Medicare have you confused? Are you looking for answers? The forum Medicare Basics Understanding Medicare may provide the answers beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library, 318 N. Main St.
“One of the most confusing subjects for seniors is health insurance,” said local insurance agent Lisa Reynolds, who will be conducting the discussion. “And, there is so much mis-information out there, I decided a public forum would be good.”
Reynolds said, she will not talk about any company products and will not sell anything. She will “just give folks enough information to make an educated decision about their Medicare and other health insurance choices.”
She selected the library as a site since it always has been the educational center of the community at large.
“Their resources have expanded to all different forms of educational materials...it’s not just about the books,” she said.
“Since so many folks are becoming Medicare eligible every month, we have decided to focus on the basics for now. But I have dozens of topics that would be appropriate,” Reynolds said.
“I hope to give folks enough information to at least be able to ask questions,” Reynolds said. “Way back in my college days, we were told to check our sources when we did research. Just because someone talks with conviction, it doesn’t mean they actually know what they are talking about. I have heard some pretty heated arguments in the coffee shop …and neither of them knew what they were talking about.”
Stressing, “decisions need to be made based on an individuals circumstances,” Reynolds said. “Are you or your spouse still working? Do you have group coverage still available to you? Do you have VA coverage available?”
Reynolds recommends, medicare.gov. which is the website for Medicare. “It has tons of good information, even a blog. That is .gov not .com or .net. Beware,” she emphasized.
“One of the most important points for folks to remember is there are enrollment periods for most everything,” Reynolds said. “If you miss that window of opportunity, it will have consequences. It may be you are locked out until the next window. It may mean that you will pay more for your coverage when you do enroll. It may mean that you may not ever be qualified to enroll. That is why it is so important to get enough information to make an educated decision.”