Happy New Year! Turning the corner into a new year is like being at the beginning of a long and winding road. We perceive the hills and valleys ahead. We are aware of the changes in the ground beneath our feet. but we won’t know the effects of these changes until we experience them. Just as we know that the new year will bring change, we also know that our God will be with us. God will provide (as God always has) and give us strength and resources for the journey.
2023 brings one of those milestone birthdays for me. I’ll give you a hint: I’m receiving tons of mail about Medicare! It reminds me of when I turned 55 and began getting all this mail from AARP! At first, I was resistant to that mail. Then I learned a new phrase that became part of my vocabulary and life: senior discount!
AARP was just practice for Medicare! Understanding this federal healthcare system is serious business. It can be so complicated. And it reads like an alphabet soup (Plans A, B, C, D, E, HMOs, PPOs, etc.). A mistake in plans or timing of registration can bring financial penalties and a huge error in healthcare benefits.
As a Minister of Word and Sacrament and a staff member of a presbyterian institution, I have a resource to help me navigate Medicare and Social Security. Kenneth Green is our presbytery’s Board of Pensions (BoP) consultant. He is extremely knowledgeable about health insurance, pension plans, and social security. The plans for the BoP have expanded and contain far more options than in previous years. Kenneth is available to congregations, ministers, and anyone covered under a BoP health plan. Furthermore, Kenneth is very personable and friendly. We will have him present at a presbytery assembly later this year.
As Presbyterians, we do not have to navigate the maze of Medicare alone. I encourage personnel chairs, pastors, and anyone who must work with health or pension benefits to take advantage of people like Kenneth. It will be well worth your time and a great way to start planning and preparing for the New Year. He can be reached here: https://www.pensions.org/our-role-and-purpose/the-connectional-church/church-consultants/Kenneth-Green
Rev. Craig M. Howard
