HEADS UP!
I’m hearing that more-than-a-few folks are getting disenrollment letters from their Medicare Part D plans – Kind of out-of-nowhere; now, there could be any number of reasons why that unhappy circumstance could befall you, but here’s one: It appears to the Plan that you have two or more addresses!
Look: If you change (or add) an address after you enroll in a Part D plan that appears to be out of that plan’s service area, they are required to disenroll you. One thing that happens a lot is that the kid in Nevada is helping Dad sort this stuff out, so she’s having all the Part D mail forwarded to her. The plan gets wind of this and says to itself (because Part D plan talk to themselves), “Oops! That’s out of our service area!” – And BOOM! Dad is Part D history.
Now, can you do what I’ve just described above? Sure, but let the plan in on your little secret, because once you get one of those disenrollment letters, your coverage has lapsed UNTIL you get it straightened out, and who needs that?!
In fact, couldn’t you just live without the hassle of this whole Part D “thing??” The detail and the paperwork and the everlasting grief of trying to keep everything straight…Let’s face it: It has all the appeal of root canals or opening the packaging of just about any commercial product (like arthritis medicine) that requires three strong men and the jaws-of-life or doing anything in a crawlspace or preparing tax returns or…
Tax returns?? Well, I don’t enjoy it, do you? You do?? Or, you could? Maybe? Really?? Then, you are who we’re looking for, because it’s the time of the season to recruit weirdoes like you for TAX-AIDE!
These are the “good guys,” remember? These are the folks who volunteer their time to help the rest of us get our taxes out the door – Correctly! They’re sponsored by the AARP Foundation and IRS, but you don’t have to like either one; you do have to like helping people who will like you back for helping them out of yet another externally imposed crisis.
Here are all the ways that you will have to make yourself miserable in the name of helping people: First, you’ll have to attend two days of volunteer orientation classes, in Sequim, on December 7th and 8th; then, you’ll have to devote significant chunks of your December studying studying studying the IRS-provided materials and tax preparation software – Sound fun so far?
THEN, you’ll have to attend “review classes, in Sequim, on January 4th and 5th, to go over all the stuff you taught yourself in December – Why? Well, because help isn’t help unless it helps, and if you haven’t learned how to help people with their taxes – Correctly! – That isn’t “help;” then, you’ll have to pass the IRS Test to prove it! (Hey, all TAX-AIDE volunteers have to pass that every year – Competence is mandatory!)
Then, you’ll have to sign the IRS “standards of conduct” to insure that you’ll help folks in an ethical and confidential manner, and THEN you’ll be expected to work (unpaid) at least four hours per week, although most of these guys do a lot more than that, throughout the tax season! Have I talked you out of it yet?
There are only a handful of reasons to do this:
1. You’re a good and decent human being;
2. You’ll learn a LOT about taxes and tax preparation, and…
3. …you rather enjoy being bathed in the gratitude from those of us whom you’ve helped, and I am NOT kidding about that part!
The rest of us need you! And we appreciate you! You have no idea…
So, what do you do to include yourself in an unmitigated exercise in masochism? Well…
1. If you want to volunteer in Jefferson County, contact David Self at dcself@olypen.com or 385-2617;
2. If you’re in the West End, call Corinne Spicer at 374-6332 – A bilingual volunteer would be extraordinarily cool!
3. In the Port Angeles area, holler at Hearst Coen at hj_coen@msn.com or 452-6541, or…
4. …around Sequim, Gail Anundson at gail@anundson.org or 582-1295.
You’d be willing to help, but the actual tax preparation isn’t your thing? Good! Get in touch! There are other ways.
I have to laugh at myself: I unhesitatingly jump into the infinite nuances of Medicare or Medicaid or legalistic paperwork or whatever else, but run screaming from the room in the face of tax preparation! See? We NEED you!
And you might as well get used to hearing this right now: Thank you!
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