With the deadline for Missouri Medicare patients to change their health insurance plans less than a month away, free open enrollment assistance is available at the Columbia Public Library.
Every Wednesday through the end of open enrollment on Dec. 7, the Missouri State Health Insurance Assistance Program (MO SHIP) will hold afternoon sessions, by appointment or walk-in, with Medicare counselors.
“Because your health changes every year and the plans change every year, we like to say you want to give your health care Medicare coverage a checkup every year as well,” said Scott Miniea, MO SHIP’s executive director.
This year, Miniea said there are more changes to Missouri Medicare than usual.
“Even if you're, you know, pretty satisfied with your current situation, you may find out in the coming year — if you don't do a check — that something has changed about your plan,” Miniea said. “And it may make a difference in your pocketbook in particular.”
Miniea said some providers are no longer accepting certain plans, and some drugs won’t be covered by other healthcare options.
Some changes are due to the Inflation Reduction Act. Starting next year, Medicare beneficiaries on Part D drug plans will not have to pay more than $2,000 out of pocket for medicines. Also new is a payment plan model for some prescriptions, which will allow people with high-dollar drugs to spread out their costs over the year.
Normally, MO SHIP helps people with Medicare-related questions via a phone line. But with complicated language surrounding the topic, it can sometimes be easier to visit in person, said Cindy Carr, a regional liaison for MO SHIP.
“So, if you have a certain specialist or a certain provider that you like to go to, or you have a drug store that's just right around the corner from you, you do want to make sure that they're going to be covered for your plan,” Carr said.
Carr said it is sometimes hard to reach everyone who may want to change their healthcare coverage before the deadline. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 7 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries did not compare their coverage with other options during the open enrollment period in 2022.
On Wednesday, Medicare patients visited the Columbia Public Library for assistance. Community member Mark Runyon said he found the services helpful.
“It's a community center, and it's easy for people to get to,” Runyon said. “You don't have to worry about commercial consideration.”
