MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) – The United Way of East Mississippi is offering a counseling program designed to answer questions concerning Medicare, Medicaid and other health insurance issues.
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (S.H.I.P.) provides trained volunteers to answer questions, compare policies, organize paperwork, and help with claims and filing appeals.
They also help elderly citizens and caregivers understand Medicare benefits, organize bills, explore long-term care options, and more.
“There was a study done a couple of years ago, where they found that only 1/3 of people who have Medicare bother to check their plan. But, they did find that 2/3 of those saved money by changing plans. And, it was about $80 a month on average. That’s almost $1,000 a year,” said William Vicars, a S.H.I.P. volunteer counselor.
Williams warns against people keeping their plan without frequently checking what it covers.
“And that can be a big mistake- financially, and coverage wise, too. They might be shocked to find that the drug that they need to take is no longer covered by their plan. It was covered this year, but the next year that plan changed and quit covering that drug. That can be heartbreaking,” said Williams.
The United Way will offer this service from October 15th through December 7th for those aged 65 and older at their offices at North Hills in Meridian.
To reach United Way by phone, call (601)-693-2732.
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