Come to the Orcas Public Library on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 12:30 p.m. to learn how Medicare works and what your coverage options. The information will be provided by SHIBA volunteers who operate under the auspices of the Washington Insurance Commissioner to provide free, unbiased counseling assistance on Orcas Island. SHIBA volunteers will also be present at the Senior Health Faire at the Senior Center on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Each year between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7, Medicare provides you with an opportunity to review your Medicare choices to see if you need to update your coverage for the next year.
At the presentation, SHIBA volunteers will explain what has changed for 2016 and will show you how to use the Medicare.gov website to see if the Prescription Drug Plan you are enrolled in will be your best choice for 2016. There are many reasons why you might want to change plans:
• Your medication may have changed since you enrolled in your plan
• Your plan may have changed its terms
• Other plans may be cheaper
SHIBA volunteers also help people who are just becoming eligible for Medicare by explaining how they can enroll, the coverage that is provided by Parts A and B, the differences between Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigaps) and Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) and what their options are for Drug Prescription Plans (Part D).
There are three SHIBA volunteers on Orcas Island who provide confidential counseling assistance in their office at the Orcas Medical Center. You can arrange an appointment to meet with one of them by calling 376-2561.
All SHIBA volunteers have been trained by specialists from the Washington Insurance Commissioner’s department and tested on their knowledge, have undergone background checks, and have been evaluated on their counseling skills.
SHIBA volunteers also receive monthly continuing education training to keep their knowledge current.
Island Hospital has sponsored the SHIBA volunteers in San Juan County for the past 25 years and the Orcas Medical Center has donated office space for SHIBA volunteers to provide confidential counseling sessions on Orcas Island. You can call 376-2561 to set up a confidential counseling session with one of our SHIBA volunteers.
