It’s open enrollment season again, and many of the over 2 million Medicare recipients are confused about what they need to do for 2008. As the deadline for open enrollment draws near, many seniors and their families are lost as to where to find information and help.

Patricia Nemore, senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy advises researching your options. “Everybody needs to shop around every year,” Nemore said recently. “Just because you like your plan this year doesn’t mean that plan will work the same next year.”

The changes are confusing enough that many counties, like Ventura county in California, are offering workshops to help explain the differences. “Everyone’s coming in, and they don’t have a clue over what to do,” said Ventura County Medicare counselor Katharine Raley, outside a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug workshop. “The whole room filled up in five minutes.”

AGIS.com has launched an area specifically to answer people’s questions about Medicare and Medicaid. Here users can find resources about Medicare and Medicaid so they can make informed decisions. In case seniors didn’t get the “Medicare and You 2008” booklet in the mail, AGIS’s has also made this important booklet available online, originally provided by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Often insurance companies change their plans each year. The two biggest things to pay attention to are the drugs covered list, also known as the formulary and the premium charged. Seniors and their families should make sure that the drugs they are taking are still on the formulary in 2008. If not, they should find another plan that does cover their drugs.

Illinois congressman John Shimkus advises to “take the time to call or go online to compare plans. If you decide to stay in the plan you’re in now, you do not need to do anything..” Use AGIS’s checklists for finding the right drug plan for you.

Related News:
Medicare enrollment deadline is the end of the month
Changes Ahead for Medicare Drug Program
Navigating the Medicare Maze

Resources from AGIS.com:
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D): Plan Comparison Worksheet
Medicare and You 2008
Medicare and Medicaid

Filed under: AGIS, Medicare, Medicare & Medicaid