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Department on Aging offers free counseling for Medicare annual open
enrollment period starting October 15
SHIP provides help to seniors &
people with disabilities for insurance options; Call (800) 252-8966
or visit the website at
http://www.illinois.gov/aging/
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[October 15, 2014]
SPRINGFIELD - October 14, 2014.
To assist Medicare-eligible individuals regarding their Medicare
insurance options, Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) Director John
K. Holton, Ph.D., today announced free counseling assistance is
available. Medicare Open Enrollment starts tomorrow, October 15, and
runs until December 7. The department’s Senior Health Insurance
Program, (SHIP), provides free counseling for Medicare beneficiaries
and their caregivers.
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 “Medicare coverage and deciding which of the different options to
select can be overwhelming, but a SHIP Counselor can help you choose
the best option for you,” said IDoA Director Holton. “Whether
enrolling for the first time or reviewing current coverage, open
enrollment is the time to determine how Medicare Part D and Medicare
Advantage plan benefits work for you. SHIP counseling offers
peace-of-mind, knowing you are getting the most from your health
insurance benefits.”
SHIP counselors can explain the drug, health, and supplemental plans
that are available to help seniors and people with disabilities make
the best choices. To contact SHIP call (800) 252-8966 weekdays from
8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. For more information about SHIP including
a list of SHIP sites, view the website at
http://www.illinois.gov/
aging/ship/Pages/default.aspx
SHIP is a year round program, not affiliated with any insurance
company, and counselors do not sell or solicit any type of
insurance. Counselors educate and answer questions about Medicare A,
B, D and Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Supplement policies,
Extra Help for Part D, long term care insurance, and
employer/retiree health plans. Counselors are skilled at filing
Medicare appeals and will help make sense of the paperwork
associated with Medicare such as explanation of benefits notices and
bills from medical providers.
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column] |
 It is important to clarify Medicare Open Enrollment
(October 15 to December 7) is not the same as the open enrollment
for uninsured people to sign up for coverage on the Illinois
marketplace called Get Covered Illinois (which starts November 15,
2014). If you have health coverage through Medicare, the marketplace
will not have any effect on your Medicare coverage. To compare 2015
drug and health plans and find out more about Medicare, including
preventive services now covered, log on the federal website at
www.medicare.gov
[Illinois Department
on Aging]
About the Illinois Department on Aging
The Department’s mission is to serve and advocate for older
Illinoisans and their caregivers by administering quality and
culturally appropriate programs that promote partnerships and
encourage independence, dignity, and quality of life. For
information about programs to assist older adults in Illinois, their
families and their caregivers, call the Department on Aging at
1-800-252-8966 or (TTY, hearing impaired use) call 1-888-206-1327,
or log on to the department website at:
http://www.illinois.gov/aging/ |
