Care manager to provide Medicare help in Benton County

Care Connection for Aging Services will offer free one-on-one, unbiased Medicare Part D help from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 at its senior centers in Warsaw and Cole Camp.
Benton County Care Manager Colleen Swanigan will help people with Part D comparisons and answer other Medicare questions by appointment from 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays until Dec. 3 at Harbor Village at 17571 N. Dam Access Road in Warsaw. For an appointment, call Swanigan at 660-438-3300. She also will enroll people from on a walk-in basis from 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays through Dec. 7 at Harbor Village.
In Cole Camp, Swanigan will accept walk-ins for Medicare help from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays through Dec. 2 at the Senior Center at 206 Junge St.
Care Connection is partnering with CLAIM, Missouri’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program, to provide this service.
“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.”
Swanigan 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.