Medicare Mania Begins

October 16, 2015 Leave a comment


By Mary Loftis, Extension Assistant

As we head into October this week, Medicare Mania is just beginning. Although if you are a Medicare recipient you may have already received “Medicare mail” in your mailbox.

Medicare Open Enrollment begins October 15 and runs through December 7. This is your opportunity to see if another Medicare health or drug plan will fit your needs and your billfold for the next year.

There are always changes in the plans. In 2016 five prescription drug plans are being deleted. We don’t know yet if they will be automatically changed to another plan or what yet. In addition, one Low Income Subsidy Plan with a $0 premium is going away, while a new one is coming in.

Other changes can include the drugs the plans cover, the cost of the plan premiums and the cost of the drugs and co-pays as well as the deductible. This is why you NEED to compare your prescription drug plans each year.

If you use a Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan for your health care, there are also changes there. In Burt County the only two plans available are both Coventry plans. In Dodge County there are six Medicare Advantage Plans available and in Washington County there are seven MA plans for 2016.

If you receive information from your current Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and you are happy with the plan and your prescriptions continue to be covered you don’t have to do anything. The plan will continue on for next year…however, if you don’t compare your plan with the other prescription drug plans you may not know you could save significant money next year by changing prescription drug plans, pharmacies, or by using mail order to get your prescriptions. But it is always YOUR decision.

Opportunities to compare your prescriptions to the 2016 Medicare Health and Drug plans are available through several avenues including comparing on-line yourself by going to www.medicare.gov. You may also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to compare plans.

If you’d prefer a face-to-face opportunity to discuss your prescriptions and the plans available, you are welcome to make an appointment at any of the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) Medicare Open Enrollment comparison events. All SHIIP presentations and counseling sessions are free and unbiased. In addition, all counseling sessions are completely confidential.

As a SHIIP Counselor myself, I have planned 18 Open Enrollment Events throughout Burt, Dodge and Washington Counties from October 15-December 7. You are encouraged to call your local Nebraska Extension office to make an appointment for one of these sessions. You are welcome to attend any event in any county regardless of where you live, but please call the Extension office where the event is being held to make an appointment.

Here is a quick list of 2016 Medicare Open Enrollment Events:

In Burt County call 402-374-2929 for an appointment:

October 19 – Monday –9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Chatt Senior Center, 1124 S. 13th Street, Tekamah, NE

 

October 28 – Wednesday – 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Sears Senior Center, 8th & Broadway, Decatur, NE;

 

October 28 – Wednesday – 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tekamah-Herman High School, Room 107, Tekamah, NE

 

October 29 – Thursday – 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Chatt Senior Center, 1124 S. 13th Street, Tekamah, NE

 

November 2 – Monday – 9:00 a.m.-noon. Lyons Public Library, 305 Main, Lyons, NE;

 

November 3 – Tuesday – 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Oakland Public Library, 110 East 3rd, Oakland, NE

 

November 4 – Wednesday – 9:00 a.m.-noon. Lyons Public Library, 305 Main, Lyons, NE;

 

November 4 – Wednesday – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Sears Senior Center, 8th & Broadway, Decatur, NE;

 

November 5 – Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Chatt Senior Center, 1124 S. 13th Street, Tekamah, NE

 

November 6 – Friday – 9:00 a.m.-noon. Lyons Public Library, 305 Main, Lyons, NE;

 

November 9 – Monday – 1:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Oakland Public Library, 110 East 3rd, Oakland, NE

November 17 – Tuesday – 9:00-3:00 p.m. Craig Fire Hall, 333 south Main, Craig, NE;

 

In Dodge County call 402-727-2775 for an appointment:

October 15 – Thursday – 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Hooper Senior Center, 208 North Main St., Hooper

 

October 22 – Thursday – 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Nebraska Extension in Dodge County, 1206 W. 23rd Street, Fremont, NE

 

October 23 – Friday –9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  Nebraska Extension in Dodge County, 1206 W. 23rd Street, Fremont, NE

 

October 30 – Friday –10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. North Bend Public Library, 110 E. 13th Street, North Bend; NE

 

In Washington County call 402-426-9455:

November 18 – Wednesday –9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Nebraska Extension in Washington County, 597 Grant Street, Suite #200, Blair, NE

 

November 19 – Thursday – 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Nebraska Extension in Washington County, 597 Grant Street, Suite #200, Blair, NE

 

 

 

 

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Medicare Near Miss

October 10, 2014 Leave a comment


Have you ever had a “near miss”? You know, the kind of thing that happens in a blink of an eye that sends your heart beating wildly and sometimes causes goose bumps? According to Wikipedia “A near miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage – but had the potential to do so. Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented an injury, fatality or damage.”

