Southern Maine Retirement Services

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