• About the EBS Program
• EBS Contact Info
• COVID-19 Resources

• Turning 65- What to Know
• Social Security
• Medicare
• Prescription Options

• Wisconsin Medicaid
• Housing
• Energy Assistance
• FoodShare
• Transportation
• Other Helpful Links

Part D & Advantage Plan Open Enrollment Period October 15 – December 7

This 58 second video below provides a quick overview of Medicare's Open Enrollment.

Four Reasons to Check Your Prescription Drug Plan:

1. Your plan may cost more next year due to changes in deductibles, premiums and co-pays.
2. Your plan may no longer cover all your medications because insurance companies change their formularies.
3. Your plan may have put restrictions on some of your medications such as preauthorization, quantity limits and step therapy.
4. You may be taking different medications now.

• Read important notices, like your Annual Notice of Change
  
• Review your current Medicare health and drug coverage
• Shop around
• Watch out for misleading marketing or enrollment fraud

Prepare Early This Year!  Review Your Medicare Plan!

Article by Debbie Bisswurm, GWAAR Medicare Outreach Coordinator & Ingrid Kundinger, SMP Project Manager

The Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol, SMP, informs and empowers Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, abuse, and errors by providing outreach and education in their communities. At this time of year, SMP wants every Medicare beneficiary to ask three key questions.

1. Do I have a Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) plan? 
   • Every year Medicare Part D plans can change the list of prescription medications they will cover.
   • That means even if you are taking the same medications, the amount you pay for your medications may change in 2021! The plans’ premiums, deductibles, and co-pays can also change each year.
2. If I do, what should I do about this?
   • All Medicare beneficiaries should check their Part D coverage each year during Medicare’s annual open enrollment period which runs from October 15 through December 7. This is the time of year to find out if your current plan will cost you more or less than other Part D plans in 2021.
   • If it is no longer the best plan for your medications, this is the time to make a switch to a Part D plan that will suit you better. Make sure you will have appropriate prescription drug coverage in the new year. 
   • You can compare plans on the official Medicare website at Medicare.gov.
     
3. Where can I get help?

• Medicare beneficiaries can receive free, unbiased assistance with plan comparisons from the Elder Benefit Specialists at the Aging and Disability Resource Center, ADRC, in your area. The ADRC offices will also have a form with instructions to help you get organized. (Note: Form TBA)

Assistance is also available through the following resources:

• 1-800-MEDICARE or www.medicare.gov
• Medigap Helpline 1-800-242-1060
• Disability Drug Helpline 1-800-926-4862
• Wisconsin Medigap Prescription Drug Helpline 1-855-677-2783 (for people 60+)

SMP wants all Medicare beneficiaries who have a Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) plan to be aware of possible changes in your plan. Avoid stress in the new year by understanding changes in your plan and its future pricing now. Don’t wait until it’s too late to change. By reviewing your prescriptions during this period, you can potentially prevent a startling discovery in the new year. Make sure that you get the best plan for 2021 now.

Be on the lookout for a Fraud Alert addressing potential misconduct and violations surrounding Open Enrollment Period.

Additional Resources for Open Enrollment:

• Medicare Open Enrollment basic information from from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Medicare Open Enrollment Period tools, outreach & media materials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Navigating Medicare During the Fall Open Enrollment Period from SHIP
• Medicare Part D - Things to Know Before Signing Up from the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
• Things to Think About when You Compare Medicare Drug Coverage
• Consider these 7 things when choosing coverage

Elder Benefit Specialist Open Enrollment Assistance:

Due to COVID-19, however, face to face appointments will not be an option this year, so extra time for phone calls and mail will need to be allowed. Virtual visits via Zoom are also an option- No need to have a Zoom account, as are smart phone video calls. 

If you are happy with your current plan, there is no need to do anything.

If you would like assistance locally, there will be a form available that can be completed and returned to the ADRC in Sawyer County by mail, email, fax or dropped off.  I will then run the Medicare Planfinder for you and call or e-mail you the results. 

FORM LINK- TBA

If there are unforeseen circumstances and I am not able to help you, it is possible that you may need to seek help from other resources besides the Elder Benefits Specialist for open enrollment this year.

Assistance is also available through the following resources:

• 1-800-MEDICARE or www.medicare.gov
• Medigap helpline  1-800-242-1060
• Disability Drug Helpline  1-800-926-4862  (if under age 60)
• Wisconsin Medigap Prescription Drug Helpline   1-855-677-2783

About the EBS Program

• Provide accurate information about a wide variety of programs that cover healthcare, food, and other household expenses
• Help you identify and apply for programs that will best meet your needs
• Help with an appeal when eligibility or coverage is denied
• Advocate on your behalf

Sawyer County's EBS

Helpful Links to Information

COVID-19 Resources

• Sawyer County Public Health
• The CDC- Center for Disease Control 
• IRS Coronavirus Tax Relief and Economic Impact Payments
• COVID and Medicare
• Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services COVID-19 Webpage
• DHS Resilient Wisconsin Website and Resilient Wisconsin Info Sheet 
• COVID Coach Phone App

What You Should Know Before You Turn 65 

Social Security Administration (SSA): https://www.ssa.gov/

• Create a MySSA.gov account for free, personalized estimates of future benefits based on your real earnings, see your latest statement, review your earnings history, request a replacement Social Security Card or check the status of an application.
• Social Security provides Benefit Planner Calculators that can be used to help make decisions about retirement and disability benefits.
• The Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool (BEST) can help you explore what benefits you may be eligible for that Social Security administers.
• Social Security also has information about Survivors Benefits.
• Protect Yourself from Scams

Medicare: 

https://www.medicare.gov/

Commonly Requested Resources about Medicare:

