The annual Medicare Open Enrollment period is open now until Dec. 7 for Arizonans 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities.
If you do not already have Medicare or are interested in changing your plan, there are many resources available to help you through the process.
Medicare counselors with Pima Council on Aging are available now to provide information, answer questions and assist you in Medicare open enrollment at no cost.
A Pima Council on Aging Medicare Open Enrollment event Nov. 10 is a hybrid presentation — both in-person and virtual sessions — a two-hour presentation followed by a one-hour Q&A. It will be presented by a Pima Council on Aging Medicare specialist, based on federal and state guidelines.
The session will discuss how Medicare works, including:
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Medicare Basics — the difference between Original Medicare & Medicare Advantage.
Medigap Policies (supplementary coverage).
Coordination of Benefits (with VA coverage, COBRA, retiree plans, AHCCCS, etc.).
How and when to enroll — avoid late enrollment penalties.
How to make changes.
Medicare Savings Programs for low-income beneficiaries — get help paying your Part B premium and/or Part D drug prescription costs.
This hybrid presentation will take place at the PCOA Katie Dusenberry Healthy Aging Center at 600 S. Country Club Road on Nov. 10, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m.
There is no charge to attend, and reservations using Eventbrite are required: For in-person registration, go to katiemedicareip.eventbrite.com. For virtual registration go to umvirtual22.eventbrite.com.
“The decisions you make in open enrollment can impact you for the entire year,” said Linda Khumalo, Medicare coordinator at Pima Council on Aging.
Medicare plans may change their prices and the medications that they cover every year. To check whether your current plan has the lowest prescription costs, call PCOA for Medicare at 520-790-7262 or email ship@pcoa.org.
Senior Medicare Patrol
Health care fraud, waste and abuse cost American taxpayers over $60 billion each year.
The national Senior Medicare Patrol program is working to strengthen Medicare by recruiting and training retired professionals and other senior citizens to recognize and report health care billing errors and suspected instances of health care fraud.
Each year nearly 4,500 volunteers, trained by regional senior Medicare patrol offices, conduct community outreach and peer-to-peer training to help Medicare consumers:
Identify potential scams and other fraudulent activity.
Detect errors on their Medicare summary notices or explanations of benefits.
Report suspected fraud or abuse to the proper authorities.
To learn about volunteering, email ship@pcoa.org.
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