MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – United Way of East Mississippi offers a counseling program to answer questions about Medicare, Medicaid and other health insurance issues.
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) has trained volunteers to answer questions, compare insurance, organize paperwork, and help file claims and appeals.
It also helps seniors and caregivers understand Medicare benefits, organize their bills, explore long-term care options, and more.
“A study done a few years ago found that only one-third of people with Medicare bother to check their plan, but two-thirds of them We found that we saved money by making the change, and on average it was about $80 a month, which equates to almost $1,000 a year,” said SHIP Volunteer Counselor William Vicars.
Williams cautions against sticking to a plan without checking it frequently.
“And that can be a big mistake, both financially and in terms of press coverage. They may be shocked to find out that the medication they need to take is no longer covered by their plan. This year it was picked up, but the next year the plan changed and they stopped picking up that drug. That can be heartbreaking,” Williams said.
United Way will offer this service to people 65 and older from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 at its North Hills office in Meridian.
To reach United Way by phone, call (601)-693-2732.
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