Medicare Basics

• Video resources: 

  • Medicare Educational Videos from GWAAR.org
  • Medicare & You Videos – From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Getting Started with Medicare
• AARP’s Meet Medicare Booklet
• Medicare Costs at a Glance
• Parts of Medicare
• Part B Late Enrollment Penalty
• How Medicare works with Other Insurance
• CMS-40B and CMS-L564 enrollment forms for Medicare Part B if you are already enrolled in Part A
• About Medicare Preventative Services
• About Medicare Annual Wellness Visits
• Protect Yourself from Medicare Fraud
• Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol

Types of Medicare Health Plans, Advantage Plans and Medigap/Supplemental Policy Options

• Different types of Medicare health plans
  
• Advantage Plans and Supplemental (or Medigap) Plans
• About Original Medicare and Medigap/Supplemental Insurance
• Overview of Supplemental/Medigap Insurance brochure from Medicare
• Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare from Medicare.gov
• About Advantage Plans
• Medicare Advantage in WI
• Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans publication from Medicare.gov
• Consider these 7 Things When Choosing Coverage
• Wisconsin Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare 
• Medicare’s Plan Finder for Advantage Plans and Part D
• Medicare’s Plan Finder for Supplemental Policies

Prescription Coverage

• Part D Late Enrollment Penalty
• Medicare Part D Overview
• Medigap Part D and Prescription Drug Helpline

Part D Prescription Option

• Medicare Part D- Things to Know Before Signing Up
• Medicare’s Plan Finder for Part D and Advantage Plans

Wisconsin SeniorCare Option

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Publications and Information for SeniorCare Applicants and Participants
• SeniorCare Application and application instructions

Medicare Apps and Tools

• Medicare’s Phone App: What’s Covered
• Care Compare- Medicare’s online tool to help you find & compare doctors, hospitals & other providers near you that accept Medicare.

Medicare & You Handbook

• The Medicare & You 2020 Handbook is available online in pdf, large print, ebook, audiobook and braille formats and can be requested in book form. Books can also be picked up locally at the ADRC.

Medicare Medicare Resources

• Sawyer County’s Elder Benefit Specialist
• Guide to Benefits for Seniors from the National Council on Aging
• Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
• Medicare Counseling for WI Residents
• Medigap Helpline: A statewide toll-free helpline, operated by the Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long-Term Care.  The Medigap Helpline provides counseling for all Wisconsin Medicare beneficiaries on Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, employer-based health insurance, Medicare Advantage plans, long term care insurance and related topics. 

Programs that Can Assist with Medicare Costs

• Applications for Medicare Savings Programs (Parts A/Part B) are available from Northern Income Maintenance Consortium
• Applications for Extra Help/Low Income Subsidy (Part D) are available from the Social Security Administration. Note: A Medicare Savings Program recipient is automatically enrolled in a Part D plan unless they choose their own plan to enroll in. Part D enrollment assistance is available from the Elder Benefit Specialist  or with the Medicare’s Plan Finder.

Medicaid Resources

• Wisconsin Department of Health’s Medicaid Information
• Medicaid for Elderly, Blind or Disabled and SSI Medicaid Member information
• Guide to Applying for Wisconsin’s Health, Nutrition and Other Programs
• Wisconsin Medicaid for the Elderly, Blind or Disabled Application Packet
• Northern Income Maintenance Consortium - A partnership of twelve counties including Ashland, Bayfield, Florence, Forest, Iron, Lincoln, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, Vilas and Wood. Anyone living within these counties may contact the Northern IM Call Center to apply for benefits, report changes to cases, check benefits, process eligibility, complete reviews, or ask questions for the following programs:

• Wisconsin Well Woman Program
• Wisconsin Chronic Disease Program
• Wisconsin Medicaid and BadgerCare+ Emergency Services
• Forward Health Enrollment and Benefits Handbook
• BadgerCare Plus HMO Member Information
• MyACCESS Mobile App

Housing Resources

• Sawyer County Housing Authority
• LCO Housing Authority

Energy Assistance

• Sawyer County residents, please call 715-634-4806 to schedule an appointment;
• Residents living on Lac Courte Oreilles tribal boundaries, please call 715-634-8934 x7474

FoodShare (SNAP)

• FoodShare eligibility is determined by the Northern Income Maintenance Consortium
• Forward Health Enrollment and Benefits Handbook
• ebtEDGE Mobile App

Transportation

• Namekagon Transit
• Senior Resource Center
• Non-Emergency Medical Transportation from MTM

Additional Links of Interest

• Benefits Checkup from the National Council on Aging
• GWAAR- Greater Wisconsin Area Agency on Aging Resources
• Caregiver Support Programs (locally administered by the Sawyer County Senior Resource Center)
• Wisconsin Unemployment Benefits through the Department of Workforce Development (DWD)
• Disability Rights Wisconsin
• Judicare
• State of WI Lawyer Referral and information Service
• North Country Independent Living Center for Independent Living
• Wisconsin Senior Employment Program (WISE)
• SafeLink Lifeline Phone Services
• Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Internet and Phone Helpline
• Generations on Line 
• United States Department of Veterans Affairs
• National Council on Aging
• National Institutes of Health
• Internal Revenue Service

• IRS Coronavirus Tax Relief and Economic Impact Payments
• Voting in Wisconsin

 Local Links:

• Aging and Disability Resource Center of the North- Sawyer County branch
• ADRC-N Sawyer County branch Facebook Page
• Sawyer County Senior Resource Center
• Sawyer County Veterans Service Office
• Sawyer County Website
• Assistance Guide for Sawyer County
• Lac Courte Oreilles Elder Center Facebook Page
• Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe Website
• Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Resource Directory
• Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc.