Medicare 101 class slated for Aug. 4 at library

Posted
By Christina Knoell

Special to The PREVIEW

Medicare is complicated.

It is important that you know your rights, options, deadlines, possible penalties and where to find the information you need.

Did you know that assistance is available in Pagosa Springs through the nationwide State Health Insurance Program (SHIP)? Trained and certified Medicare counselors are available by appointment to guide you when dealing with Medicare enrollment, questions and problems.

One of the San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging (AAA) volunteer Medicare counselors, Katy Deshler, will offer a free Medicare 101 class on Aug. 4 in the Ruby Sisson Memorial Library to help you get started.

The class will start at 10:30 a.m. and will run until around noon. Please call the Area Agency on Aging at 264-0501, ext. 2 to reserve your spot because spaces are limited.

Medicare help has been available in Archuleta County at the Senior Center for more than 12 years. AAA is the sponsoring agency for free Medicare counseling services at the Senior Center (the west end of the Ross Aragon Community Center on Hot Springs Boulevard). Please call the phone number above to make an appointment.

Medicare eligibility begins at age 65. Three months before your birth month, you can enroll in Medicare and start making decisions about your options.

Some of the questions you need to consider follow:

• Are you eligible for Medicare Part A and Part B? Do you need both?

• Do you have a retirement plan that will work with Medicare?

• Do you want a Medicare supplement (also called Medigap)?

• Would you prefer coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan or cost plan?

• Do you want a Part D drug plan? If so, which plan would work best for you? This varies depending on which drugs you take.

Generally, you can enroll in Medicare online at www.ssa.gov or by calling the Social Security Administration. If you are already receiving a Social Security check, you will be automatically enrolled in Part A and Part B, but you will need to enroll in Part D yourself. You can also find valuable information at www.medicare.gov.

If you are already on Medicare and have a Part D drug plan, you need to review that plan each year during the Open Enrollment Period, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, because plan premiums and coverage of drugs change each year.

Medicare counselors at AAA are available to help you during that time or you can go to www.medicare.gov to review your plan.

If you are receiving Social Security disability, you will probably be eligible for Medicare starting 23 months after your disability begins and will have a limited time period to enroll in a Part D drug plan.

It is important to know all enrollment deadlines to avoid penalties.