes, become an emergency bandage, repair torn clothes, and can save luggage and backpacks.

You can use duct tape to help baby proof a hotel room, seal toiletry bottles, and get lint off of clothes. There is also colorful duct tape that can be used for crafts during long car and plane rides. In order to save on space, wind the tape tightly around a small flashlight.

Sun Protection 

Child sunburn should never be taken lightly. If your child is exposed to the sun for long enough, they can not only get sick but also experience long-term health issues as well. Make sure to pack plenty of sunscreen. Using sunscreen can help to prevent painful sunburns, sun damage, and skin cancer. Children are especially vulnerable because sunburn isn’t something that they normally think about. It’s best to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 to 50. Anything over 50 probably won’t add any real benefits. 

And even if there are clouds outside, you can still end up with a sunburn. So make sure that everyone puts sunscreen on whenever they go outside. You can also put on UV clothing to better block out harmful UV rays.  

Headlamp

You should always take a headlamp with you when you go on a family vacation. For one thing, they’re great for story time under the sheets. They can also be very helpful if you have to catch a flight early in the morning and you want to pack without turning on the lights and waking the sleeping children.

And, if you’re going hiking, it’s good to bring a headlamp in case you end up staying out after the sun goes down. It’s good to bring to the beach too if you plan on staying to watch the sunset.

Sharpies

Sharpies are going to come in handy a lot more often than you might think. You can label practically anything with a sharpie and make organization a whole lot easier. When you bring a sharpie with you, you can mark the lids of bottled drinks like soda or water with each family member’s first initial. You can also mark toothbrushes and toothpaste as well as medicine cups. 

Sharpies help you avoid the spreading of germs when you know which items belong to who. They’re helpful with marking leftovers too. If your kid had a really yummy meal the night before, they probably won’t be too happy when someone else ends up eating it by mistake. 

In order to avoid sibling fights, you can label all leftovers. You can also label toys, camping gear, and more. Plus, sharpies are great for arts and crafts.

Carbon Monoxide Detector

If you’re worried about carbon monoxide poisoning, then you should consider traveling with a carbon monoxide detector. You can even find ones that double as smoke detectors. They don’t cost a lot of money and they’re also small and easy to pack. It’s best to always keep one in your suitcase so you can’t forget to pack it. 

If you’re traveling around the world, you can’t guarantee how safe you and your family will actually be and the benefits of a detector far outweigh the costs. 

The Importance of Having a Packing Checklist

Going on a family vacation is a great way for everyone to bond and really have some fun. But you also need to make sure that you have a packing checklist too. This will help make sure that you don’t forget anything important and that you keep everyone safe and healthy on the trip.

Are you looking for other helpful articles? If so, make sure to check out the rest of our blog today!

 

There is much possibility of being involved in a car accident, at least once in your life. Accidents are always unexpected, so you do not have time even to recall what exactly happened because of utter shock and confusion. You are not sure what to do or how to handle the situation of an accident. There are a few guidelines about how to cope with it patiently:

• If you are injured, call 911. 
• Check if other people with you in the vehicle are okay. Look for emergency services immediately or ask somebody present on the scene for help.
• Make yourself safe as soon as you come to your senses. Move to the side of the road and if possible, get your car parked somewhere safe. 
• Calling the police after an accident is very important; and it is a requirement in some places.  
• Use the road flares to ask for help or other vehicles to at least slow down or assist you. It will help if you wait for a while for aid.
• If you are not severely injured, take pictures of the accident scene right away. Damaged vehicles, other material involved in the accident, areas and surroundings, all should be photographed to portray the exact scenario. 
• If the accident is between two cars, make sure not to skip penning down all relevant information about the other victim—their name, address, car registration number, etc. 
• Record the statements of witnesses also. 
• You need to note all these details to keep a backup of the accident. It will help in all further investigations and procedures. Make sure not to have a discussion regarding the accident with anybody unless you have already talked it out with the police. 
• Tell your insurance company about everything related, whether you were at fault in the accident or not.

Seeking Medical Assistance

You must immediately go to the hospital if you are injured in the accident. If you are able to call 911 for yourself, do so, or try to get someone nearby to do it for you. Your medical reports would be of so much help later when you need to make a claim. However, look out for severe internal injuries first if there are any.

 

Making a Claim

You can claim for the damages you are left with, the medical care you will need after an accident, and for your lost money also. It is essential to ask for your losses if the other party was responsible for the accident; it is better if their insurance company bears all your expenses and costs. And if the roads or the surrounded area were the cause of the accident, then the claim would go against the Highway Dept. 

