KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It's that time of year, when you're signing up for benefit enrollment. It's also the time of year seniors enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage -- sometimes referred to as Medicare Part D. Call for action has been on the forefront helping consumers weed through the complicated system that changed a few years back. We're here to help again this year.
There is an
online database that makes it easy to enroll. You can enter in your medication, and find the cheapest plan for yourself. If you'd like someone to walk you through the process, you can schedule an appointment with a Medicare counselor. You'll be able to schedule an appointment by just calling Call for Action on November 18th from 4:30 PM to 7 PM. We'll have specialists from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services here to get you an appointment. Just watch NBC Action News that day for the phone number to call.
There are fewer plans this year. Some companies voluntarily left, while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says other plans were consolidated because they were similar to other options or not enough people enrolled in that option.
Medicare open enrollment will be from November 15th through December 31st. A pre-enrollment event will take place Monday, November 9th from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Harrisonville Community Center (2400 Jefferson Parkway). At this event, Medicare counselors will walk through the Medicare plan finder tool. The goal is for beneficiaries to walk away with information about the best plans for 2010 based on the prescriptions you take. Then, you can call the plan of your choice to enroll on the 15th.
This is just one of the events, including many more closer to the heart of metro KC, that will take place in the next few weeks. When you call or attend an event, bring your Medicare card and a list of prescriptions.
