Southern Maine Retirement Services

Open Enrollment for Medicare: What You Need to Know

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When to Apply for Your 2021 Medicare Plans

We all know that Medicare is a tricky subject, especially if you’re encountering it for the first time. Our staff at Southern Maine Retirement Services has made it our mission to ease people through this confusing process and act as a helping hand to those who need it. Sometimes it’s hard to even know when you’re supposed to apply for a plan! Well, we’ve got you covered.

Open Enrollment Period

The official open enrollment period for Maine is October 15th through December 7th. This is always our busiest time of year here at Southern Maine Retirement Services, and understandably so. Many people choose to apply for Medicare during this period of time because it’s arguably the time that people are told about the most.

But It Doesn’t End There…

You are eligible to apply for Medicare at other times as well. The other eligibility windows are the three months before you turn 65 years old, and then the three months after. It’s important to be aware of these time frames so that you will be adequately prepared to apply when the time comes. Southern Maine Retirement Services is available year round to assist you with understanding your coverage and all the details of possible insurance plans.

Contact Southern Maine Retirement Services today to learn more about what Medicare can do to suit your unique needs. And remember to mark your calendars for open enrollment, along with the three months before and after you turn 65!

Why Choose Southern Maine Retirement Services?

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There’s no question about it – Medicare is a complicated program

As you approach retirement age, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed by the prospect of choosing plans and wading through all that government paperwork. Many people do, and we’re here to help. At Southern Maine Retirement Services, you’ll find a level of service and knowledge that sets us apart from other such organizations.

We’ve Been There

Southern Maine Retirement Services didn’t just start up because the founders thought it would be a good business – it started because they were having trouble wading through mountains of Medicare paperwork. Founder and current owner Sonya Allen and her husband were grappling with his medical issue at a young age and quickly discovered the complexity of finding and enrolling in the right Medicare plan for their needs. They made mistakes along the way that cost them financially, and they decided they didn’t want others to have to struggle like they did.

In 2005, after working for another agency, the couple launched Southern Maine Retirement Services. Sonya is still dedicated to the original mission of Southern Maine Retirement Services, working each and every day to ensure everyone who comes to her for help receives the best service and gets set up with the right plan for their budget and their needs.

We Want To Find You The Right Plan For You

From Original Medicare, to the supplement plans, to the way your private insurance may affect certain benefits and everything in between, there is much to consider when enrolling in different Medicare plans. Your health needs and your budget need to be taken into account, and the details of every option need to be considered carefully to make sure you truly are getting the right plan for you. 

We’ve been doing this for over 15 years, and it’s our job to keep up with the plans and the policies, and to know what the right questions are to ask so we can find you the best plan. We approach every single client as a unique person with a unique situation, and we will work with you to find a plan that’s a good fit. And we’ll be honest – sometimes we might not be able to set you up with the right plan. But we’ll find a trusted industry partner who can.

At Southern Maine Retirement Services, our priority is to find you the most cost-effective plan for your needs. We are here to help you.

We’re Local & Accessible

As our name says, we’re Southern Maine Retirement Services. We are a locally-owned organization and we are here to provide you with first-class client service and get you the information you need. 

Call us or e-mail us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. When you call us, you’re not calling into a huge national call center. We’re right here in Southern Maine. And if we don’t have an answer right off the bat for you, we’ll work hard to find one.

Ready to take some stress off your shoulders? Contact Southern Maine Retirement Services or complete the form below to download our free guide so you can see we are here to figure out the best Medicare plan for you!

Download Our New Free Guide

Southern Maine Retirement Receives Wins 2019 Awards

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Receiving 2019 Awards For Our Commitment

February 25th, before the current social distancing laws were implemented, the Southern Maine Retirement Services team were recognized by the Top Producer Awards for 2019. Presented by Anthem, these awards recognized Southern Maine Retirement Services team’s passion for fitting their clients with the most beneficial plans.

SMRS team with 2019 awards
Owner, Sonya Allen, was awarded the Medicare Sales Leader of 2019 for her work connecting clients with the plan that fits them best throughout 2019. She was also recognized as the Medicare Supplement Sales Leader for the annual enrollment period for the incoming 2020 calendar year. And Brittany Rand received the Medicare Supplement Leader 2019 award for her work throughout the year as well!

Thank You To Our Clients

Without our clients, none of these awards would be possible, so we wanted to extend a big thank you for your continued support and partnering to find you the best Medicare plan to fit your unique situation.

If you have considered your options with Medicare and want assistance navigating the many plans out there, please feel free to call us and we will be happy to work with you

How We’re Handling COVID-19 at Southern Maine Retirement Services

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Open Normal Hours, Taking Extra Precautions

During the global COVID-19 outbreak, it is imperative that we all do our part to protect the community and those who may be most at risk from the virus.

