6 A
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2017
Medicare
from 1A
A potential for major
changes to the healthcare
options available to seniors
existed due to the uncertainty
of the status of the Affordable
Care Act (ACA). That uncer-
tainty was significantly dimin-
ished as efforts to repeal and
replace the ACA failed earlier
this month.
Florence Senior Health
Insurance Benefits Assistance
Program (SHIBA) representa-
tive Suzanne Mann-Heintz will
be updating the community on
changes in Medicare for the
new year at the Wednesday,
Oct. 4, meeting of the Florence
Area Coalition. It will be a
short presentation.
Mann-Heintz said she wants
to remind community mem-
bers that they should check
their Medicare status prior to
the open enrollment period.
“The most important thing is
for people to review the new
information about the plan. If,
for example, a drug you have
been taking may have been
removed from the list of cov-
ered medications, you will be
responsible for the full cost of
the prescription,” she said.
In addition, there are some
other changes to Medicare cov-
erage that participants should
be aware of now and moving
into the new year.
One minor change is the
removal of Social Security
numbers from Medicare ID
cards. New cards will be issued
beginning in 2018, and these
cards will have randomly gen-
erated ID numbers instead of
Social Security numbers.
Another change is in the
continued reduction of the so-
called “donut hole” that forces
prescription drug purchasers to
pay for prescriptions after
reaching the initial coverage
limit of $3,750.
Congress’ goal moving for-
ward is to eliminate the “hole”
completely by 2020.
For 2018, enrollees will pay
35 percent of the cost of brand
name drugs, down from 40
percent in 2017. For generic
drugs, enrollees will now pay
44 percent of the cost, down
from 51 percent.
One increase in costs to con-
sumers taking effect is that the
Medicare deduction will rise
slightly from $400 to $405.
There are also changes in the
income brackets for Part B
enrollees with higher incomes.
The new brackets begin at
$85,001 for a single individual
and $170,001 for a couple. The
highest bracket will apply to
those with incomes of
$241,000 for individuals and
$428,000 for couples.
Most Medicare beneficiaries
will receive their Annual
Notice of Change and
Evidence of Coverage from
their
existing
Medicare
Advantage and Medicare Part
D plan providers by today,
Sept. 30.
Mann-Heintz said it is
important to carefully review
these updates, since they will
cover any relevant changes to
an individual’s coverage.
She also suggested setting
up an individual Medicare
account at Oregon.gov to track
any changes in a person’s
account or benefits, in order to
respond to any issues that may
arise during the year.
For more information on the
2018 changes to Medicare,
visit the SHIBA web page at
Oregon.gov.
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Annual book festival features Garelick
Once again the Florence
Festival of Books will offer
readers of all persuasions an
explosion of books by a plethora
of authors from near and far.
This year’s event is set for
today, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m., at the Florence Events
Center, 715 Quince St.
Burney Garelick, retired
Siuslaw News writer and long-
time arts reviewer, will be
among those authors.
Garelick will have five books
at the event. This year she has
added another volume to her
eclectic menagerie. The new
book, “The Caterwauling
Critic,” reprises 27 of her con-
cert and theater reviews from the
past several years, including pro-
ductions by Florence performing
arts groups — Children’s
Repertory
of
Oregon
Workshops, Class Act Theatre,
Last Resort Players, and
SEAcoast
Entertainment
Association.
Garelick’s other books will
also be available to purchase,
including “Also Selected Short
Subjects,” a collection of stories;
“Big Dunes Gold Doubloons
Coffee Spoons & Loony Tunes,”
a rollicking novel set in the
Oregon dunes; and two books
reviewing Metropolitan Operas
from 2013-14 and 2014-15, “It’s
Not Over” and “Mew & Cry,”
respectively.
“Big Dunes” is a carousel of
wordplay and allusion with the
Diva of the Dunes, her Gallic
spouse, multilingual ice cream
cat Gelato, and a cornucopia of
characters including the First
Lady of the Air, four mop-haired
beetles on a medical mission,
King Midas, Marco-Not-Polo, a
pirate who sings light opera, The
Red Nuns of Fuchsia, and the
picnicking Teddy Bears.
