-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.
WIZS Radio Local News Audio 01-09-23 Noon
/by WIZS StaffClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
The Local Skinny! Chamber Adds New Board Members
/by WIZS StaffThe Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce begins 2023 with some familiar faces in new roles.
In addition to new president Sandra Wilkerson, Bert Long is taking the reins as chairman of the board of directors for 2023. Long is the North Carolina project manager with H.G. Reynolds and is in his second year on the Chamber board.
Following is a list of other officers and their roles:
Directors are elected to serve three-year terms on the Chamber board; the new class of 2023 – 2025 directors recently voted in are Scott Burwell with Kennamental, Stephanie Hoyle with Century 21 Country Knolls Realty, Dana Greenway with Kids World, Inc., Ann Holsing with Coastal Credit Union, Desiree Brooks with Kerr-Tar COG and Brandi Parker with Versatrim.
Incoming chairman Long thanked outgoing board members Brian Williams and Tyler Brewer for their service to the Chamber board at the group’s December board meeting. Williams is employed by Thermo King of Henderson and rotated off the board after serving three years. Brewer, vice president of Brewer Cycles in Henderson, has completed six years on the Chamber board. He also served as board chair in 2021.
CLICK PLAY!
Town Talk: More On ARPA Funds, Jail and other items of County Interest
/by WIZS StaffCities and counties across the country are figuring out just how to spend their part of the unprecedented $1.9 trillion in federal aid coming through the American Rescue Plan Act’s COVID-19 relief effort.
Vance County’s share is just more than $8.5 million, and county leaders are way ahead of the 2024 deadline to decide where those funds will be used: it’s all being allocated as “revenue replacement, which provides flexibility and allows the county to use the funds for general government purposes,” explained County Manager Jordan McMillen.
Of that total amount, about $2 million is earmarked for Phase 1B of the county’s water system, another $350,000 will be used to replace security doors and locks at the detention center and $347,000 was earmarked to pay employees premium pay back in February 2022, McMillen told WIZS News. The health department is set to get $250,000 as well.
All that doesn’t add up to the total slice of the trillion-dollar pie that’s promised to the county, but the infusion of ARPA funds into the county’s general fund should mean that next month’s scheduled audit presentation will show a fairly large surplus, he said.
McMillen said he expects that those surplus funds will be moved into the capital expense funds, which will allow the county to hold onto that money for future capital expenditures like a new EMS station, future needs at the county jail and more.
CLICK PLAY!
TownTalk: Henderson City Council To Meet
/by John C. RoseA look at the upcoming Henderson city council meeting this evening (01-09-2023).
CLICK PLAY BELOW!
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Now Through Mar. 31
/by WIZS Staff-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:
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
/by Bill HarrisListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
Click Play!
Oxford Welcomes Interim City Manager
/by WIZS StaffThe 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
/by WIZS StaffMaria 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
/by WIZS StaffRebuild 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
/by WIZS StaffPlanning 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.