Envoy America, which has been expanding its door-to-door transportation service for seniors to other parts of the country since it started in Arizona in 2012, is now in Pierce, King and Thurston counties.
The business, which bills itself as a more affordable alternative to taxis, hires drivers who use their own vehicles to transport clients for errands, medical appointments and social outings. Rides can be requested online or by phone.
The drivers, who are all at least 50 years old and can work full-time or part-time, are screened and drug-tested. They help passengers, including wheelchair users, in and out of vehicles and receive training for interactions with passengers who have memory issues, according to the company.
Co-founder K.C. Kanaan has said his company “is the perfect solution for seniors who don’t want to drive, really shouldn’t drive, or simply can no longer drive safely.â€
Envoy America can be contacted for information and reservations at envoyamerica.com and 888-375-5558.
Federal policies for Medicare health and drug plans for 2019 will save Medicare beneficiaries money on prescription drugs while offering additional plan choices, according to federal officials.
“The steps we are taking will drive more competition among plans and pharmacies to meet the needs of seniors and lower costs,†said Seema Verma, administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Final policies announced in April include a reduction in the maximum amount that low-income beneficiaries pay for certain innovative medicines known as biosimilars. Other actions to lower the cost of prescription drugs, according to CMS, include:
Allowing for certain low-cost generic drugs to be substituted at any point during the year.
Increasing competition among plans by removing the requirement that certain Part D plans have to “meaningfully differ†from each other, making more plan options available.
Increasing competition among pharmacies by clarifying the “any willing provider†requirement, to increase the number of pharmacy options for beneficiaries.
CMS, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also announced supplemental benefits in the Medicare Advantage program to include additional services that increase health and improve quality of life, including coverage of non-skilled in-home supports and other assistive devices. CMS officials said expanding the definition of “primarily health-related†will allow supplemental benefits if they compensate for physical impairments, diminish the impact of injuries or health conditions, and/or reduce avoidable emergency room utilization.
Here, from Travelinsurance.com, are five things retirees should consider when purchasing travel insurance:
Medicare doesn’t provide coverage outside the United States.
Travel insurance can provide emergency travel medical coverage with limits that can reach $250,000 per person or more. For extreme situations where an overseas hospital can’t handle the emergency, most travel insurance plans offer emergency evacuation coverage with limits up to $1 million per person. Retirees planning to travel overseas multiple times a year should consider purchasing Medicare supplement insurance or a Medigap plan. However, since Medigap can have deductibles, lifetime coverage limits up to $50,000, and limits on the length of trip, most retirees may find single-trip travel insurance a better option.
Purchase travel insurance early to qualify for a pre-existing condition waiver.
Most travel insurance will exclude coverage for losses that stem from a pre-existing condition. However, many plans offer a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver (meaning pre-existing conditions will be covered). To qualify, one must meet certain requirements, the most important being to purchase the travel insurance plan within a strict time window – usually seven to 21 days – from when the initial payment was made. Also, travelers typically need to insure 100 percent of their pre-paid and non-refundable trip costs. For travelers with pre-existing conditions, this is one of the most important considerations in purchasing a plan, as prior injuries, illnesses, diseases or other types of medical conditions in which any treatment or care was sought in the six to 12-month period prior to the policy effective date all fall into this category.
If you’re traveling with a group, you can save money with group travel plans.
They don’t factor in traveler ages when pricing the cost of travel insurance, which can make plans more affordable to older travelers. Typically, to qualify for this coverage, the group must include at least 10 individuals all traveling on the same itinerary on similar dates. Group plans are also designed for easy administration by a group leader who can manage sign-ups and changes on behalf of each individual.
Trip cancellation provides greater flexibility for those who need it.
Unlike Medigap coverage, travel insurance can offer trip cancellation and interruption coverage. This can cover the reimbursement of trip costs due to a range of unexpected circumstances, from last-minute illnesses to severe weather and natural disasters. For the most flexibility, travelers may consider purchasing a plan with a cancel-for-any-reason upgrade, which provides reimbursement for up to 75 percent of the total trip costs for a cancellation for any reason, as long as the cancellation occurs more than 48 hours prior to the trip departure date.
You can buy travel insurance for your activities, too.
For the active traveler, we recommend plans that offer hazardous or adventure sports coverage for higher-risk activities, such as heli-skiing, off-trail snowboarding, bungee jumping, rock climbing or scuba diving below a certain depth. If travel entails any of those activities, travelers will need travel insurance plans that offers coverage for those specific activities.
Source: TravelInsurance.com, which provides online comparisons of trip insurance coverage.
John Helm never thought he’d have lasted this long, in the same job, the same city. But given the chance to fulfill his childhood dream, he said retirement surely could wait.
Helm reached his amazing milestone March 7, which was 50 years to the day since he first became a bus driver for the Seattle Transit System, a predecessor to Metro and King County Metro.
Over modest pizza and cake, surrounded by longtime friends, colleagues and family, John took it all in, a little shy at the attention. People praised him for his big heart, his calm demeanor, his professionalism. He was honored with two plaques for his longevity.
Helm grew up a Kansas farm boy from a big family, where he learned to give and take, cooperate and do the chores you are supposed to do – and with a big heart he says he inherited from his mom and dad. At 21 years old, he had just finished serving in Vietnam and needed a job, but Boeing was cutting back. Seattle Transit System asked him if he could start the next week.
The years came and went as the region boomed and transit service expanded. He was an Eastside bus driver, and selected by his peers to be Metro Operator of the Year in 1996. When he reached the 40-year mark, he thought about retiring.
But then came Link light rail. “What little boy doesn’t want to become a train engineer? It just was a dream come true,†he said.
With his safety record and seniority, he was one of 55 bus drivers in 2009 to train to become the first class of operators on Sound Transit’s Link light rail. He told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer at the time, “I miss the people and I miss driving, but traffic has gotten horrendous and people aren’t very nice out there when it comes to sharing the road. This came at a perfect time for me and my career. I just like the technology. It’s kinda neat for a 63-year-old guy.â€
He was selected to carry dignitaries on the inaugural ride of Link in 2009.
Fast forward to today. He’s 72 and reflecting on how he got where he is. It takes determination, enjoying your job and the people you work with, he said.
“I had a good support group, most of them right back here,†he said, pointing to his wife Pam, his sons and son-in-law, his grandson, sisters-in-law, and his best friend.
There’s another ingredient in 50 years. Got to be love, right? Got to be love, said Terry White, Metro’s operations manager.
Jeff Switzer, who works for King County Department of Transportation,
John Helm (left) was the center of attention as King County Metro honored his 50 years as a bus and light rail driver. Operations manager Terry White is at right.
wrote this article for the King County Metro blog.
