Chuck Bell interviews Julie Woodward, a retired New York City teacher who is part of a group of Westchester volunteers that have been helping people understand Medicare for more than two decades. They partner with the Westchester Library System and the county’s Department of Senior Programs and Services — which is responsible for their HIICAP certification (that’s short for the “Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program” run by New York State). The volunteers give presentations on senior health care around the county, in libraries and senior centers. They also have walk-in centers in a couple of libraries where people can get help with their individual problems: these are called the SBICs, or Senior Benefits Information Counseling centers.
Julie gives two series of her Demystifying Medicare workshops each year, in the fall and the spring. These are comprehensive programs covering Medicare choices plus other bits of information about how health care works. And like all the work these volunteers do, her information is neutral and free. She knows how very confusing Medicare is and intimidating, so she tries to keep the workshops uplifting and fun. People are not interested in a college course on Medicare, they come to learn how to make the right decisions for their personal situations.
In this show,we take a deeper dive into a variety of issues to describe how Medicare works and some of the issues that affect how the program is working, including issues relating to misleading advertising, accountable care organizations and prior authorization.
For more information, and a schedule of upcoming workshops, visit: https://seniors.westchesterlibraries.org/demystifyingmedicare/
GETTING HELP WITH MEDICARE and additional health plans
Demystifying Medicare (geared to NYS): https://seniors.westchesterlibraries.org/demvstifvingmedicare/
For individual counseling in Westchester:
HELPLINE: (914) 813-6100 — leave your name and phone no. for a callback
Walk-in counseling schedule: https://seniors.westchesterlibraries.org/senior-benefits/
Counseling by appointment: (914) 417-9102 — leave your name and phone no. for a callback
For Medicaid and Medicare Savings Programs: (914) 813-6100
For help enrolling in a program for financial assistance — leave your name and no. for a callback
Other help resources:
Medicare: 1 (800) MEDICARE — operates 24/7, 365 days a year (for shorter wait times, call at night) https://www.medicare.gov/ for plan finders
Medicare Rights Center (NYC): (800) 333-4114
https://www.medicare rights.org/counseling-and-advocacy
NYS Office for the Aging (HIICAP): (800) 701-0501
https://aging.ny.gov/health-insurance-information-counseling-and-assistance-programs
NY Department of Financial Services (NY DFS) website for Medigap planfinders:
https://myportal.dfs.ny.gov/web/guest-applications/medicare-monthly-premiums
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