Month: October 2019

2019-10-22T13:01:00

(BPT) – Is this the first year you are eligible for Medicare? If so, you have probably found yourself bombarded with mailers attempting to explain what health insurance, prescription plan and supplement plan you need. With all the parts and Medicare plans, sifting through the information can be complicated.

To make an informed choice when enrolling in Medicare, you need to know the parts of Medicare and what they each cover. Here’s a rundown of the four Medicare plans.

Part A: Hospital Insurance

Plans known as Original Medicare include Part A and Part B. Medicare Part A provides coverage should you become hospitalized. You pay the Medicare Part A deductible and any costs that exceed the deductible. You pay 20% of costs that exceed the deductible.

Medicare Part A generally covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care and home health care. With Original Medicare, you can visit any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare.

Part B: Medical Insurance

Similar to Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B has an annual deductible and you pay 20% of costs beyond the deductible. Part B covers things like durable medical equipment, mental health and clinical research.

Medicare Part B also covers screenings including blood tests for cholesterol, lipid and triglyceride levels. Important screenings such as colonoscopies, mammograms and screenings for prostate, cervical and lung cancer are also covered by Medicare Part B.

Two common health exams that are not covered by Medicare Part B are dental checkups and vision care. Routine vision exams and eyeglasses are not covered by Original Medicare. Vision exams can be important indicators of other health issues such as diabetes and hypertension. According to VSP, the leader in vision coverage, people will typically save more than $200 with an individual vision plan. VSP Individual Vision Plans cover eye exams and glasses or contacts, and VSP has the largest network of independent eye doctors, so you won’t likely have to change if you have one you trust. For more information, click here.

Part D: Prescription Drug Plans

Part D plans are for prescription drug coverage. Medicare Part D is an optional plan available to anyone with a Medicare plan. Although Medicare Part D is not required, if you decide against a Part D plan when you are first eligible, you may pay a late enrollment penalty if you add this plan later.

Medicare Part D plans provide a standard level of coverage that is set by Medicare. The list of covered prescription drugs, also called the formulary, can vary. Different formularies will have different tiers. When shopping for a Part D plan, find out which plan covers your prescriptions.

Medigap: Supplemental

A Medigap plan is put in place to help you pay the out-of-pocket costs, like the 20% of costs that exceed your Original Medicare deductible. The best time to buy a Medigap policy is within the six-month period that starts the month you turn 65 and have enrolled in a Part B plan. All Medigap policies offer the same basic benefits. When you are new to Medicare, select a Medigap policy that meets your needs.

If you are a new Medicare enrollee, consider coverage, costs, your doctor and hospital choice, and quality of care when selecting the Medicare plan for you.

2019-10-22T09:01:00

(BPT) – Most children entering kindergarten will do jobs that don’t currently exist, and studies also show that most of these jobs will require STEAM skills. This evolving landscape means that STEAM learning is important and plays a critical role in preparing children with the 21st century skills they need for the future workforce.

With National STEAM Day right around the corner, LEGO Education put together a few ideas to help you plan your celebration. Whether you’re in the classroom or at home, here are some ways you can help get your kids excited about STEAM:

1. Get hands-on: A recent survey shows that parents and teachers agree hands-on learning is the No. 1 way to build confidence in STEAM subjects. Trade in the worksheets for hands-on activities. Check out the many free resources for STEAM activities you can do at home and hundreds of free lesson plans for teachers. There are plenty of ideas to choose from, or create your own.
2. Try, fail and try again: When kids face a roadblock, it’s natural to want to jump in and find a solution. Instead, make it a point to let your student try it for themselves first, which helps them develop real-world skills like problem solving and resilience. This will help ready your child or students for a future career in STEAM.
3. Find what sparks their interest: Ask questions and see what your student gets excited to talk about. Switch roles for the day and empower them to be your teacher. Not only will it help reinforce the subject matter, but also boost their confidence by being an expert in something that interests them.
4. Make it into a project: Ask the age-old question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Use National STEAM Day as an opportunity to explore STEAM careers — it might not be what they (or you) expect! Have your child or students pick a STEAM career to research and then share a job description or find examples of companies in that field. Here are a few STEAM careers to explore: app developer, forensic psychologist, graphic designer, architect, astrophysicist, medical illustrator, civil engineer, archaeologist, product designer, sports announcer and many more.
5. Host a STEAM career day: Reach out to people in your community who are in STEAM careers (that might even be you) to participate in a STEAM career day at your school. Or connect with larger companies in your area who can help organize a shadow day or video chat with your child or students. Meeting people in these careers helps kids see the connection between what they’re learning in school and the real world.

Share your own ideas and plans for National STEAM Day using #NationalSTEAMDay #LEGOconfidence.

LEGO Education offers hands-on, playful STEAM learning experiences based on the LEGO system of bricks, hardware, software and content for students and their teachers in early learning, primary and secondary education as well as through after-school programs and competitions. These solutions create an environment for active, collaborative learning where students build skills for their future, a lifelong love for learning and confidence in their ability to learn and solve problems, setting them up for lifelong success.

2019-10-21T15:31:00

(BPT) – Today’s technology evolves so rapidly, it’s impossible to predict what new inventions are coming. How can parents and educators today prepare children for technology and jobs that may not even exist yet? A recent education study by Harris Poll reveals that hands-on, collaborative learning experiences increase children’s confidence and ability to learn new things. The study showed that children worldwide who are confident learning STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) feel more confident about their ability to learn overall. And that confidence translates into a willingness to try new things — an essential trait in education and business, where changes occur at a rapid pace.

