Medicare enrollment help offered in Lafayette County

Care Connection for Aging Services will offer free one-on-one, unbiased Medicare Part D help through Dec. 7 in Lafayette County.
Lafayette County Care Manager Bertina Markworth will help people with Part D comparisons and answer other Medicare questions by appointment from 10 a.m. to noon on these dates:
•Nov. 5 at the Odessa Senior Center, 217 Second St. (816) 633-4161
•Nov. 17 at the Margaret Gray Senior Center at 811C Business Highway 13 in Lexington (660) 259-2025
•Dec. 1 at the Higginsville Senior Center at 21st and Walnut (660) 584-7040.
Call the centers for an appointment.
•From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Trails Regional Library in Concordia. Call Stacey Gilkeson at 1-800-748-7826 for an appointment.
Care Connection is partnering with CLAIM, Missouri’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program, to provide this service. People need to bring their Medicare numbers and a list of prescription medications.
“The open enrollment time offers you the chance to review and reevaluate your coverage and the companies you choose, even if you are satisfied with your plan right now,” said Rona McNally, Director of Special Projects for Care Connection for Aging Services. “It’s a good idea to do this annually because your health needs, your prescriptions and the coverage a company provides all may change from year to year.”
Qualls also can help you get an estimate of out-of-pocket prescription costs, as well as search online for quality and customer service ratings from current plan members.
Open enrollment is the one time when all people with Medicare can make changes to their health and prescription drug plans for the next year. If you switch, the new plan will begin Jan. 1. If you stay with the same plan, any changes to coverage, benefits, or costs will begin Jan. 1.
Care Connection for Aging Services is a non-profit agency serving 13 counties in West Central Missouri – including Bates, Benton, Carroll, Cedar, Chariton, Henry, Hickory, Johnson, Lafayette, Pettis, Saline, St. Clair and Vernon. Its mission is to provide resources and services that empower people to create healthy aging experiences.