Outreach

Every year Medicare has a special Open Enrollment period for Medicare Part-D (prescription drug plan) and the Medicare Advantage Plans (MAPD). This period runs from October 15 through December 7 and is a crucial time of year for all Medicare beneficiaries who wish to review their options for the upcoming year. This Open Enrollment allows you to join a Part-D or Medicare Advantage plan if you have never taken one since you initially became Medicare eligible, and it allows you to review your options. You can change from Part-D to an Advantage Plan, or vice versa, as well as just compare what you are in to the other options available to you. We always suggest reviewing your plan options each year; there are many aspects that can contribute to higher costs from year-to-year, and this is a way to hopefully spare you those added costs by having a comparison done and choosing a cheaper option, if one is available to you.

Medicare Part-D plan companies change their formularies (accepted medication lists), their tier grouping, add or remove preferred or in-network pharmacies, and raise or lower premiums and deductibles and other costs each year. Some years, these changes are slight, and the plan that you are in may continue to be the best and least expensive option for you. Other years, you may find yourself in the situation where several of your medications are no longer covered, or may cost you twice the price that they did from previous year. Or perhaps, the pharmacy that you love is no longer an in-network pharmacy with your plan. These situations are all examples of how a comparison done with a Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Counselor can greatly benefit you, and help you to avoid unwanted “surprises” at the pharmacy, in the beginning or during the upcoming year. Your local SHIP Counselors at LCCOA and WCSC Outreach Departments are happy to help!

Medicare Advantage plans may also make various changes from year-to-year, those of which may not be just related to prescription costs but also medical costs. During the October 15th -December 7th time frame, you can join a Medicare Advantage plan, opt to enroll into a Part-D plan instead and return to Original Medicare, or change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another. All of these changes would take effect January 1, 2022. It is worth noting that you may see Medicare Advantage plans advertised on T.V. or through the mail. While they can be a good fit for some Medicare beneficiaries, as SHIP Counselors, we do advise to please, do your research, before enrolling into a Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare Advantage plans are NOT Medicare Supplements and not for every Medicare beneficiary. To get the greatest benefit from the plan, it is worth it to make sure that your providers are in-network and that you understand all of the possible costs associated with the Medicare Advantage plan that you are considering. If you are considering a Medicare Advantage plan, speak with one of us at LCCOA or WCSC this Open Enrollment to be sure you understand your benefits and weigh all of your options.

In the month of September you will receive, what is known as, the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letter from your current plan. This is important information regarding the upcoming changes your company plans to make with your plan. Please do not disregard these letters-they are important! These letters allow you to be informed of the upcoming changes; reviewing your options with LCCOA or WCSC Outreach will help you to take control of where your money could be going in the year ahead!

LCCOA — We will be scheduling all of our Open Enrollment appointments during the month of September. We always book up fast, and this year will be no exception to this. We have modeled this year’s scheduling after last year’s, since we are uncertain of the times ahead and how COVID may continue to affect our daily lives.

We urge our clients, past and future, to call us in September to ensure that you receive an appointment to meet with our caseworker sometime between October 15 and November 30 to discuss your options for next year. December 1-7 will be reserved for any wrap-up that we have for virtual appointments, as well as for finalizing any wait-listed individuals that we might be able to be fit in at the end of the season.

You can reach LCCOA at 815-288-9236, and speak with the Outreach Assistant, Melissa, to schedule your Open Enrollment appointment. She will go over our check-list with you, and let you know what to send in so that we are prepared for your appointment. Virtual appointments will still be offered this year, as well as face-to-face, as long as there are no further setbacks with the pandemic. We will continue to require face coverings as well as temperature and login screenings at the door for any faceto-face appointments. We will take all necessary precautions to help ensure the health and safety amongst our employees, as well as our clients, to ensure that we will continue to be here for you, as we have been this entire time. WCSC — To schedule a Medicare Part-D or Medicare Advantage appointment at WCSC Outreach, please call 815-622-9230 Ext. 194 starting Monday, Sept 20. While we are on the phone with you, we will inform you of how our comparison process will look this year. We will assist you on a first-come, first-serve basis. As a reminder, it is helpful to have your red, white, and blue Medicare card and a current medication list handy for your comparison! The accuracy of your comparison is determined by the accuracy of the medication list that is provided to us! Thank you for your patience!

We encourage you to reach out to our Outreach Departments for your Part-D and Medicare Advantage Plan options. As always, you can choose to remain in your same plan, as long as that plan continues into the next year, and you do not need to do anything during this enrollment period if you do not want to change. You are welcome to compare plans for yourself on the MyMedicare.Gov website, or by contacting the Medicare hotline directly at 1-800-MEDICARE. LCCOA and WCSC are non-profit agencies here to assist you, and do not receive any compensation from any drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan companies. We are SHIP-certified and offer this non-biased assistance to you to help save you money and to guide you to the best options for you, based on your medications and pharmacy preferences. We do not charge for our services; donations are graciously accepted, but never required, you will not be turned away or treated any different for an inability to donate. We are here for you!