Guest Commentary | Life is always changing

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

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No doubt life is always changing. If you don’t like the weather it will change, eventually. It’s been hot most all over but cooler weather will come. In most of the country, cooler weather will be welcomed sooner rather than later.

An Arizona friend told me last week, “One hundred degrees is actually nice in our area. One hundred and twenty degrees is unbearable.” Across our country, Europe and Asia record temperatures have been recorded and for the longest periods of time.

When it’s icy cold weather we hope and wish for warm weather. The problem in many of our areas is that we don’t have much moderately cool weather or moderately warm. It seems to either be blazing hot or freezing cold.

It’s hard to be satisfied. We get too hot and then we get too cold. Triple digit heat is insane and so is below zero. No one wants either one.

Have you ever been satisfied with your Ife? When were you satisfied? Were you happy when your parent was telling you what to do and how to live? Do you still have them telling you what to do? The day comes when they are no longer around. Most likely you didn’t take as much advice from them as you should have.

We don’t pay much attention to old people when we are young but we wish we had. They knew more than us but we thought we knew everything. We now know how smart they were. We learn the hard way and by the time we figure it out life has greatly changed.

Life is always changing. Children grow into adults. Our bodies change. We get old if we are very fortunate and blessed.

If possible, try to be happy and content today with what you have, where you are and what you are doing. Life changes and while it may get better and better, it can always become worse.

Enjoy the sunshine and enjoy the rain. Enjoy the car ride or sitting in your swing. Enjoy whatever labor you have to do. The time is coming when all will be through. Live your life the best you can and there will be times you don’t understand. So, make your schedule, make your plans and always do the best you can. After all is said and done, it’s all in God’s hands.

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He is the author of 13 books including Uncommom Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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47,000 Illinois residents have lost Medicaid benefits

by Mike Moran
Illinois News Connection

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Medicaid re-determination will happen on a rolling basis through mid-2024, meaning not everyone will lose eligibility at once.

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CHICAGO - Millions of Medicaid recipients are losing coverage as the program's pandemic-era Continuous Enrollment Provision unwinds. In Illinois, the number could reach close to three-quarters of a million, even if many are still eligible for benefits.

In just the first month since states started to whittle down their Medicaid rolls, more than 47,000 people in Illinois have lost coverage. They may still qualify, but simply failed to re-enroll in time to avoid a coverage lapse or didn't respond to the government's request for information.

Marcus Robinson, UnitedHealthcare's president of markets for the indivicual and family plan business, said suddenly losing coverage can be frightening, but it also disrupts the doctor-patient relationship.

"And keeping access to that relationship for your overall well-being is really important," he said. "Regular doctor's visits for yourself or your family, of course - you can continue to obtain your preventive care, critical screenings."

Robinson said disrupting that relationship means at-risk patients could fail to manage chronic conditions or miss emerging illnesses. He added that UnitedHealthCare has online tools to help people determine if they are still Medicaid-eligible, and offers options if they're not.

People were not required to prove Medicaid eligibility during the pandemic, but now that is changing. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said to avoid a "coverage cliff," Medicaid re-determination will happen on a rolling basis through mid-2024, meaning not everyone will lose eligibility at once. But UnitedHealthCare's Robinson said people who do lose coverage can still access health insurance, because losing Medicaid allows them coverage options outside of a normal enrollment period.

"It's determined you are not longer eligible for Medicaid - well, that's a loss of coverage," he said, "and that allows you a qualifying event to enroll in the individual exchange marketplace. "

The individual exchange marketplace is online at healthcare.gov.