If you are the passenger who got injured, you still do not need to worry about it. Compensation will be required to assist you in recovering and that the insurance company will do, not the driver. 

Also, you must know that anyone can make a claim and not just the drivers. Even passengers can also claim for the damages, regardless of whether the driver was at fault.

Conclusion

If you have ever been a victim of a car accident, you will always be eligible for receiving compensation.   

A Wyoming car accident attorney will make sure you get the perfect amount for your losses and will make a claim for you on your behalf. 

 

 

 

Choosing a new car is very exciting, and nothing beats that new car smell. However, deciding which car to buy is more than just finding something you like the look of, choosing a color and placing an order. There are other things to consider, too, like if you want a manual or automatic clutch, what safety and convenience features should be included and, perhaps most importantly, whether it has an engine that runs on gas or diesel. This quick guide sums up each’s pros and cons and might help you decide between gas or diesel cars.

The Pros of a Gas Engine

There are plenty of good reasons to opt for a gas engine in your new car. Overall, the gas engine is slightly less complex than its diesel counterpart, which means it’s usually cheaper to maintain and service. You’ll probably have an easier time finding fuel, which is generally a bit less expensive than diesel fuel too, and they’re less noisy when they’re running, though modern engines have made big strides in changing this.

The Cons of a Gas Engine

While gas might be cheaper to buy than diesel per gallon, diesel is more efficient, and gas engines use more fuel than diesel engines. Gas engines also produce more pollution, with higher carbon dioxide emissions. If you’re buying a manual car, you’ll also find yourself shifting gear more often than with a diesel engine, as gear choice is more important to get optimal power from a gas engine.

The Pros of a Diesel Engine

The first thing most diesel car owners will tell you is that their car uses far less fuel than their gas counterparts, and they’re right. You can expect to use up to 20% less fuel in a diesel engine than a gas one, all while emitting less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, so it’s a good choice if you’re environmentally conscious. If you’re going to be towing a trailer, then you’ll likely want to opt for a diesel engine too, as their low-speed torque and pulling power is much better than a gas engine.

The Cons of a Diesel Engine

While you’ll save money running a diesel engine, you’ll also pay more to service it and to buy it. You’ll probably pay more for tax on a diesel engine car, too, as well as with your insurance premiums. However, if you are a member of the AARP and over 50 years of age, you’ll have access to AARP benefits and discounts, which will help to make the price of one of these vehicles cheaper. On this policy, you can also add optional coverage for towing and labor for emergency roadside assistance.

Diesel engines are slightly noisier than gas engines, so be sure that your car is well insulated from engine noise if you opt for a diesel.

Electric engines and hybrid engines are becoming more commonplace too. They could also be worth considering, but unfortunately, they’re still a niche market largely overshadowed by the enormous range and availability of gas and diesel engine cars. It can be difficult to decide between gas or diesel cars, even knowing the pros and cons of each can still be quite difficult, and understanding your specific requirements from your car will help inform your decision about which engine type will be better for you.

Do you have a favorite cast iron pan that has started to rust? Did you burn a pot or pan while cooking and no matter what you do you can’t seem to get all the charred areas to come out? This is the ultimate guide on how to clean a cast iron pan and burnt stainless steel pots. This guide will go over the best methods to use, alternative methods, and how to keep those pots and pans looking brand new.

 NeedHere’s What You

Cleaning burned stainless steel pots and pans is a whole different ball game than cleaning a rusted cast iron skillet. You can’t clean cast iron, nonstick pans, and stainless steel pots and pans the same way.

The Basic Cleaning Items:

• Steel wool
• Sponge, scouring pad or scrubbing brush
• Vegetable oil
• Mild dish soap
• Aluminum foil
• Baking soda
• Water
• Vinegar

The Best Method to Cleaning Your Burned Pot/Pan

The best way to clean a burned stainless steel pot or pan is the old fashion way. Put water in the pot or pan, just enough to cover the charred area. Turn the stove on and bring the water to a boil and allow it to continue boiling for about 3 minutes. Let it cool down to room temperature and pour the water out. Grab some baking soda and sprinkle over the burned areas. Using a scouring pad, scrub the pot or pan. The burned residue in the pot should come out with ease.

For the heavy-duty jobs, follow the steps above, however instead of water use vinegar. Bring it to a boil and cool down to room temperature, and sprinkle baking soda over the area. Don’t pour out the liquid until the fizzing has stopped, then scrub your pot.

