Opinion

During the month of October, Americans from across the country come together to raise awareness about a disease that will affect one in eight U.S. women at some point in their lives: breast cancer.

Each year, open enrollment for Medicare begins on October 15th and runs through December 7th. This process occurs annually to safeguard continued competition on premiums and benefits among insurers; using the marketplace to drive down costs and improve consumer access. Open enrollment provides seniors with the opportunity to switch their current Medicare Part D prescription plan to take advantage of lower rates and plan options that better meet their needs resulting from competition and price negotiation by participating insurers. It also allows individuals to consider whether they want to choose a new Medicare Advantage insurance plan or participate in traditional Medicare Parts A and B.

Fall is the time for writing new bills. Therefore, this week I would like to tell you about what kinds of legislation I have been working on for next year. There are many issues facing our State right now and no State Senator can tackle all of them. Some will have to be taken up by other State Senators. Nevertheless, I want to introduce the kinds of bills that are of utmost concern to the folks living in Western Nebraska.