Good morning. If your mailbox looks anything like mine right now, it's 90% insurance envelopes and 10% Halloween candy catalogs.
In this issue:
How to actually compare Medicare plans this week
Worth Knowing: best cities for retirees, mental health without meds, and Open Enrollment scam calls
From the Archives: free online activities for cold-weather days
Slice of Life: the best costume on the block
You're one week into Medicare Open Enrollment. If you haven't started comparing plans yet, here's the shortcut that saves hours.
Forget the monthly premium. The number that actually matters is the total estimated annual cost — and medicare.gov/plan-compare calculates it for you.
Here are the four figures to compare:
Monthly premium x 12
Annual deductible
Your specific drug copays (Tier 1 through Tier 5)
Maximum out-of-pocket limit (MOOP)
Plan A: $0 premium but $8,300 MOOP and $47 copays. Plan B: $42/month but $3,500 MOOP and $5 copays. Plan B saves you money.
Star ratings matter. Plans rated 5 stars give you a Special Enrollment Period year-round.
🏠 The 10 cities where retirees actually thrive. Cost of living, healthcare access, tax-friendly policies, and community. Nino C. breaks down 10 cities with the tax details most lists skip.
🧠 10 ways to boost mental health without medication. Number one: staying connected. Eleanor Hayes walks through all ten strategies, each backed by research.
📱 Beware of Open Enrollment phone scams. Real Medicare agents don't cold-call you. Use only medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP counselor at shiphelp.org.
Digital Delights: Free Online Activities — by Benjamin Wells
Virtual museum tours, brain games on AARP, library audiobooks through Libby, and senior-friendly fitness videos. His mother Ruth discovered virtual tours of the Vatican on her iPad. She didn't move from her chair for two hours.
My neighbor's granddaughter showed up for trick-or-treat practice last weekend — in full costume, ten days early. She was a dinosaur. A full-body T-Rex inflatable that knocked over a plant stand on the way through the door. Her grandfather just stood behind her, holding a pillowcase, grinning like he'd won the lottery. Some things don't need an explanation. They just need a bigger doorway.
Until next Tuesday,
Nino
P.S. If this was useful, forward it to someone still staring at that stack of Medicare mail. I read every one.
