Minnetonka agency gears up to help senior citizens BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Fall is a busy time at Senior Community Services in Minnetonka. The agency is gearing up to help guide scores of senior citizens through the maze of enrolling in health plans during the Medicare open enrollment period from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Medicare health insurance counseling has been offered at the agency for more than 20 years. It is just one of the programs offered at Senior Community Services, whose vision is to “mobilize the community to re-imagine aging.” The agency offers educational workshops at several locations, plus confidential, individual assistance by appointment at more than 20 locations. “We’re really excited,” said Kimberlee Bluhm, director of Medicare programs at Senior Community Services. “We have more than 50 volunteers from all over. We are so blessed with the counseling talent we have.” Some of the counselors still work full-time; others are retired. Some are highly educated; some are widowed. “They are really, really dedicated and really committed to helping folks,” Bluhm said. “The majority of our counselors have been with us for more than five years.” Volunteers are required to undergo 20 hours of training before they begin counseling senior citizens. New volunteers may start by shadowing more seasoned counselors. Insurance counseling doesn’t just occur during the fall months, however. The sites and counseling go on year-round, according to Bluhm. But they’re busiest in the fall. Last year, an estimated 1,400 senior citizens were served by the agency’s programs. “We do a ton of presentations around the metro area; most are volunteer-run,” Bluhm said. “It’s a great opportunity for the community to learn about Medicare.” For the special sessions offered in the fall, persons who call to reserve a spot will be asked to provide their medical information ahead of time, Bluhm said. That gives counselors time to do some research and have a packet of information ready for the clients when they arrive for their appointments. “It’s very labor intensive,” Bluhm said. “We don’t take walk-ins. And we usually have a waiting list.” She noted that Senior Community Services is one of a handful of places that provides non-biased insurance and health care plan information.
When people are ready to retire, they often feel great excitement about the future. But once they turn 65 and start receiving scores of mailings about health insurance options under Medicare, it often creates anxiety, Bluhm said. Seniors often have questions about how to get Medicare coverage, what it will pay for, whether a supplemental plan is needed, and whether long-term care coverage is an option they should consider. “We try to empower seniors to make decisions on their own and feel good about it,” Bluhm said. Even seniors who already are enrolled in health care plans need to be on the alert during the open enrollment period, Bluhm said. “Even if you’re happy with your drug program, please, please be sure to check on whether it will still work that way in 2015,” she said. “Insurance plans can change on Oct. 1. Sometimes plans change the way they pay for drugs, or take drugs off their formularies.” And sometimes a drug now listed under Tier 2 will
be bumped to a Tier 3 or 4 next year, Bluhm said. “You may be able to find a cheaper plan,” she said. “It’s critical to make sure you know how you’re going to be responsible for payment in the new year. Make sure your drugs are on the formulary, and make sure you know how you’ll be expected to pay for them.” The agency suggests four steps for seniors to follow during the annual health insurance election period Oct. 15-Dec. 7: • Check with your plan to see if there will be changes. • Check your prescription list and your coverage for those prescriptions. • Check on new plans and changes to other plans to be sure you are getting the coverage you need at the most affordable cost. • Contact SCS for assistance. Information: Senior Community Services, 10201 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 335, Minnetonka. Go to medicare.gov, email scs@seniorcommunity.org, or call 952767-7887.