There are 14 million seniors in America who live alone and face significant challenges in the areas that matter most - health (navigation), wealth (preservation), and connection (family).
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Wingman4 Seniors is a trusted lifeline to solve these problems.
(1) The Wealth (Preservation) Challenge
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Did you know that 90% of medical bills contain errors? Proof here.
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​Illegal subscription manipulation is so prevalent that the FTC has already won a $245 million payout from Fortnite and a pending case against Amazon for “dark patterns.”
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Subscription creep costs US consumers more than $1,000 each year.
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Wingman4Seniors can help. As an example, we saved one early adopter $750 by catching billing mistakes - unauthorized upcharges, billing mistakes, and "free subscriptions" that were not free.
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(2) The Health Navigation Challenge
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Did you know that although we have the best physicians in the world, medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the US?
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Did you know that access is a challenge? Example (Early adopter customer). The wait time to see the appropriate Duke neurologist was six [6] months!
Wingman4Seniors can help. In the case above, we were able to obtain an appointment with an award-winning neurologist within 45 days.
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(3) The Connection (Family) Challenge
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Did you know the average daily screen time for Gen Z (9-24 yrs old) and Millennials (25-40 yrs old) is 6.75 hrs?
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​Did you know that 96% of that time is social media; 4% is talk time?
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Did you know that there are 8.9 million social media apps?
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Wingman4Seniors can help. We not only CONNECT you to the top three [3] social media apps used by your children/grandchildren, we train you.
Mission
To provide a lifeline to help seniors living alone in the areas that matter – Health (navigation & plan selection), Wealth Preservation (medical billing/subscription management) & Connection to Family (Technology Refresh).
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Health Navigation
Did you know that medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the US? That's over 250,000 deaths per year.
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Although we have the best health system with the best doctors in the world, it is extremely complex, difficult to access, and navigating or accessing the wrong care can actually kill you.
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Like all things, “the devil is in the details.” This is true in healthcare as well.
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Wealth Protection
Did you know a study revealed that 90% of U.S. medical bills contain errors, leading to unnecessary spending by both physicians and patients.
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You have worked too hard to have your wealth erode or evaporate due to fraud, unscrupulous billing practices, or mistakes with your recurring monthly bills.
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Connection with Family
Staying connected to family is important for everyone, especially seniors. Social isolation can lead to a number of health problems, both physical and mental.
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Why is this so important for seniors?
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One-third of all seniors live by themselves, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is close to 14 million seniors aging alone.
Health Navigation
There are many different types of specialists you need to be aware of as well as nuances such as the difference between DO’s and MD’s, physicians vs extenders, and other providers including PA’s, NP’s, and PT’s. Traditional care is now complemented by telemedicine, concierge medicine, and asynchronous care.
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​It is time to simplify health navigation to ensure you get the right care from the right provider at the right time. No more undue stress in trying to figure out where to go for care when you are not feeling your best.
Health Plan Selection
It's easy to get overwhelmed by the numbers...
Health plans offered on healthcare.gov
Medicare Advantage Plans
Health Insurance Companies
Similar to our health system, health coverage is equally complex, especially given all the available plans and the contents within them.
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Why is health plan selection important, especially for seniors? ​
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As we age, we need more medical care.
Adults, 65+, are the largest consumers of healthcare in the US.
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Chronic Conditions: Higher risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
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Acute Illness: More susceptible to complications from illnesses that requiring hospitalization and intensive care.
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Functional Decline: Physical or cognitive decline, leading to a greater need for assistance with daily living activities.
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Limited Window for Plan Selection.
Please find open enrollment details below:
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Medicare | 10/15 – 12/2
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Marketplace | 11/1 – 1/15
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Medical care is not cheap, especially if you are not insured.
The famed Olympic gymnast, Mary Lou Rhetton, faced an unexpected life-threatening bout of pneumonia last October. The illness prompted the 55-year-old’s daughter to turn to crowdsourcing to raise money for her medical bills, resulting in a reported $459,234 in donations. She was not insured.
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Believe it or not, seniors (65+) consumed $1.2 trillion in healthcare services in 2020.
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Not all care is available or covered.
Some plans have limited coverage or exclusions for specific services. Here are some common examples:
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Hospital Stay
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Mental Health Coverage
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Prescription Drug Coverage
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Rehabilitation Services
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Exclusions
Wealth Protection
When it comes to management of monthly bill vendors, it is critical that one is thorough in their financial auditing.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) estimates that 1 in 10 credit card statements contain at least one error AND you only have 60 days from the date your credit card statement is issued to dispute a billing error.
Of customers surveyed reported experiencing hidden fees from different phone and internet providers according to CNET.
A 2019 report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found that 1in 4 mobile phone bills had at least one error.
Is lost each year due to elder fraud crime.
Top 5 Scams to Watch Out For
From the National Council of Aging, 12/8/2023
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Government impersonation scams.
Scammers call pretending to be from the government, i.e., IRS. They may say the person has unpaid taxes and threaten arrest if they do not pay up immediately. This information can then be used to commit identity theft.
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Robocalls and phone scams.
Some robocalls may claim that a warranty is expiring on the person's car or electronic device, and payment is needed to renew it. Scammers often spoof the number from which they are calling to make it appear as if the call is from a reputed organization.
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Sweepstakes and lottery scams.
Scammers call an older adult to tell them they have won a lottery or prize. If they want to claim their winnings, the older adult must send money up front. Scammers may impersonate well-known sweepstakes organizations like Publishers Clearing House.
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Computer tech support scams.
A pop-up message usually appears on a computer or phone, telling the user their device is damaged. When they call the support number for help, the scammer may either request remote access to the older person’s computer and/or demand they pay a fee to have it repaired.
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The grandparent scam.
The caller claims to be an arresting police officer, doctor, or lawyer trying to help the grandchild. They then use high-pressure tactics that play on the emotions of the person they have called to get them to send cash as quickly as possible. There are even reports of scammers showing up at older adults’ homes, posing as a “courier” to pick up the money.
Staying connected to family is important for everyone, especially seniors. Social isolation can
lead to a number of health problems, both physical and mental.
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Why is this so important for seniors?
One-third of all seniors live by themselves, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is close to 14 million seniors aging alone.
The challenge is that less than 50% of seniors use social media, here is why:
Option overload.
There are 4.8 million apps today across the Apple and Google mobile platforms.
Rapid pace of technology updates and advancements.
Unlike companies who train workers on new technologies both phone and computer, seniors have to learn this on their own.
Negativity of Social Media.
Seniors value face to face communication above other forms of communication.
Fear of making costly or embarrassing mistakes.
Some of the mobile applications are free while others charge money for usage.