>> OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR MEDICARE BEGINS TODAY. IF YOU’RE ONE OF THE 64 MILLION
PEOPLE ENROLLED, IT’S
IMPORTANT TO REVIEW YOUR PLAN.
YOU CAN SEE COST AND COVERAGE
CHANGES. AND IT’S ALSO
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER SOME
MEDICARE RELATED CHANGES
PASSED AND THE INFLATION
REDUCTION ACT TAKE EFFECT NEXT
YEAR. ENROLLMENT IS OPEN UNTIL
DECEMBER, BUT IT’S A GOOD IDEA
TO TACKLE IT EARLY. ANDREA
SPENCER, VICE PRESIDENT
COMMUNICATIONS FOR ELDERSOURCE
JOINS US VIA ZOOM THIS
MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. AND THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
ANDREA. GOOD MORNING. THIS IS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND I’M
GLAD TO SHARE. IT CERTAINLY IS
SO RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE, WHAT
ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST
CHANGES WE EXPECT TO SEE THIS
YEAR? BUT YOU MAY SEE SOME
CHANGES TO YOUR PREMIUMS AS
WELL AS COVERAGE. YOU KNOW
YOUR DOCTOR MAY OR MAY NOT BE
ON YOUR PLAN. SO THIS IS WHY
IT’S IMPORTANT TO GET SOME
GUIDANCE TO CHOOSE A MEDICARE
PLAN THAT FITS ALL OF YOUR
NEEDS.
>> YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY IS A
LOT TO LOOK THROUGH A LOT TO
COMB THROUGH. WHAT IS THE ONE
MORNING YOU WOULD GIVE PEOPLE
WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING
OUTSIDE HELP OR COUNSELING?
>> WELL, I WOULD SAY CALL
SHINE ELDERSOURCE IS A PROGRAM
CALLED SHINE SERVING HEALTH
INSURANCE NEEDS OF ELDERS AND
IT’S FREE AND UNBIASED
COUNSELING ABOUT HOW TO CHOOSE
A MEDICARE PLAN THAT’S BEST
FOR YOU. SO I THINK WHAT’S
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IS, YOU
KNOW, YOU WANT SOMEBODY TO
GUIDE YOU. YOU DON’T WANT
SOMEBODY TO TO LEAD US, TRACE,
AND YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO MAKE THE CHOICE THAT’S FOR
YOU AND SHINE. IT’S JUST THAT
WE HAVE AMAZING VOLUNTEERS
THAT ARE HIGHLY TRAINED TO
UNDERSTAND ALL THE INS AND
OUTS ABOUT MEDICARE. IT’S FREE
AND IT’S UNBIASED. AND WHAT’S
ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT
WE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SELL YOU
ANYTHING. THESE ARE VOLUNTEERS
AND THEY’RE ALLOWED TO HAVE AN
INSURANCE LICENSE. SO THEY
GIVE YOU THAT COMFORT AND
CONFIDENCE IN KNOWING THE
INFORMATION THAT’S BEING
SHARED TEAM IS ACCURATE AND
HOPEFULLY GUIDE YOU THROUGH
THE PROCESS. THEY WILL MAKE
THE DECISION FOR YOU, BUT THEY
WILL LEAD YOU THROUGH SOME OF
THOSE COMPLICATED THINGS RIGHT
NOW THAT ARE JUST A LITTLE
HARD TO UNDERSTAND. IT’S IT IS
A COMPLICATED PROCESS.
>>JENNIFER READY: AND IT’S SO
IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT
TRUSTWORTHY OPEN LINE OF
COMMUNICATION. AND WHAT ARE
SOME OF THE MOST COMMON
QUESTIONS YOU WOULD SAY THE
COUNSELORS GET.
>> I WOULD THINK SOME OF THE
MOST COMMON QUESTIONS IS MY AS
MY DOCTOR ON THIS HOW CAN I
SAVE MONEY? IS THERE SOMETHING
THAT’S CHANGED THAT MIGHT
AFFECT ME AND MY CHOICE FOR A
MEDICARE PLAN. SO I WOULD SAY
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT
PEOPLE ARE MOST CONCERNED
ABOUT. AND I THINK THEY’RE
ALSO SOMETIMES CONCERNED ABOUT
MEDICARE FRAUD, WHICH IS
ANOTHER THING THAT THE SHINE
COUNSELOR CAN HELP PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND. WE’RE SCAMS SO WE
DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO GO
THROUGH THAT DIFFICULTY OF
HAVING SOMETHING THAT THEY
HAVEN’T CHOSEN. SO I THINK
AGAIN, THOSE SHINE EXPERTS,
THEY ARE JUST THAT THEY’RE
KIND. THEY’RE CONFIDENT ABOUT
THE INFORMATION THAT THEY’RE
GOING TO BE GETTING. YOU KNOW.
>> THAT IS A REALLY, REALLY
IMPORTANT SEE MANY SCAMS HERE
LOCALLY THOSE MEDICARE SCAMS
OR SOMETHING SERIOUS TO LOOK
AT THE SCENE THEM LOCALLY.
>> THEY ARE GETTING OUT VERY
VERY, VERY RAMPANT. ONE OF THE
ONES THAT SEEM TO BE POPPING
UP, PEOPLE ARE BEING
ENCOURAGED GET A GENETIC TEST.
SO THE GENETIC TEST IS SUCH
THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT NEED
IT. AND IF IT’S NOT
RECOMMENDED BY YOUR DOCTOR
THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO STAY
AWAY FROM ANYBODY WHO’S TRYING
TO GIVE YOU THAT.
ENCOURAGEMENT TO GET THAT
GENETIC TEST. AND I THINK IT’S
IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE
ONLY ALLOWED ONE GENETIC TASK
ON YOUR MEDICARE PLAN. SO IF
YOU HAVE IT AND IT’S NOT
NECESSARY, THEN YOU’VE ALREADY
LOST THAT CHOICE TO GET THE
MEDICARE GENETIC TEST THAT YOU
MIGHT ACTUALLY REALLY NEED. SO
THAT’S IMPORTANT. THE OTHER
MEDICARE SCAMS ARE THOSE
DEVICES, SOMETHING FOR YOUR
ELBOW OR YOUR NECK AND THAT
THEM? YES, YOU MAY ORDER
SOMETHING. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
THEY START APPEARING ON YOUR
DOORSTEP AND YOU HAVE A GARAGE
FULL DEVICES THAT YOU PAID FOR
AND THEIR CHARGE OF MEDICARE
FOR. SO THOSE ARE THE SCAMS
THAT WE’RE HEARING ABOUT MOST
OFTEN.
>> REAL QUICK BEFORE WE GO,
JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS LEFT,
WHAT IS THE NUMBER TO CALL FOR
HELP? SO PEOPLE HAVE THAT.
>> SOURCES SHINE NUMBER IS
904-391-6699.