The debate began at 2pm today.  You can watch it live on C-Span.  The fact that the Democratic Leaders brought this up for debate indicates that they have the votes to pass it.  The debate is scheduled to last for 4 hours.

Learn What You Need to Know about Medicare, and How to Pick the Perfect Supplement Plan!

Independence, MO – One of the biggest fears that many people have today is the fear of turning 65 and having to figure out their own benefits with no knowledge of how the Medicare system works or who to contact.  Most people end up just trusting what their sales agent tells them they need and find themselves with hundreds if not thousands of dollars in medical bills left for them.  Most of the public does not know what plans are available to them and get their information from a green sales agent or commercials on TV.  Did you know Medicare Benefits during the year 2010 have the most changes since 2006, which could affect anyone on Medicare! A community informational workshop presented by Travis Gensler, local advisor who specalizes in Medicare Plans.

At this workshop, you will learn:

• How to sign up for your Medicare benefits and the eligibility requirements
• How to find out what is and is not covered by Medicare Part A & B
• What is a Medicare Supplement or Medigap plan
• What is the Medicare Advantage program
• What is Part D and why do I need it
• The 5 questions you need to ask to pick the perfect advisor to work with
• The 10 questions you need to ask to pick the perfect plan
• How the current changes and healthcare debate will affect the future of Medicare

Workshops 10am – 12pm on the following dates:

Nov 10^th Nov 17^th Nov 24^th Dec 1^st Dec 8^th

Attendance for this workshop is free, but seating is limited.

You can reserve your spot by calling 816-228-8000.

These classes will fill up quickly, so call right away!

Class Location: 201 W. Lexington Ave, Suite 301 (3^rd floor), Independence, MO 64050

Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the Federal Medicare Program. For educational purposes only, no company or plan specific information will be available.

I am starting to work on some community education classes for those getting ready to enter or already enrolled into a Medicare plan.  Covering the basics with some tips and tricks to get the most out of your Medicare benefits.

Dates and times will be posted as soon as they are scheduled.

One of the biggest questions I get when reviewing someone’s insurance program is:

Why is my dwelling coverage so much? I didn’t even pay that much for my house.

When I evaluate your protection program, to be honest, I really don’t care how much you paid for your house.  I mean I do, but I don’t, because if your house was damaged my goal is to make sure there is enough coverage for you to rebuild it the way it was before it was damaged.  Your homeowners policy should have the proper coverages and be updated at least every other year because building cost change.

The easiest way I can explain it is if you think about how close the fire department is.  Now lets say your house catches on fire, what are the odds that the fire department won’t get there in time to put the fire out?  Whats going to happen?  Most of the time, they are going to be able to put the fire out, but that is just the damage from the fire.  If you have ever been around a fire, you will probably notice that the smoke causes just as much damage, not to mention the water damage from the fire hoses.

It is a simple fact that the cheapest way to build something is from scratch, however if you are unlucky enough to experience a fire in your house or business, it will cost you much much more to cover the clean up of the smoke and water damage than the actual fire itself.

So if you happen to experience a situation like this, there is a really good chance that the clean up and fix it costs could run higher than what you paid for your house.

This is just one type of situation that could cause your repair bills to exceed the price you paid for your house, and there are many others.  So the message of the story, is to make sure you review your coverages with an educated professional that can explain what is going on.

Each company uses a slightly different evaluation method, so get an idea from a few different companies and make sure you are covered to your actual replacement cost.

Based on the words you search for when you visit www.google.com, google has found a way to track the actual flu trends.

According to their research, their research on the search terms reflects pretty accurate results about two weeks before the CDC releases their reports.  Interesting huh?

find more information here: Google Flu Trends