George Litchfield Gazette
All Medicare Supplements & Insurance
Volume 5, Issue 13—Febuary/March 2017
COME FULL CIRCLE
A Big Shout Out to Mr. Walt Hetzel, a client and friend, who
sold me his "jewel" of a tractor I've dubbed, the Big Yella Fella.
What a cream puff and it's already coming in handy
around Litchfield Hills!
I've titled my Blog in this issue of the Gazette, "Come Full Circle".
This saying, I've heard my whole life, has a way of ringing true for
the majority of us. I like this definition: "When something Comes
Full Circle, it completes a cycle, returns to it's beginnings: "The
novelist's vision of human life has come full circle--from optimism to pessimism and
back to optimism again.".
Me with
the Big Yella
Fella...
CitiBank Building
300 E. State Ste.102
Redlands, CA 92373
Office 909-792-3300
[email protected]
Inside this issue:
Come Full Circle
1
A Valentine’s Treat
2
Litchfield Family
Corner
2
Medicare News
3
Health Insurance for 4
Under 65 and not on
Medicare
In my case, I grew up on a farm in eastern North Carolina as a boy before moving to
So. Cal. Two years ago, my older sister passed away suddenly and started me on a
journey to get a little getaway home in Palm Springs, to "stop and smell the roses"
and enjoy our seven grandchildren more. Well, through some incredible coincidences,
that search led us to 9 acres in Cherry Valley to Litchfield Hills. So my "Come Full
Circle" is: I started out on a Farm and I'm ending up on a Farm!
My Passion besides advising and assisting my clients with their insurance needs and
making sure they're in the right Medicare Plan from year to year is to have a Special
place for our grandchildren, Family, clients and friends to come visit and to "stop and
smell our lavender plants"! My wife Terri's "Come Full Circle" is her father lives only a
half mile away and that's icing on the cake for her.
This Dynamic seems to be at work in the Medicare world as well. Before the health
care law was enacted 6-7 years ago, Medicare recipients had the 1st 3 months of the
year to choose a different Plan besides the Annual Enrollment Period each fall. It looks
like that Open Enrollment will be returning in 2 years or ' coming full circle" ( see
Page 3 ).....Even with the change in Political winds, Your Medicare should be Secure
and Viable in the years ahead. You've earned it and deserve your Benefits! The Big
question mark is mainly for those not on Medicare in the individual market.....Enjoy
the rest of the Gazette and Happy Valentines Day....Terri and I Appreciate you and
Value you as our Friends.
All the Best, George
Our mission is to provide the very Best service possible to
our clients and friends. It's our Joy and goal as your
Agent/Advisor. We appreciate you referring your Family,
Neighbors and Friends to us who are Turning 65 or are
New to Medicare or simply need assistance
obtaining affordable Health Insurance.
Introducing life
insurance with
living benefits, an innovative type of life
insurance there when
you and your family
need it most.
Call us today for
a free no
obligation quote.
(909)792-3300
George Litchfield Gazette
Page 2
Strawberry Cheesecake Mini Ingredients

2 packages (8 ounces
each) reduced-fat cream
There is only one
cheese
happiness in this
 Sugar substitute equivalife, to love and
lent to 1/2 cup sugar
be loved.
 1/2 cup sugar
- George Sand
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1 egg, lightly beaten
Directions
 1/4 cup egg substitute
1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
 12 reduced-fat vanilla
Gradually beat in sugar substitute and sugar. Beat in
wafers
vanilla. Add egg and egg substitute; beat until
1 can (12 ounces) strawblended.
2. Place each vanilla wafer flat side down in a foil-lined berry cake and pastry filling
muffin cup. Fill with cream cheese mixture. Bake at
To find this recipe online
350° for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and set. Cool
or more like it visit:
on a wire rack for 1 hour (centers will sink slightly).
www.tasteofhome.com/re
3. Spoon pastry filling into the center of each cheesecipes/strawberrycake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 dozen.
cheesecake-minis
Litchfield Family Corner
Candlelight
Colton &
Grandma
Enjoying Luau
Date Night!
She’s Growing
Up Fast!
Cool, Wet and
Lavender
It Doesn’t Get
Much Better
Than This!
These Guys are
Awesome!
Our Cali
Cousins!
Girl
Foggy Litchfield
Hills
Pavilion
Shane Portraying
Richard Simmons
Fun Time
with Uncle
Shane
If you would like to see the Litchfield Gazette in color visit our website
GeorgeLitchfield.com
10 Years and
Going
Strong!
Volume 5, Issue 13
Page 3
Medicare
Government Report
by John Greene
Medicare Open Enrollment to be Restored January 2019
On Tuesday, December 13, President Obama signed into law H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, following
the bill’s passage in Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support, with the U.S. Senate voting 94-5 and the
U.S. House of Representatives voting 392-26. The $6.3 billion legislation includes language from H.R. 588 to
restore the Medicare open enrollment period (OEP), which NAHU and members of our Senior Issues and
Medicare Advisory Group helped to draft. The Medicare OEP will be reestablished effective January 1, 2019.
The OEP provision of the legislation (Sec. 17005, Preservation of Medicare beneficiary choice under Medicare Advantage) addresses a needed change to restore an option that was taken away by the ACA. Beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan used to be able to make a one-time switch to another MA
plan that better met their healthcare needs between January and March. Under the ACA, beneficiaries enrolled in MA plans who wish to make a plan change only have one option—disenrolling from their MA plan
to enroll in traditional Medicare. As a result, low-income beneficiaries may experience significant gaps in coverage, leaving vulnerable seniors unable to afford a supplement or Medigap plan to cover these gaps.
The 21st Century Cures Act provides for MA eligible individuals to make a one-time change during the first
three months of any year to another MA plan, elect original Medicare fee-for-service program, or to elect
coverage under part D. This provision will be effective beginning in 2019. NAHU worked with Representatives Keith Rothfus (R-PA-12) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR-5) as the primary sponsors of the original legislation.
Language from the bill had been passed by the House Ways and Means Committee in June 2015, but that language was later stripped from the bill’s final passage by the House chamber, before ultimately being included
in the 21st Century Cures Act.
2017 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductible Announced
What are the changes for Medicare Part B beneficiaries in 2017?
If a client paid $104.90 per month last year, their premium will increase to $109 per month.
If a client paid $121.80 per month last year, their premium will increase to $134 per month.
George Litchfield
CitiBank Building
300 E. State Street Suite #102
Redlands, CA 92373
First Class Stamp
Return Service Requested
Did you miss Open Enrollment?
You may still be able to get health
insurance if you have had a life
qualifying event.
Avoid the tax penalty and call us today!
Health Insurance for Under 65
and Not on Medicare
Have your family and friends contact
the Redlands Health Insurance
Enrollment and Benefits Center at
(909) 792-3302. Our services are free.
Open Enrollment for Qualifying Life
Events...Because Life Happens!
Litchfield Insurance
Associates, Inc.
California License
#0B56846
Visit us at Facebook.com/LitchfieldInsuranceInc
and Facebook.com/RedlandsHealthInsurance