Shirbie Faulkner a Medicare Enrollment Workshop, November 3rd at the Champaign Public Library

Hello, my name is Shirbie Faulkner and I am a Medicare beneficiary from Champaign. I want to tell anyone who has Medicare, or who is caring for someone with Medicare, about a great event coming up next week.

It is a workshop on Medicare and Part D Open Enrollment, and new changes to Medicare under national health reform. The workshop will be on Wednesday, November 3rd at 10:30 a.m. at the Champaign Public Library.

There are some excellent new benefits that were created by national health reform that all seniors and people with disabilities who have Medicare should be aware of. For instance, starting in January, all preventive care, such as annual check-ups, mammograms, and colonoscopies will be covered without a co-pay or deductible. This will save seniors a lot of money and make important preventive care more accessible.

A lot of seniors also have questions right now because the confusing time of the year known as Open Enrollment begins on November 15th. Open Enrollment is the only time of the year when Medicare beneficiaries can look at their current Part D prescription drug plan and Medicare Advantage plan to see if it is working for them and change it if necessary.

We are flooded with information on the different plans and changes for next year and many of us dont know where to turn for help to sort it all out.

That is why the Champaign County Health Care Consumers will be holding a workshop to help us navigate through this hectic and confusing time of year.

The workshop is called Help for Medicare Beneficiaries: New Medicare Benefits and Tips for Part D Open Enrollment. It will be held at the Champaign Public Library on Wednesday, November 3rd at 10:30 a.m.

Bryan Padget from the Senior Health Insurance Program, will take some time to explain the new benefits for seniors that have been created by national health reform and when we can expect to see them.

Andrea Butler from Family Service Senior Resource Center will then speak about changes in the coming year for Medicare Part D and helpful state programs such as IL Cares Rx.

Finally, members of Health Care Consumers Medicare Task Force will also speak about how everyone can get involved in our local efforts fix Part D and protect Medicare beneficiaries rights.

This workshop will be free and open to the public and I would encourage anyone who has Medicare or is taking care of someone with Medicare to join us.

If you would like more information, or to RSVP, call CCHCC at (217) 352-6533. Thank you.