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Experts advise seniors on Medicare drug coverage during Star-Telegram phone bank
FORT WORTH, Nov 13, 2008 (Fort Worth Star-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
More than 120 people talked with experts about their prescription drug coverage options and other Medicare benefits during a Thursday morning phone bank and online chat sponsored by the Star-Telegram.
The event was one of 115 enrollment events nationwide attended by experts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS. The online chat was the first this year for any of the 10 CMS regional offices across the country.
"I was happy to see people get information in ways that they were comfortable with -- whether it was phone or live online," said Vanessa Villaverde, a Medicare benefits specialist.
Medicare recipients can sign up for or change prescription drug plans during an open enrollment period that begins Saturday and ends Dec. 31.
The federal government's Medicare program provides health insurance for people 65 and older who have paid into the system for at least 10 years through payroll deduction, as well as for some people younger than 65 who have disabilities.
If they prefer, seniors can obtain their health insurance through Medicare Advantage plans, which are administered by private companies and approved by the federal government.
Many seniors struggle with choosing the Medicare option that meet their needs.
The phone bank was an attempt by CMS, the United Way's Area Agency on Aging and the Social Security Administration to help seniors cut through red tape.
"It's not intimidating at all because people call at their own will," said Renard L. Murray, acting regional administrator for CMS.
CMS experts have also been attending senior health fairs to help beneficiaries be able to compare government approved plans by using online tools.
The phone bank was one of several ways Medicare experts can present unbiased benefit information to seniors at a grassroots level.
English and Spanish-speaking counselors were available to answer questions, though only one Spanish-speaker called the phone bank.
Tony Salters, CMS spokesman for the Dallas region, said about 50 percent of the questions were from people asking for help comparing prescription drug plans.
The next most common question was from people who were new to Medicare and were picking a plan for the first time. The third most common query was from Medicare seniors whose retirement plans no longer offered the coverage they needed so they were shopping for new plans.
By the numbers 231 -- Calls made to the Star-Telegram Medicare phone bank.
125 -- Calls answered by benefit counselors.
30 minutes -- Longest time benefit counselors spent with a single caller.
15.8 minutes -- Average time benefit counselors spent on the line with callers.
10 -- Online questions submitted to the Star-Telegram's Web site during a live chat with a benefits expert.
19 -- Benefits counselors who worked the phone bank and online chat.
1 -- Spanish-speaking caller.
150, 000 -- Estimated number of people with Medicare residing in the Tarrant County area.
Need help? The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offers a number of ways for seniors to review and compare plans:
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) for 24-hour help from trained Medicare representatives.
Compare costs, coverage and get an estimate of out-of-pocket costs by using tools available online at www.medicare.gov.
Read Medicare & You 2009, the government's official handbook.
Talk with Medicare experts at the Texas Department of Aging & Disability. The toll-free number is 1-800-252-9240.
Call the 211 network for assistance and guidance on enrollment counseling services.
Here is the Internet link to questions posed to a Medicare benefits specialist: www.star-telegram.com/qna/forum/medicare/index.html
DIANE SMITH, 817-390-7675
To see more of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, or to subscribe to the newspaper,
go to http://www.dfw.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
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