Like most people, your answer is probably, “not really.” Thankfully, there are local Medicare counselors who do.
Eight counselors from the Madison County Office for the Aging Health Insurance Information Assistance Program, HIICAP (called State Health Insurance Assistance Programs –SHIPs – nationally) give unbiased, one-on- one guidance to the people age 65 and over and certain people with disabilities who rely on Medicare. They not only help individual beneficiaries in Madison County find health plans that best meet their needs, they answer questions about coverage, costs, and appeals.
Every day, 10,000 people across the United States become eligible to receive Medicare and are commonly confused by the array of choices, the coverage offered, the costs, and their rights. In New York, 3,357,000 are eligible for Medicare. Every year, they must choose among Original Medicare (and numerous supplemental Medigap insurance policies), 30 insurance companies that offer 128 Medicare Advantage plans, and 22 Part D prescription drug plans.
Medicare beneficiaries can call 1-800- Medicare to get questions answered, but SHIPs are the only source of in-person counseling. Every year, 1-800- Medicare refers over 250,000 callers to SHIPs nationally for help with complex cases. An average counseling session lasts almost an hour, due to the complexities of Medicare and the in-depth nature of SHIP counseling. Last year, Madison County Office for the Aging HIICAP helped more than 1412 people.
For more information about how SHIP can help you or a loved one, call Connie Brown, Madison County Office for the Aging 315-697- 5700 or go to www.ofamadco.org. To find a SHIP in another state, call 1-877- 839-2675 or go to www.shiptacenter.org.