Medicare annual open enrollment period underway
Department on Aging offers free counseling on Medicare plans
SHIP helps
with insurance options
Call
800-548-9034 or visit
http://www.state.il.us/aging/SHIP/
Send a link to a friend
[October
16, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois
Department on Aging Director John K. Holton, Ph.D., announced
Tuesday that free counseling assistance is available to help educate
Medicare-eligible individuals and their caregivers regarding their
Medicare insurance options. Medicare open enrollment started Oct. 15
and runs through Dec. 7. The department's Senior Health Insurance
Program, known as SHIP, provides free counseling for Medicare
beneficiaries and their caregivers.
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"Annual open enrollment is time to review your Medicare Part D,
Medicare Advantage plan or check current coverage to make sure your
benefits are working for you," Holton said. "I encourage people to
use this time to reread any letters you've received from the U.S.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, review your current plan
and (take) note of any changes in costs and benefits that will take
effect next year. Medicare coverage and determining which of the
different options to select can be overwhelming, but a SHIP
counselor can help."
To help people make the best choices, SHIP counselors can explain
the drug, health and supplemental plans that are available for
seniors and people with disabilities. The SHIP hotline,
800-548-9034, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. For SHIP sites, go
to
http://www.state.il.us/aging/SHIP/
SiteSponsorListByCountyAll.pdf.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2013/Oct/16/images/ads/current/castlemanor_sda021111.png)
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 adept 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. SHIP counseling services allow for
peace of mind, knowing that you are getting the most from your
health insurance benefits.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2013/Jan/11/images/ads/current/christianvillage_lda0111013.png) It is important to clarify that the Medicare open enrollment,
Oct. 15-Dec. 7, is not the same as the open enrollment that started
Oct. 1 for uninsured people to sign up for coverage on health
insurance exchanges or marketplaces. Enrollment to purchase health
coverage on the new marketplace, which in Illinois is called Get
Covered Illinois, runs until March 2014. If you have health coverage
through Medicare, the new marketplace will not have any effect on
your Medicare coverage.
To compare 2014 drug and health plans and find out more about
Medicare, including preventive services now covered, visit the
federal website at
www.medicare.gov.
The mission of the Illinois Department on Aging 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 more information, call the Senior HelpLine at 800-252-8966
(or TTY 888-206-1327 for the hearing-impaired) or go to the website
at www.state.il.us/aging.
[Text from
Illinois
Department on Aging file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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