Counselors from the North Dakota State Health Insurance Counseling Program are going to be on hand from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to help answer any questions or concerns people may have about open enrollment and Medicare Part D.
"With the economy, people are looking to get the best deal possible. I think with prescription drug prices on the rise, a lot of plans are really changing, and there's many different plans available," said Leslie Wilcox, coordinator of the Medicare Rx Access Network of North Dakota.
Medicare Part D is a U.S. federal program to subsidize the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. The open-enrollment period is a chance for seniors to compare the plan they're on to other plans and make certain they're getting the best deal, Wilcox said.
"Essentially it's important every year to compare their plan, because rates and plans do change every year and their prescriptions may change every year," Wilcox said. There's 48 Medicare Part D plans in place for 2009, and it may be difficult to choose one that works best. The Williston event is a good opportunity to explore the various plans, said Adam Hamm, newly elected state insurance commissioner.
"As open enrollment comes around...folks want to know if the plan that they're in is best meeting their needs, or if one of the other 47 plans out there is better for them," Hamm said.
The Williston event is especially beneficial for those who are considering changing their plans, because the process takes time, Hamm said.
"We encourage folks to not wait for the last minute of this six-week window of time. We encourage them to take advantage of these event locations we're doing around North Dakota. If they can't, they can call 211 to get the information as early as they can so that they can make a decision, because if they are going to switch plans, it does take some time to process you out of one plan and into a new plan," Hamm said.
Changes include premiums going up or down, as well as deductibles, which are what seniors pay out-of-pocket, Wilcox said. Seniors may want to consider changing their coverage if the cost is to rise, she said.
It's common for seniors to call a Medicare number for assistance, and there's Web sites with information. However, if they don't feel comfortable working on the Internet and want to talk to someone in person, Monday's event is good for them, Wilcox said.
The event was held in Williston last year and about 60 people took advantage of it, Hamm said. In addition, events were held in seven cities last year, and three cities were added this year -- Wahpeton, Devils Lake and Valley City. Hamm hopes to have the event in even more communities in the future to make them easily accessible.
If people are interested in going to the Williston event but are unable to make it, they may call SHIC for assistance at 1-888-575-6611 or visit www.nd.gov.
The Williston Senior Center is located at 18 Main St. The same vent is also scheduled in Minot on Nov. 25 and Devils Lake on Dec. 17.
Comments