Understanding that our line of work means that we are regularly working with an at-risk demographic, we are taking every precaution we can to protect our clients and our staff. We are following and implementing recommendations from the CDC, including sanitizing our offices between appointments.

We are planning to be open for our normal hours and are here to help you through the Medicare process. However, we understand the exceptional circumstances of these times and encourage you to heed your medical provider’s advice as well as CDC guidelines. To assist you in doing so, we are offering flexible options for conducting appointments with us.

If you do not feel well, we ask that you reschedule your appointment both for your own protection and that of others. Should you prefer to conduct your appointment over the phone, simply give us a call or send us an email to let us know that and we can meet over the phone instead of in person.

We can also provide information and consultation through the mail. Again, simply let us know that you would prefer to work with us in this way and we can make the proper accommodations.

If you have any questions, would like to receive information by mail or would like to move your appointment to a phone meeting, please call us at (207) 647-2900
or email us at sonya@smaineretirement.com.

Joining Medicare After 65: Tips For Preparing

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A Few Tips For Preparing From Our Team

Perhaps you’ve already planned to work past age 65, knowing that full Social Security benefits don’t kick in unless you work until age 66. But have you thought about how that will affect your Medicare enrollment?

While you might be working until age 66 – or beyond – you are still eligible to enroll in Medicare. In fact, many people do choose to enroll in Medicare Part A for hospital coverage. Others choose to stay entirely on their employer’s plan.

Factors to Think About

If you’re looking ahead, there are several factors you need to consider as you decide whether to enroll in Medicare at 65, or wait. Among the things to think about are:

  • Is Medicare more cost-effective than staying on employer-sponsored health coverage?
  • If you’re on an individual health plan, could you save money by enrolling in original Medicare and a Medicare health plan?
  • Is my employer coverage even credible?
  • How am I timing my enrollment?

For the first two items, we would be happy to walk you through the details and compare plans for you. This is not a road anyone needs to go down alone – it can get overwhelming very quickly, and we are here to help you.

For the third item, the consideration of timing, it is important to understand how the rules change for open enrollment after 65. If you work past 65, you will only have 60 days from your Medicare Part B effective date to apply for a Part C Medicare Advantage Plan or Part D prescription drug plan. You may also incur a penalty if you are eligible for Medicare Part D, but not enrolled in it.

It’s important to be prepared in advance of age 65 so that you know what your options are when it comes time to enroll in Medicare. Fully understanding your options and their impact takes some time, but it is well worth it.

Let Us Help You

When it comes to planning for retirement, there is certainly a lot to think about. At Southern Maine Retirement Services, we’re here to make at least one aspect of your planning easier. If you have questions about enrolling in Medicare if you’re retiring after 65 – or questions about any other aspect of Medicare – please give us a call (207) 647-2900 at and we can talk about your unique situation and the options available to you.

Our Commitment to Our Clients

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Our Priority Is Finding A Medicare Plan To Fit Your Needs

Medicare is complex. There is no question about it. There are many different plans available, and configurations of plans. Because no two people have the exact same health needs, nor the exact same budget, there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter Medicare plan – at least not here with us at Southern Maine Retirement Services.

We founded Southern Maine Retirement Services because my husband and I had been there; in the thick of it, trying to navigate through the system and plans ourselves. We learned firsthand how difficult it was. We didn’t want people to have to go through that as we did – so we started Southern Maine Retirement Services to help those in our community.

Because we had the personal experience in dealing with the system, we also knew that there isn’t one quick answer that is going to fit everyone’s unique situation. It’s why our team at Southern Maine Retirement Services takes the time to get to know each of our clients and what they really need in a Medicare plan.

We get to know you – your unique situation and figure out how you can get the best plan for your budget. Sometimes, that might even mean we have to refer you elsewhere – and if that’s the case, we’ll do it if it’s in your best interest.

Our commitment to our clients also means we keep you updated on industry changes. Just this year, an insurance company actually changed the name of their plans such that if a person stayed on the same name package it actually mapped to a much costlier plan. Rather than just ignore this and only deal with it if a client called us to handle it, we sent out a letter alerting all of our clients to this change and then made personal calls to all of our clients who were currently on this plan. We are proactive in caring for our clients’ needs, understanding that even a small change in a plan can make a big impact on someone’s budget or healthcare planning.

When we say that our primary commitment is to our clients, it’s not just a slogan. It’s what we live by, and it’s the way we approach every single phone call, meeting and email exchange. It’s what is at the front of our minds when we look through plans, and it’s what drives us in our work every day.

From the desk of Sonya A Allen