Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Now Through Mar. 31

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-information courtesy of the N.C. Dept. of Insurance

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and SHIIP, the Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program, remind Medicare beneficiaries about the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period in North Carolina.

“Our health can change dramatically within a year’s time,” Causey said. “If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, now is the right time to make sure you have the plan that best meets your needs.”

If you’re unhappy with your Medicare Advantage Plan (Medicare Part C), you have options. Each year, there is a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from Jan. 1 to March 31. During this time, if you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan and want to change your health plan, you can do one of these:

  • Switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan with or without drug coverage
  • Go back to Original Medicare and, if needed, also join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

If you switch Medicare Advantage Plans or go back to Original Medicare with or without a Medicare drug plan, your new coverage will start the first day of the month after your new plan gets your request for coverage. Keep in mind, if you go back to Original Medicare now, you may not be able to buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy.

SHIIP counselors are ready to help guide you through the process. Call 855.408.1212 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to speak to a SHIIP counselor.

The Medicare Plan Finder can also help you find, compare and enroll in a new Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare drug plan in your area. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1.800.633.4227) for help. TTY users can call 1.877.486.2048.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is only for people who are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan and want to change your plan, check out your options today.  Remember, the Medicare Advantage Plan Open Enrollment Period ends March 31.

Remember that SHIIP counselors are not licensed insurance agents. They do not sell, endorse, or oppose any product, plan or company.  If you have questions about your specific plan, please contact your insurance agent or insurance company.

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Native Plants

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

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Oxford Welcomes Interim City Manager

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The City of Oxford Board of Commissioners have selected Steven L. Harrell to be the city’s interim manager.

Harrell was sworn in last week and brings close to four decades of experience in municipal government – 28 years of which he has held the position of city manager – to this most recent role.

His comprehensive experience overseeing multiple departments includes not only those that the City of Oxford has, but also sanitation, electricity, economic development and inspections. He also has experience in planning, community development, parks and recreation, and as a chamber of commerce executive working as chief liaison with local, state and federal governments.

Harrell retired in 2020 as the town manager of Ayden, and has since served as interim manager in Robersonville and Brevard. Mayor Jackie Sergent said, “The board feels that Harrell’s extensive credentials position him well for leading the city in the coming months, especially with the utility projects underway and the upcoming KLRWS plant expansion about to begin. His planning expertise will also be a boon as the City faces further development and related discussion.”

Maria Parham Franklin To Hold Job Fair Jan. 19

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Maria Parham Franklin will hold a job fair on Thursday, Jan. 19 in Louisburg.

Job seekers can visit with MPH representatives from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to learn more about available positions at Franklin Behavioral Health, some of which include a $500 sign-on bonus, according to Donna Young, coordinator of marketing and communications.

Openings include day and evening RN positions for both adult and geriatric areas, as well as behavioral health techs for both adult and geriatric areas. Come prepared, as job offers may be made on the spot!

Learn more about the available positions at MariaParham.com/Careers. Applicants can pre-register for this event at https://www.mariaparham.com/event/44.

VGCC Site Of Free Technology Class For Senior Adults

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Rebuild Communities NC is partnering with AARP’s Senior Planet to provide a free class for senior adults to help them boost their technology skills.

It seems like computers and websites, online troubleshooting chats and QR codes are quickly becoming the norm in today’s daily experiences, and the Digital Skills Ready@50+ program may be a way to gain skills to help navigate an increasingly digital world.

Classes begin on Tuesday, Jan. 9 and continue on Tuesdays and Thursdays through February, according to information from Edythe Thompson, executive director and CEO of Rebuilding Communities NC. Each class is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Whether you need to learn how to participate in video conferencing for work or if you just want to be able to visit online with faraway friends and family, the class offers trainings on a wide range of technologies.

All classes will be held at Vance-Granville Community College, Building 9, Seminar Room 2 – except the Jan. 12 class, which will be held in the conference room of Building 8.

VGCC is located at 200 Community College Rd., Henderson.

To learn more, email info@RebuildCommunitiesNC.org.

Vendors: Sign Up Now For Mar. 4 Wedding & Events Expo In Granville County

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Planning a big event in 2023? Whether it’s a wedding or other special occasion, the Granville Wedding & Events Expo may be just the thing to get your planning off to a great start.

Vendors are invited to join in the fun event, which is set for Mar. 4, 2023, according to Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen.

The daylong expo will be held at the Granville Convention & Expo Center, and it’s the place to learn more about wedding venues, vendors and other resources available to pull off a perfectly planned event, Allen said.

Vendors interested in participating in the expo should register before Jan. 13 by visiting:  https://surveyheart.com/form/6318838d543b010b1328e9d8.

Space is limited, with first priority being given to Granville-based vendors. After Jan. 13, vendors outside of Granville County will be able to sign up to participate, depending on space limitations and availability. All vendors will need to reserve space by Feb. 10, 2023.

Sponsorships for the expo are also available, as well as opportunities to distribute items to participants in “VIP bags” that will be given out at the event.

For more information about the expo, contact Allen at 919.693.6125 or by email at angela.allen@granvillecounty.org.

Chamber Accepting Nominations For John Penn Citizen Of The Year Award Through Feb. 14

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Nominations are now being accepted for the annual John Penn Citizen of the Year award, according to information from the Granville County Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber will take nominations through Tuesday, Feb. 14 and the honor will be awarded at the Chamber’s annual banquet on Mar. 6.

Nominees must be residents of Granville County and the nomination form should list contributions and accomplishments, as well as evidence of the person’s impact on Granville County.

Find the nomination form here: 2022 JOHN PENN CITIZEN OF THE YEAR NOMINATION FORM.

This award is named for Granville County’s first and perhaps most outstanding citizen, John Penn, who was one of North Carolina’s signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Submit completed forms to the Chamber office, P.O. Box 820, Oxford, NC 27565.

The Local Skinny! Fire Department Nets 20K For Maria Parham Cancer Center

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Anyone driving past Maria Parham Hospital Wednesday afternoon may have wondered what in the world was going on – the Henderson Fire Department’s Engine 1 was parked smack dab in the middle of the circular drive of the lower level where the cancer center is located.

The department’s ladder truck was parked nearby, too, but there were no lights flashing, no sirens blaring.

But the firefighters weren’t there responding to a call – they had come to make a donation to the cancer center’s Angel Fund – a check totaling $20,508.

Battalion Chief Lee Edmonds and more than a half-dozen other firefighters gathered under the canopied drive at the cancer center’s main doors and presented the check to hospital officials and staff who graciously accepted it.

Hope Breedlove, hospital social worker, thanked the firefighters for their generosity, calling their annual fundraiser an example of “our community coming together to support our community…that’s just love.”

Edmonds said he and fellow firefighters stop traffic each fall in front of Central Fire Station on Dabney Drive for its “fill the boot” campaign. Since 2016, the fire department has been able to donate more than $80,000 for the cancer center’s Angel Fund, which is used to provide transportation, medicine and more for patients during their treatment.

Edmonds talked to John C. Rose about the check presentation during Thursday’s segment of The Local Skinny!

Edmonds said he and the other firefighters “love being out there and being social with the community.” And drivers are generous with their donations, even though filling those empty boots does mean backing up an already-congested Dabney Drive.

For once a year, it’s ok, Edmonds said.

“It gives you time to get your money out of your pocket,” he said.

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