Medicare tips to know with Open Enrollment period upon us

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Millions of Americans are faced with navigating through the Medicare Open Enrollment Period running from October 15th to December 7th.

"This period is for people who have Part D plans and some people who have Medicare Advantage plans," said Shari Smith. "There’s a lot of confusion some of it is just understanding the plans. Plans change every year. The prices of the premiums change, they may change their formulary."

People who normally qualify for Medicare are people 65 or older, have a disability, or end-stage renal disease.

But during this Open Enrollment Period they don’t have to navigate through a maze of confusion.

The Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program is there to help.

"We have trained and certified counselors," Smith said. "We will sit down 1-on-1 with individuals and go through their plan. How they like to shop for their medication, what pharmacy they choose to go to, because there could be a difference in price based on what pharmacy they use, of hundreds of dollars."

The Area Agency On Aging 1-B says the MMAP program can help Medicare recipients avoid pitfalls. State leaders issued a warning this week to be on alert for scams and high-pressure sales tactics during the Open Enrollment period.

"If you get a cold call from somebody, if they knock on your door or they call you they’re not allowed to do that," Smith said.

There are other red flags to also be aware of.

"If they ask you for your Medicare number or your Social Security Number, and you don’t have to have that number to enroll in a plan to help someone enroll in a plan," she said.

If you are interested in receiving assistance from MMAP it won’t cost you anything you just have to make an appointment to get started.

"Our phone number is 800-803-7174,"  she said. "Our services are totally free and unbiased."

And MMAP can also help your bottom line.

"We can save you money. Even you're $15 a month on Part D that can add up," she said.