Cleaning A Rusted Cast Iron Pan

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, while the oven is preheating, use the steel wool to scrub the rust out of the pan. This will take a little elbow grease, but you want to scrub all the rust out of the pan. Once all the rust is gone, use warm water and mild dish soap to wash the pan, scrubbing with either a bristle brush or gentle scouring pad.

Dry the pan thoroughly then coat the entire pan with vegetable oil. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place in the oven on the bottom rack. Place the cast-iron skillet in the oven upside down on the top rack and heat for about an hour. Turn off the oven and wait for the pan to cool before removing from the oven. Voila! Your cast iron skillet is as good as new.

 

Alternative Methods to Try

Substitute With Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar can be used as a substitute for baking soda. In the scorched pan, mix a tablespoon of cream of tartar with one cup of water and bring to a boil. Let it cool down and scrub the charred areas

Using Lemons

Slice 2 or 3 lemons and put in the burned pan, then fill the pan with water. Boil for about 5-10 minutes after bringing the water to a boil. Let the pan cool and then dump out the water and lemons. Use a scouring pad or tin foil to scrub the pan, lifting the leftover particles that did not dissipate when you boiled it.

Tin Foil

This method is very easy. Make a paste with baking soda and a few drops of water directly on the burned area of the pan. Grab some tin foil and crumple it in a ball. Using the tin foil ball scrub the pan clean. Wash the pan with soapy water and rinse thoroughly.

Dryer Sheet Hack

Dryer sheets are something that you should always have at your disposal. They are very versatile. You can soften clothes with them, scrub stains out of upholstery and carpets, clean your burned pan. Put soap and water in the pan, add the dryer sheet, and let it soak for about an hour, pour the water out and scrub the pan.

How to Keep Your Pots Looking Brand New

 As you can see there are many tricks that you can use to clean a burnt pot or for cleaning a rusted cast iron skillet. If you want to keep your pots looking brand new, here are a few tips to use:

• Prevent food burning to the pan by using a non-stick cooking spray or cooking oil.
• Avoid soaking your pans in water, especially cast iron skillets. As soon as you are done washing it dry it thoroughly. You can even place it on the stove on low heat to dry.
• If your pans start looking dull, clean with baking soda paste and aluminum foil.

  Follow these tips and your pots and pans will always shine and sparkle.

 

Birthdays are thousands of times more vivid when you’re a kid.  Maybe it’s because they’ve had so few, or because everyone around them gets so excited. But, kid’s birthday parties are a big deal.  This expectation can place a lot of pressure on you to get things right, which means you could be panicking trying to figure out how to put together a party. Here are some tips to help you plan the perfect kid’s party. Take it slow, plan, and your child will have the best party ever.

Figure Out Guests

Talk to your child, and figure out how many other kids they want to invite.  A good rule of thumb is to plan for a classroom of kids, and then scale back based on how many parents respond to the invitations. Not all of the people invited will come. If you have family members or friends you know will also want to attend, count those in as well.  Make sure to be flexible so that your plans won’t fall through when a handful of people don’t show up.  If you want, you can send out the original invitation a month out, and then send a reminder note a week before the party.

 

Pick a Location

Think about where the party should get held.  Although a spacious backyard will do exceptionally well for a party, there are other options.  You could use a portion of a park, rent out an area, or even have the party at a business like a trampoline playground.  Consider what the theme of the party is, and which location would go better with it. Also, consider that if  you don’t have the party at your home, the cleanup will be done by someone else! If your budget is tight, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having the party at home.

 

Will there be live entertainment?

Having performers can kick any party up a notch.  Make sure the entertainment matches what your kid likes.  If the child is a little girl who likes mermaids, look into mermaid performers.  If they want superheroes, then look for party characters for hire.  Keep an eye out for performers who match the theme of the party, while staying within budget.

 

Decorations Ideas 

You can do whatever you want with decor- just keep the theme in mind!  A party garland could be fun, but consider decorations that suit the theme.  If it’s a paw patrol party, you could carry through a firefighting motif through the whole party with ease.  Just think outside of the box, from the door people walk in through to the napkins.

 

Saving and Sharing the Memories

Kids are going to want to remember this forever.  They’ll have fun with their friends, eat cake, and get to see a live show- let them show it off with pictures.  There are more than a few fun ways to do this, from having custom Snapchat filters for birthday parties to using throwback cheap film cameras that you can develop later and use as postcards to thank people for their gifts- there are a lot of options.

 

If you’re unsure about anything, the lucky thing is you can ask your child what they’d like for a party.  They might strike you with a great idea that makes the day just that much more fun.  Make sure they know the party is for and about them, and to celebrate with them, so they feel loved. Follow the tips and anyone can plan the perfect kid’s party.