Our first guest is Neil Steffens, President of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare, Central Region, who will discuss the importance of reviewing your Medicare plan to ensure you have the best coverage for your health needs. He will share tips for navigating the Medicare Advantage selection process and things to remember when weighing your plan options. Medicare open enrollment occurs now through December 7, 2022. Before open enrollment ends, consumers should review their Medicare plan to ensure they’re not missing out on better plan coverage. This is particularly important this year, as inflation is rising and seniors’ fixed incomes are being stretched thin. For more information, call 833-996-0900 or visit their website at: www.anthem.com/medicare.
Our second guest is Karl Haller, Partner, Consumer Center of Competency Leader at IBM Consulting. Today he will discuss this year’s holiday trends and how the changing demands of consumers have pushed retailers and travel providers to change their business strategies dramatically. The mix of rising prices and decreased inventory availability means that when consumers shop is just as important as where. Continuing the shift away from the traditional Black Friday start of the shopping season, about 58% of consumers plan to start holiday shopping before November. Almost two in three people plan to pre-order their products to get them on time with guaranteed prices, and 73% said they are considering sustainability when shopping for the holidays. Travel is also where consumers look to return to normal while mitigating any risk associated with potential price changes due to inflation and fluctuating gas prices. With even the best plans having disruption risks, the retail and travel industries are taking notice. Those embracing the uncertainty and leaning into technology like hybrid cloud and AI will win loyalty and sales this season. For more information, please visit www.ibm.com/ibv.