Many of us recently experienced a near miss…whether you knew it or not. Many of you are aware of the work I’ve been doing with the Medicare program for the past 10 years…ever since the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan started.

Since that time I personally have worked with over 1900 people helping them understand the Medicare program and compare all the Medicare Prescription Drug Plans to their particular prescriptions in order to get the best plan to cover their needs for the least money. Over those years I have helped these individuals save over half a million dollars! Additionally though the assistance of other SHIIP volunteers at events I have planned the grand total of savings is almost $660,000!

Despite the huge financial impact being made, the grant funding for the support of UNL Extension offering this program has been declining in recent years. The near miss came about recently when the announcement was made stating Extension personnel would not be working with the Medicare program in 2015.

Those of us in Extension were very upset.  This was such an important program showing such valuable impact not only saving people money, but offering peace of mind and education on these complex programs. We set about working to make sure the Extension decision makers knew how very much we were needed in rural Nebraska to help people make intelligent and well informed decisions about their medical and prescription needs. After a few weeks of emails, conversations and support from communities across the state we received notice the decision to pull Extension out of the Medicare program has been reversed!

This was truly a near miss not only for my programming, but for all the people in the state and especially the 3 county area I serve as an Extension and SHIIP Medicare contact.

Now it’s time to make sure you don’t have a near miss experience with your Medicare Prescription Drug or Health Plan. Make an appointment to attend one of the 19 Medicare Open Enrollment events available in Burt, Dodge and Washington Counties before the December 7 enrollment deadline.

 

These are free – no pressure events and NOTHING will be sold. Just make an appointment for the most convenient time and location on one of the event dates; bring your list of prescription medications and relax and take comfort in knowing you did everything you could to compare and save money on prescriptions for next year. Anyone from any county may attend any of these Open Enrollment Events. I hope to see you there!

 

In Burt County call UNL Extension in Burt County at 402-374-2929 for an appointment:

October 15 – Wednesday – Tekamah – UNL Extension Office, 111 North 13th Street, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 pm

October 20 – Monday – Tekamah – Orville and Willa Chatt Senior Center – 1124 S. 13th Street, 9:00 am-8:00 pm

 

October 21 – Tuesday – Decatur –Sears Senior Center – 8th and Broadway, 9:00 am-4:00 p.m.

October 22 – Wednesday – Tekamah – Tekamah-Herman Computer Classroom #106 – 112 N. 13th Street, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

November 3 – Monday – Lyons – Lyons Public Library, 305 Main St., 9:00-Noon.

November 3 – Monday – Decatur – Sears Senior Center, 8th and Broadway, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

November 4 – Tuesday – Oakland -Oakland Public Library, 110 East 3rd Street, 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

November 4 – Tuesday – Tekamah – Tekamah-Herman Computer Classroom #106 – 112 N. 13th Street, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

November 5 – Friday – Lyons – Lyons Public Library, 305 Main St., 9:00-Noon.

November 5 – Tuesday – Oakland – Oakland Public Library, 110 East 3rd Street, 1:30-5:00 p.m.

November 7 – Friday – Lyons – Lyons Public Library, 305 Main St., 9:00 a.m.-Noon.

November 10 – Monday – Craig – Craig Fire Hall – 333 Main Street, 8:30 am-4:0 pm

 

November 20 – Thursday – Tekamah – Orville and Willa Chatt Senior Center – 1124 S. 13th Street,

9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

November 24 – Monday – Tekamah – Orville and Willa Chatt Senior Center – 1124 S. 13th Street,

9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

 

In Washington County call UNL Extension in Washington County at 402-426-9455 for an appointment.

November 17 – Monday – Blair – Washington County Extension Office, 597 Grant St., 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 pm

November 18 – Tuesday – Blair – Washington County Extension Office, 597 Grant St. 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

 

In Dodge County Call UNL Extension in Dodge County at 402-727-2775 for an appointment:

October 23 –Thursday– Fremont – Dodge County Extension Office, 1206 W. 23rd St. 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

October 24 – Friday – Fremont – Dodge County Extension Office, 1206 W. 23rd Street, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

November 6 – Thursday – North Bend – 110 E 13th St. North Bend, NE Heritage Room 1:00-5:00 pm

 

 

 

Mary Loftis,

Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929

Fax: (402) 374-2930

Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu

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