Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2023 BEACON | FROM Page 14 QUOTABLE QUOTES “The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense fi nancial harm to millions of families and borrowers. The Biden Administration’s debt cancellation plan will help prevent student loan borrowers from needlessly suffering even more pandemic-related economic harm, including the devastating cascade of harms that follow from default. We are calling on the Supreme Court to uphold the Secretary’s authority to provide much-needed relief to people across the country who have been aff ected by this unprecedented pandemic.” ---Acting Massachusetts Attorney General Elizabeth “Bessie” Dewar, on joining 21 other state attorneys general in submitting a 48-page brief to the nation’s high court, arguing that the Biden administration operated within the limits of its power when it moved last year to cancel up to $10,000 of student loan debt per person eligible borrowers and up to $20,000 for those who received Pell Grants. “The governor has committed to electrifying the public fl eet and will be evaluating the best methods and timeline for that transition.” ---Gov. Maura Healey’s press secretary Karissa Hand when asked why Gov. Healey is still being driven by state police in a 17 to 20 mileper- gallon Ford Expedition that she used as attorney general. “There’s a reason that people are paying so much in heating bills and electric bills. It’s because we’ve been hostage to the fossil fuel industry for so long.” ---Gov. Healey. “We thought it was important for this, the fi rst meeting, that it just be a meeting among the four of us. We have known each other and worked together, but in diff erent capacities over the last many years and I think it is appropriate for this initial meeting, as we sit down and talk about the future and what we - LEGAL NOTICE - D To all interested persons: A petition for of requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. The Petitioner requests that: of be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve on the bond in all want to accomplish together, for us to sit together. I certainly look forward to continued conversation and communication with minority leadership.” --- Gov. Healey on why she and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll met with Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano and did not include Senate and House Republican Minority Leaders Sen. Bruce Tarr and Rep. Brad Jones. Former Gov. Baker included the two minority leaders in the group’s semi-weekly meetings. “Regular, bipartisan leadership meetings have been one of the distinguishing hallmarks of a state government that operates in a collaborative way, with eff ective communication between its leaders. They have served us well during very challenging times and are as important now as ever. We look forward to the continuation of these conversations, which are powerful in symbol and substance, and to taking part in them as before. We stand ready to do whatever is necessary to facilitate that continuity.” ---Tarr and Jones in a joint statement in response to being left out of the meeting. HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of January 9-13, the House met for a total nine minutes and the Senate met for a total of 17 minutes. Mon. Jan. 9 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:07 a.m. Senate 11:09 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. Tues. Jan. 10 No House session No Senate session Wed. Jan. 11 No House session No Senate session Thurs. Jan. 12 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:07 a.m. Senate 11:19 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Fri. Jan. 13 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019. When Can I Change My Medicare Coverage? Dear Savvy Senior, Is it possible to make changes to my Medicare coverage now? I know we’ve passed the fall open enrollment period, but I’ve heard that there are other times of the year benefi ciaries can make changes. What can you tell me? Changed My Mind Dear Changed, Yes! The annual Medicare open enrollment period isn’t your only opportunity to swap out Medicare coverage. There are other opportunities, but the timing of when you can make those changes depends on your specifi c circumstances and the kind of Medicare coverage you have. Here’s what you should know. Medicare Advantage Change If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may be able to use the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, which occurs each year from Jan. 1 through March 31. During this period, you can switch from your current Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan or to original Medicare with or without a prescription drug plan. You can only make one change during this period, and it will be eff ective the fi rst of the next month after you make the change. Special Enrollment Depending on your circumstances, you may also qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to change your Medicare health and drug coverage. There are a number of circumstances in which you may have a Special Enrollment Period, such as if you moved outside of your plan’s service area, your Medicare Advantage Plan terminated a significant amount of its network providers, or you are enrolled in a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program. Those with Extra Help – the federal program that helps pay for drug costs – also have a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in a Part D plan, or switch between plans once per quarter in the fi rst three quarters of the year. If you need to make changes to your coverage but aren’t sure whether you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free Medicare counseling. To fi nd a SHIP counselor in your area visit ShipHelp.org or call 877839-2675. Also, be aware that if you’re enrolled in a Medicare plan by mistake or because of misleading information, you may be able to disenroll and change plans. Typically, you have the right to change plans if you joined unintentionally, joined based on incorrect or misleading information, or, through no fault of your own, were kept in a plan you did not want. To get help, call Medicare at 800-633-4227 and explain to a customer service representative how you joined the plan by mistake and to request retroactive disenrollment or a Special Enrollment Period. Fall Open Enrollment As you noted in your question, there’s also the Fall Open Enrollment Period that allows all Medicare benefi ciaries – those with original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans – to make changes. The Fall Open Enrollment Period occurs each year from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. During this period, you can join a new Medicare Advantage Plan or stand-alone prescription drug plan (Part D) plan. You can also switch between Original Medicare with or without a Part D plan and Medicare Advantage. You can make as many changes as you need during this period, and your last coverage choice will take effect Jan. 1. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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