Everyone in our office has had a wonderful Summer with fun trips and adventures and our batteries are fully recharged and ready for action.

Here I will just touch on a couple of the highlights of what lies ahead.

As teachers are heading back to school so are we.  As agents we have to undergo rigorous certifications each year for the products we can offer to our clients.  For the Affordable Care Act plans we have to attend training classes in Tacoma for each company we will be working with. In addition, we must complete a 5 hour certification course for the Healthcare Exchange.  For the Medicare plans we have online courses that are quite numerous and also deep in the scope of knowledge we have to learn. These courses all have tests at the end of them where a passing score of 85% is required.

In addition we will become teachers to you for your upcoming Medicare Part D reviews. We will be holding seminars to show you how to become your own expert in selecting an appropriate Part D plan for your needs.  Be sure to read John's article this month for details. 

For 2015 we will have a number of new choices when it comes to the Affordable Care Act.    

For this upcoming year we believe we will have plans from MODA, United Health and also possibly from Bridgespan a subsidiary of Regence Blue Shield in addition to the Premera/Lifewise offerings.

Please take a few minutes to read Stephany's article as she gives some great tips that will help all of us in the months ahead.

At this busy time of year we all look forward to seeing our clients and helping them with their options. 

Email questions or comments to: 

Hey, does anyone want to go fishing with Castell Insurance??

In the past it has been our custom to provide a full Medicare Part D review for all clients who have requested one.

We are unable continue with this process due to the overlapping enrollment period with the Affordable Care Act.

This year we will be holding 8 classes at the Holiday Inn Express to teach our clients how to complete drug comparisons.  At the classes we will have a power point presentation and handouts to help simplify the process. 

The class schedule will be as follows:

• Tuesday,   October  7^th     10 am   &   2 pm
• Thursday, October  9^th    10 am   &   2 pm
• Tuesday,   October 21^st     10 am   &   2 pm
• Thursday, October 23^rd   10 am   &   2 pm

You should receive a large envelope from your current Part D insurance company.  This will be your Annual Notice Of Change (ANOC).  Please keep this handy as it will help you in reviewing your options. 

If you are not comfortable with an online review, you are welcome  to bring a friend or family member for assistance.  The quickest method of reviewing your plans is through the  www.medicare.gov  website, which we explain in detail at the classes. 

Medicare will also assist folks in reviewing their plans over the telephone and the nice thing is they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-Medicare or 1-800-633-4227

We will give you tips how to prepare prior to calling them to make your experience a breeze.

Local help will also be available from SHIBA volunteers who will be at the Shipley Center formerly the Sequim Senior Center each Tuesday morning. 

We feel these solutions will be the best for our clients. 

We look forward to providing this service to you and helping with any questions.

With open enrollment nearing there are things you can start to do to get ready to make the re-enrollment process as easy as possible.  

First, keep an eye out for a letter from us letting you know that it is time to schedule an appointment with our office to enroll.  Once you receive the letter, make sure you schedule your appointment with your agent to enroll early.  The office is going to have several hundred people who need to enroll and your help is essential to ensure no one has a lapse in coverage and that everyone has the opportunity to talk to their agent.    

Second, start to think about what you expect your income to be in 2015 and who your tax dependents will be next year.  These questions become very important as we talk about household size and what tax credits may be available to you.   

Lastly, start to think about your health and insurance use.  Ask yourself questions like:  

• Has the plan you have worked well for you this year?
• Do you have a major surgery or health issue you are dealing with or know is coming up in 2015?
• Is your doctor or preferred specialist in-network?

Be prepared for your appointment with your agent and have any questions you want answered with you so that we can make sure all your concerns are addressed.

With your help and assistance we are looking forward to open enrollment for 2015. We are anticipating more choices will be available for you, including several plans from MODA who have a phenomenal network that was previously unavailable on the health exchange.  

We also have more experience with the Washington State Exchange and are doing everything we can to make enrollment as smooth as possible.  

As we continue to prepare for open enrollment, we hope you enjoyed a safe Labor Day weekend. Remember to be extra careful around school zones and take a deep breath of that clean crisp fall air.

Washington Huskies

This year will be the year of discovery for the Huskies.  The off-season has brought a lot of change to the program.  A new head coach (Chris Petersen formerly of Boise State) a new starting Quarterback (3 year starter Keith Price graduated) and a new focus on discipline.  The team was in the bottom ten in country for penalties last year which lead many to question former coach Steve Sarkisian and his attention to detail.  This year promises to be an exciting one for the Husky faithful especially on defense.  The team brings back several potent weapons on offense and a very talented defense that ranked in the top 30 in the nation last year.  

Prediction: 10 Wins - 3 Losses

 Washington State Cougars

The Cougars are going into the third season under offensive guru Mike Leach.  Last year Leach led the team to their first bowl game in 10 seasons and he's bringing back a lot of his offensive talent this year.  The team will throw the ball as much as anyone in the country in an offense commonly known as the "Air Raid" attack.  The offense will be led by senior Quarterback Connor Halliday who ranked in the top 10 for passing yards last year.  Although excitement and expectations are high I believe a tough schedule will keep the Cougars from taking the next step this year.  

Prediction: 6 Wins - 6 Losses

Seattle Seahawks

Unless you were living under a rock you are all well aware that the Seahawks capped an amazing season last year by winning the Super Bowl in record fashion.  If there is such a thing as "winning the offseason" this team did it.  They resigned a lot of their young talent to ensure their core group of leaders will be in Seattle for a long time.  Although they did lose several key contributing players (Golden Tate, Chris Clemons, Red Bryant) they appear to be even more potent as the season nears.  One downside of winning the Super Bowl is having a tougher schedule the following season so expect some close games.  That said, the return of 3rd year starter Russell Wilson and a healthy Percy Harvin have many people near the team wondering if the offense can be as lethal as the defense has been the past few years.  The odds are stacked against the team to repeat as champs and the target will definitely be on their back each game.  

Prediction: 12 Wins - 4 Losses in the regular season and another flawless run through the postseason to make the Seahawks the first team in 10 years to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.