Agony For 419,000 Oregonians On Medicare Annual Enrollment -10/28/24

Endless TV, radio, advertising, buckets of mail, phone calls and emails slam 65+ consumers 

 

Thousands of Oregonians are being hounded by the Annual Enrollment licensed agent hustle. Agents (also called brokers) play a numbers game to boost their annual commission. Thousands of Oregonian Medicare beneficiaries, many with chronic conditions, are squeezed out of a plan that may be best for them and switched to a plan not in their best interest. 

 

Medicare Beneficiaries should be educated about the reality of Medicare Annual Enrollment season, which is happening now and runs until for plans that start January 1, 2025.

 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid created this season to give beneficiaries the right to become educated about their Medicare health plans and if necessary, to CHOOSE a plan that best fits into their lifestyle and health needs. Not everybody needs to change their plan. No one should get persuaded or scared into changing their plan if it is working for them. For those seeking information, there is help. 

 

Thursday, November 7, from 1 – 3 p.m., a free community-wide interactive workshop explains Medicare, Medicaid, benefits, costs and answers individual questions. The community event is led by health educator Mara Woloshin and is sponsored by Jewish Family & Child Service, Congregation Neveh Shalom, and supported by a JFCS grant from Marcy Tonkin. The presentation is in person but will also be available online. As the space is limited, RSVPs are strongly encouraged. To RSVP, people should go to www.jfcs.org/medicare.

 

Here are some tips for getting the right Medicare agent: 

 

Ask these questions when on the phone or meeting in person with an agent.

• How long have you been in this business?
• How many insurance companies do you represent?
• Do you stay in touch year-round?
• How can I reach you if I need a question answered?

 

The agent should ask you: 

• About your primary care doctor
• Health goals or issues 
• Medications that you take and the cost

 

The agent should tell you: 

• That they are paid a commission
• They must explain and disclose the “stars” that the plan’s federal rating
• How they will be available to you year-round.