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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2018)
community news october18 2018 Medicare: Why is it so Hard to go to the Local Medical Clinic? By Dwayne L. Scales It’s Annual Enrollment Period time again. You open your mailbox to find a huge packet containing your Annual Notice of Change. Now what? Despite all this paper, understanding Medicare and its coverage doesn’t have to be difficult. It boils down to one very important question. Will the plan you choose allow you to access the doctors at your local medical clinic? One of the biggest secrets about all of those Medicare Advantage (MA) plans out there is that they all basically cover the same services. All MA plans have to cover the same services that Original Medicare covers. Now some plans may throw in a little vision coverage, maybe a little dental cover- age, and may provide you with a membership to a health club, but when it comes down to medical coverage, they all are generally the same. When choosing a Medicare Advan- tage plan, there are three simple, yet very important, questions to answer. 1. Where do you go for medical care? 2. How often do you go? 3. How much do you want to pay when you do go? It’s that simple. You can be offered the most attractive plan in the world 4-Plex, Good investment property. $195,000 Two 2-bed apts, One large 1-bed apt, One small 1-bed apt. By the river and lake, lots of storage, garage with attic, laundry facility on site. (503) 708-8748 SERVICES St Pierre Graphics & Photo Restoration Restore-Brighten-Retouch old photography, copy and enlarge negative plates. Free Bridge Street Bits but if you can’t visit the doctors you want, that plan may not look so good after all. This is why choosing the correct plan that allows you to go to The Vernonia Health Clinic, for example, is so important. Many plans look good, but do they meet your medical needs and wants? With some doctors not taking new Medicare patients, or Original Medicare, and some doctors not accepting certain MA plans, it is very easy to see how this can become very complicated. You have to ask yourself, what is more important to you? Do you keep your current insurance plan or do you keep your current doctor? The answer may lie in which one is easier to replace. Now who wants to talk about HMOs versus PPOs? I’ll save that complicated topic for another time! By Karen Miller Dwayne L. Scales is a Medicare Insurance Specialist. He currently represents all Medi- care Advantage plans with the exception of Kaiser. He works with individuals, clinics, and HR administrators to help the Medi- care population find the plan that fits their needs. For more information, visit: www.I- TURN-65.com DON’T LET YOUR health insurance questions drive you ‘BATTY.’ It is time for some of us seniors to consider our health insur- ance options: MARK YOUR CALENDAR for Halloween Day, October 31, at 11:00 am at Mariolino’s for a presentation by Michelle Moore from Columbia City Benefits Group. Michelle has been serving Vernonia residents for many years, and she is excited by some new insurance options with low premiums. Email her at Michelle@ColumbiaCityBenefitsGroup.com or call her at (503) 366-9550. Here’s some keyboard kudos: 1) Thank you to all of YOU who patronized our Bargains on Bridge Street store in September. It helped us serve 351 meals that month to seniors on our Meals on Wheels and cer- tificate program. THANK YOU to our Meals on Wheels drivers, you are needed and appreciated. 2) Thank you to ALL the volunteers who came in to help with sorting, pricing, organizing, and displaying the appreci- ated donations that come in. 3) Thank you to ALL of you who bring your donations to the Vernonia Thrift Store on Bridge Street Without YOU this program and others would be in jeopardy. Please take note that ALL are welcomed to shop at our Bargains on Bridge Street store- status of one’s income does not apply! Plus, we now have the convenience of using our credit machine! Hope to see you. We are open 10 to 3 Monday thru Saturday. Dollar Tuesday - all clothes $1 unless otherwise marked. VOLUNTEERS are always welcomed. For Senior Services call Mandy at Community Action Team (503) 366-6545. Veterans Services, Russ Clark (503) 366-6580 CLASSIFIED ADS FOR SALE 21 est. Local pickup and delivery Vernonia, Clatskanie area. Please call Terry at (971) 813-9560. Clean - Organize - Paint - House Keeping offered in Vernonia, Fishhawk, Clatskanie area. Great local references. Weekly, monthly. Give me a ring, Terry St Pierre (971) 813-9560. Next Board Meeting: Friday, November 9, 10:00 am at the American Legion Hall. All are welcomed. SENIOR SIGN OFF: Stretching may be an aid to health, but it doesn’t seem to help the truth. See ya’ around town… Vernonia Senior Center 939 Bridge Street • (503) 429-3912 Church Directory Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Sunday Schedule: Sacrament Meeting: 10:00 am Sunday School & Primary: 11:20 am Relief Society, Priesthood and Young Women: 12:10 pm Roger Cook, Branch President 1350 E. Knott Street 503-429-7151 Grace Family Fellowship Sunday School: 9:00 am Worship Service: 10:30 am Thursday Prayer: 6:00 pm Greg “Mac” McCallum, Pastor 957 State Avenue 503-429-6790 Nehalem Valley Bible Church Sunday School: 9:45 am Worship Service: 10:45 am Tues. Ladies Bible Study: 9:30 am Wednesday Service: 7:00 pm Sat. Men’s Prayer Meeting: 6:30 am Gary Taylor, Pastor 500 North Street 503-429-5378 Open Door Gathering Place Service: Sunday 6:00 pm Grant Williams, Pastor 375 North Street 503-702-3553 Family Center: 11:00 AM www.VernoniaChristianChurch.org Sam Hough, Pastor 410 North Street 503-429-6522 St. Mary’s Catholic Church Sunday Mass: 12:00 pm Fr. Josh Clifton, Administrator 960 Missouri Avenue 503-429-8841 Vernonia Seventh-day Adventist Church Sabbath (Saturday) Services Sabbath School: 9:30 am Worship Service: 11:00 am www.VernoniaSDAC.org Larry Gibson, Pastor 2nd Avenue and Nehalem Street 503-429-8301 Vernonia Christian Church Sunday School: 9:45 am Worship Service in Youth & e rm an DM D Vernonia Dental • Kitchen & Bathroom Remodels • Finish Carpentry • Ceramic Tile Work • Custom Home Construction • Additions • Commercial Tenant Improvements Jim Morrison, Jr. General Contractor CCB# 112057 Ph: (503) 429-0154 MorrisonRemodeling@hughes.net Vernonia, OR 97064 • Licensed • Bonded • Insured D h . r C r h p o is t M er . h S c eu 622 Bridge Street Vernonia, OR 97064 phone (503) 429-0880 -- fax (503) 429-0881
