October 23, 2019
Dear friend,
The Medicare Open Enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans has begun! Medicare Open Enrollment is from October 15 through December 7, 2019 for 2020 coverage.
Do you, or someone you know, need help with Medicare Open Enrollment, signing up for Medicare, or getting financial assistance to make Medicare affordable?
Many people find Medicare confusing. Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC) is here to help! Check out our resources below, and/or contact us to schedule an appointment to get help (our services are free): call 217-352-6533 and ask to schedule an appointment, or email us at cchcc@cchcc-il.org [1].
We recently held our annual Medicare Open Enrollment Community Meeting at the Champaign Public Library on October 17, and it was standing room only! We have lots of resources to share with you from that meeting, including our PowerPoint presentation and handouts, as well as the video from the meeting.
Medicare and Medicare Open Enrollment Resources and Information:
– Handout on the basics of Medicare – Medicare: What you need to know [2]
– Handout on understanding Medicare coverage options – Medicare Advantage Plans & Supplement/Medigap Policies [3]
– Handout on Medicare financial assistance program to help cover Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance–Medicare Savings Program for Qualified Beneficiaries [4]
– Handout on Medicare financial assistance program to help cover the costs of Medicare Part D plans and drug co-pays – Extra Help Program to Save on Drug Costs [5]
– Our comprehensive PowerPoint presentation that explains the Basics of Medicare, and Medicare Advantage and Part D Open Enrollment [6]
– The video from our Medicare Open Enrollment Community Meeting [7]
And… a word of advice for those of you who already have a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Part D plan: If you do nothing, your current Advantage plan or Part D plan will automatically renew for 2020. However, even if you are happy with your plan, we still encourage you to review the “Annual Notice of Changes” information that the plan mailed to you. These are the changes in your plan for the coming year, and you should review them just to make sure that even with the changes, the Advantage or Part D plan will still meet your needs in the coming year (for example, will it still cover all of your medications at the price that you are used to).
We want to thank the organizations that supported our Medicare Open Enrollment Community Meeting – Barham Benefit Group, Carle, Christie Clinic, Health Alliance, OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center, and Promise Healthcare.
Sincerely,
Champaign County Health Care Consumers