Open enrollment in Medicare, which now runs through Dec. 7, can pose intimidating and complicated choices. This is one of the reasons why Congress spends nearly $ 45 million annually on State Health Insurance Assistance (SHIP) programs. Advisory programs train volunteers to help seniors navigate the Medicare maze.
Last year, most in-person counseling and workshops were canceled due to COVID-19. This year, the upsurge in cases of the delta variant has prompted many counseling sessions to get back online.
Seniors can always call insurance hotlines made up of volunteers trained in the ins and outs of Medicare. They can also schedule online video conference meetings with volunteers and insurance brokers using Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime. Independent insurance brokers generally sell plans from more than one insurer.
What to gather before asking for help:
∙ MyMedicare.gov login information, if you have an account
∙ Name and address of the pharmacy
∙ List of all prescription drugs, strengths and dosages
∙ A list of medical issues or concerns you would like to cover
Where to find help
In line
∙ Visit Medicare.gov and its Plan Finder. The federal government site remains the most authoritative guide. It allows you to compare the costs of a wide range of health services among several drug and Medicare Advantage plans available in your area. It also has ratings on the performance and quality of each shot. Most importantly, it lets you enter your prescription drugs to find out which plans cover them and at what cost.
∙ Medicare recently extended its Medigap search engine on Plan Finder to include cost ranges based on age, gender, and smoking status. Access it via bit.ly/MedigapPlanSearch.
∙ Visit the Medicare Rights Center’s Medicare Interactive site to help you find answers about Medicare benefits.
By telephone
Call Medicare at 800-633-4227.
Call the nonprofit Medicare Rights Center’s national helpline at 800-333-4114, Monday through Friday.
∙ Locate a SHIP office near you by calling 877-839-2675 or visiting www.shiphelp.org.
∙ In Washington State, call the state health insurance benefit advisors at 800-562-6900 or visit bit.ly/wa_shiba.
Other resources
∙ Health insurance brokers often know the choices and can help you choose and buy a plan. It is probably best to deal with licensed independent brokers. They cover the plans of several insurance companies, receive annual training on the plans, and are overseen by state and federal regulators. Consumers do not pay directly for this help. Instead, brokers earn sales commissions directly from the plans.
Insurance company websites and customer service phone lines can be good places to check coverage details, but only for their plans.
