Medicare Open Enrollment, Oct.15 - Dec. 7

What Should I Do?

Get started now instead of waiting until December 1.

Pay attention to your mail. You will be getting lots of information; some of it will be on your Part D plans, Advantage Plans or Extra Help (Social Security Low Income Subsidy) which helps with your costs of prescription drug plan. You may receive notification from Medicare or Social Security wanting to verify your income or informing you of changes coming. Save these letters and bring them to your SHIP counselor if you don’t quite understand them.

Review! Many people are happy with the current coverage and would rather not check what other options are available. This is a very important step, and it can cost you money. How will these amounts change in 2022? You really want to make sure that all your drugs are covered or you could end up paying full price for them.

What do I look for?

Cost – premiums, deductibles, and copayments.

Coverage – does your plan cover all your medications?

Convenience – does your plan restrict access to certain medications, are there prior authorization or quantity limits? Can you use the mail delivery service?

Customer Service – is your plan responsive if you have a question? What rating does your plan have?

Stop in and check your plan out to make sure you are on the best plan for you. They change them every year, change the tiers the drugs are under, and put drugs on or take drugs off their formulary. If a medication is taken off their formulary that means you have to pay most of the cost of that med.

LIEAP (Low Income Energy Assistance Program) begins October 1 – April 30. LIEAP is income based, but if your income is low, please don’t hesitate to stop in to see if you qualify. We can assist you in filling out the application, we have plenty in our office. LIEAP helps pay your heat bill for the winter, which can include: Natural Gas, Propane, Wood, or Coal. If you qualify for LIEAP there is an excellent chance that you will qualify for Weatherization. They come in and do an energy audit and let you know what they can do. It works well.

Action for Eastern Montana has 2 SHIP (State Health Insurance Program) counselors in Miles City to help folks in Carter, Custer, Fallon, Powder River, Rosebud & Treasure counties with their needs. Linda Wolff and Debbie Weyer are located at 11 S 7th Suite 165, Monday through Thursday at 234-8028. They can assist with signing up for Medicare, Social Security, or Part D (Prescription Drug Plan). If you have questions about Social Security and want to know what you would make at 62 vs 66, we can get that information for you. The phone number is 234-8028.

With Open Enrollment season upon us it is best to call before just showing up in case counselors are tied up or out of town, so you don’t have to wait. Wolff will be available until November 30 but will be on vacation starting December 1. Weyer will help you through December 7.

Don’t hesitate to call the office at 406-234-8028.