Interspersed throughout the
story are a few of the author’s
concert and theater reviews
reprised from yesteryear.
September is the time for
turning leaves and turning pages.
Garelick invites everyone to
attend the Florence Festival of
Books and to stop by her table,
review her books, and pick up a
free bookmark.
Phone: 541-997-3441
Fax: 541-997-7979
Siuslaw News
148 Maple St.
P.O. Box 10, Florence, OR 97439
THIS WEEK
ON
THE
COAST
A W EEKLY L ISTING OF C OMMUNITY E VENTS IN THE F LORENCE A REA
S UBMIT ALL E VENTS I NFORMATION VIA E MAIL TO P RESS R ELEASES @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM
Sept. 30
Ada Grange Harley Huff
Scholarship Breakfast
7 to 11 a.m.
Tickets required
Ada Grange
10 miles out Canary Road
Arts and Crafts Show
10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Open to public
Three Rivers Casino Resort
Words on the Coast Writers
Conference
8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
$85 for two-day conference
FRAA Art Center,
www.fraaoregon.org
Port Hole Publishing,
www.portholepublishing.org
Florence Festival of Books
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open to public
Florence Events Center
www.florencefestivalofbooks.org
Siuslaw SWCD Office
1775 Laurel Way #4
541-997-1272
Jason Wood Untucked
8 p.m.
Tickets required — $12
Class Act Theatre
Florence Big Wave Open Mic
Night
6:30 p.m.
Open to public
FRAA Art Center
Oct. 1
Oct. 3
Oct. 4
Arts and Crafts Show
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Open to public
Three Rivers Casino Resort
St. Francis Blessing of the
Animals
6 p.m.
Open to public and their pets
St. Mary’s Church
85060 Highway 101
Oct. 2
Siuslaw Soil & Water
Conservation Board Meeting
6:30 p.m.
Open to public
DONATE NOW!
Maximize your donation by donating
to Cars for a Cause by Dec. 31st.
We accept cars, trucks, RVs, boats
& motorcycles CALL NOW!
Oct. 5
We buy, sell and consign quality
estate/heirloom jewelry & furniture.
Gold, silver, platinum jewelry with
precious & semi precious stones.
Florence Antiques
2315 Hwy. 101 • Florence • 541-997-8460
CUSTOM ENGRAVING
& CUTTING
Oct. 7
Single Moms and Widows Oil
Change
9:30 a.m. to noon
Free for single moms and widows;
no diesel engines
Florence Church of the Nazarene
1536 12th St.
Scrapbook Fun Fest on the Coast
10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Tickets required
Three Rivers Casino Resort
www.scrapbookfunfest.com/
7th annual Wine & Chowder Trail
2-5 p.m. — Wine Trail
ESTATE JEWELRY AND
ANTIQUE FURNITURE!!!
Call 541-997-8104,
St. Vincent de Paul
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater
7 p.m.
Tickets required
Florence Events Center
www.comedypet.com/
CCB# 55030
541-997-5691
541-361-9080
jmirvis@charter.net
Florence, Oregon
Glass For Every
Purpose
1780 Kingwood St.
541-997-8526
Airto Moreira Band
7 p.m.
Tickets required
Florence Events Center
www.airto.com/
George Mann
7 p.m.
Tickets required
Class Act Theater
catproductions.org
Oct. 8
7th annual Wine & Chowder Trail
2-5 p.m. — Chowder Trail
Tickets required
Historic Old Town Florence
www.florencechamber.com
County Transfer & Recycling
Auto, Home, Life, Business
Flood, Antique Auto, RV’s
Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Supplements
Health Insurance
Phone (541) 997-9497
1234 Rhododendron Dr / Florence
FLORENCE
Awards • Plaques • Name Badges
Gifts • Signage • Glassware
Tickets required
Historic Old Town Florence
www.florencechamber.com
Great prices on all
top national brands!
685-A Hwy 101,
Florence, OR.
541-997-3273
Commerical • Residential
Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly,
One Time Pick-Up.
Easy curb side recycling program-
No additional costs to our customers.
5078 Coastwood Lane
Call us at 541-997-8233
Village Grooming
4981 Highway 101,
across Munsel Lake Rd
541-305-5411
Call for appointment