In the final days when Medicare recipients can sign up for prescription drug coverage, Montgomery County is offering assistance to alleviate some of the confusion.
The sign-up period for Medicare Part D began on Nov. 15 and expires on Dec. 31, which is causing the county’s Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program to see a flood of activity as the deadline nears.
According to Leta Blank, SHIP’s program coordinator, her group is helping seniors and people with disabilities sort through the possible coverage choices via a series of talks, information fairs and one-on-one counseling sessions.
At this point, hundreds of county residents have taken advantage of the free aid, she said, and many more are expected to do so.
In Montgomery County, 110,000 people are on Medicare, a figure Blank said increases by about 5 percent each year.
Last year, the first time Medicare Part D was offered, recipients had a second shot at declaring their plans in the spring. Not so, though, this time around.
“This year, for most people, they can’t change after Dec. 31. Their coverage kicks in on Jan. 1, and that’s it, except for low-income people,” Blank told The Examiner.
SHIP is busy year-round, she said. But at this time of year, she brings in extra volunteers — this year about 25 — and works with a specially hired Medicare D outreach coordinator, whose job is to ensure that citizens are signed up for plans that work best for them.
This year’s outreach coordinator, Kristen Dunlevy, said she’s mainly focused her efforts on speaking engagements in order to encourage people to at least look into the idea of changing policies.
“Last year was the initial enrollment period, so we’re pretty sure a lot of people were thrown into the process without knowing what they were doing,” she said, adding that her hope is to answer any outstanding questions.
On average, Blank said she’s finding that Medicare recipients can save hundreds of dollars — and in some cases upwards of a thousand — a year by switching from their current plans.
