Connecting Waters with Jessica Martinez

Hello all,

Welcome back to Connecting Waters, or welcome if you are new to this column. My name is Jessica Martinez, I am the Community Liaison for Senior Services. I use this column to answer some FAQ’s I receive from seniors around the community. Some range from really common questions about our services, to wacky questions like: “My dog needs a haircut, can you guys do that for me?” (Yes, I’ve really been asked that question before). I am here to answer them all!

Q: I have recently been told I need to get medical coverage. Where do I start? I don’t have much money to pay high insurance rates.

A: Don’t worry. We here at Senior Services know how scary and confusing medical insurance can be so we are here to guide you! If you are a current client of ours, simply give your assigned social worker a call and they will set up an appointment with you and a benefits specialist from our River People Health Center. Our social workers will sit in with you during the appointment to make sure that you completely understand what benefits you qualify for, and what benefits you will receive and they will make sure those benefits are at little to no cost to you. If you are not a current client, just schedule to meet with our Intake Coordinator to get signed up and we will go from there! You can schedule at 480.362.6350 and ask for Christina Blackman.

Even if you already have insurance, it is a good idea to go over your coverage and see if anything has changed. For example, did you know that signing up for some insurance companies, such as Medicare, can disqualify you from receiving certain medical benefits? Seriously! We try to promote insurance companies that specifically care for tribal communities but the choice is up to you. We want to ensure you completely understand your medical coverage options.