LEGO Education Master Educator Aaron Maurer provides tips for teachers and parents on fostering confidence in STEAM subjects, drawing on his many years of experience using LEGO Education solutions and as a FIRST LEGO League robotics coach.

1. Let children try — and fail

Children build confidence when they’re given the opportunity to try new things, even if they feel unsure of themselves. Experiencing trial and error, and learning from setbacks, means children can also fully own their successes. If kids are free from the pressure of needing to achieve constant success, they are more willing to learn from their failures.

The Harris Poll found that most parents, children and educators from several countries acknowledge the role of failure as a necessary part of learning. And overcoming that failure is the foundation for genuine confidence.

As Maurer describes, “When something doesn’t work and kids have the opportunity to troubleshoot and make it work, you can see their confidence light up.”

2. Encourage hands-on experiences

While the study found that the vast majority of educators worldwide (95%) highly value hands-on learning, teachers said their schools did not provide enough hands-on learning experiences, due to time limitations and curriculum constraints.

What do children gain by engaging in concrete learning experiences, as opposed to passive activities like listening to a teacher or reading a book?

Maurer explains, “Hands-on learning — learning through building, through trial and error, through collaboration — has the power to engage kids in a way that lectures and worksheets simply don’t. Getting hands-on with a challenge or a task allows them to explore and realize there isn’t just one answer. It allows them to experience failure in a healthy way and realize that failing at a task is a natural part of the learning process and does not mean a subject is out of their reach.”

Parents wanting their children to experience more hands-on learning may want to seek after-school classes and clubs, or games and activities to do at home that foster more hands-on experiences in a variety of subjects.

For example, parents can find after-school clubs such as a FIRST LEGO League, which lets kids of all ages work out solutions to real-world problems in a fun team environment.

3. Encourage development of soft skills

While we can’t anticipate every technological advance that may occur in our children’s lifetimes, one thing doesn’t change: Communicating and collaborating with others is a vital part of any job, in any field.

How can you help children develop these skills? Provide opportunities where kids work together to solve problems, create — or just play together. Try a sports team, music group or social club. Any opportunity to interact with others positively, working toward common goals, can boost their confidence and ability to be part of a team.

Future jobs may be hard to predict, but helping kids develop confidence and their ability in STEAM skills — and soft skills — will provide a strong foundation to tackle future challenges. For more ways to boost your children’s confidence in learning, visit LEGOeducation.com. Celebrate National Computer Literacy Month this October by helping children learn skills for the future.

2019-10-21T12:17:00

(BPT) – Chances are good that you know at least one woman who runs a small business. She might run a retail shop, own a restaurant or be in charge of a thriving small company — or she may be a one-woman operation providing goods or services via her online or home-based business. Globally, women comprise about one-third of all entrepreneurs, and that number is growing. It is estimated that 1 billion women will enter the economy as employers, employees, entrepreneurs and producers by 2022 yet only 5% of new articles that discuss the economy have women as a central focus.

As consumers we have a massive opportunity to amplify the voices of female business owners in the U.S. and beyond, and to encourage them in their efforts to improve their livelihoods and the lives of their families, here are some simple ways you can show them that their work is important to you.

Boost their social media

For the women business owners you know and support, there’s nothing better than positive reviews and testimonials. Studies show that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family more than any type of advertising.

It’s easy to help boost the social media presence of female entrepreneurs by liking, sharing and posting their events or announcements on any social media platform where you spend time. And if you’ve ever purchased their product or used their service, take a couple of minutes to give them a positive online review. Your voice can make a big impact.

Give concrete support

Take time to research which companies are run by women or have women-in-business initiatives. Then, celebrate these successful female entrepreneurs and their businesses by shopping at their stores, referring others to their business, or by donating to and buying from organizations and companies that champion female-run business ventures.

For example, DOVE(R) Chocolate is empowering female entrepreneurs through a partnership with CARE, the leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. This October, their partnership has helped open a new marketplace for women-led businesses in the village of Gueyo, a centrally located commerce area among the cocoa fields of Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa, where 40% of the world’s cocoa is produced. The new market features space for hundreds of women to sell their goods daily, in much improved conditions that include a reinforced structure connected to the electrical grid, secure sales areas, dedicated vending spots and other infrastructural improvements. This will help support women in Cote d’Ivoire in growing their small businesses, which in turn benefits their entire community.

Increase awareness

Read books and articles written by female entrepreneurs and thought leaders, then recommend and share the best ones with friends and entrepreneurs you know. Nothing is more inspirational than reading about others who have overcome adversity to achieve success.

Celebrate the successes of women in businesses by hosting an event at a women-run business. Invite a local female entrepreneur to come and speak at your school or alumni club, workplace, social club, house of worship or civic organization. Additionally, feel empowered to share your own story, accomplishments and the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Hearing about female entrepreneurs in the community not only builds awareness among your colleagues and peers, but provides great role models for girls and young women just getting started in their own careers.

To support women and their entrepreneurial spirit in Cote d’Ivoire and around the world, visit: www.care.org/dove. To celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month this October, take time to honor all the women who are making an impact on the economy and in their communities by starting and running small businesses worldwide.