Open enrollment Oct. 15-Dec. 7
INEZ — Big Sandy Area Development District announced it will conduct a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) open enrollment event at center citizen centers in each of the five service counties to help residents check on plans for 2023.
The event at Martin County Senior Citizen Center in Inez is set for Oct. 24 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Residents are encouraged to come out and see if they qualify for “Extra Help,” Part D, or a Medicare savings program. [Medicare Part D provides drug coverage. The Extra Help program helps with the cost of prescription drugs, like deductibles and copays. You can apply for Extra Help any time before or after you enroll in Part D. Gather these documents for you and your spouse: Bank statements and tax returns; Individual Retirement Account or 401(k) account balances; statements for pensions, veterans’ benefits, annuities and Railroad Retirement Board benefits.]
Kentucky’s SHIP provides information, counseling and assistance to seniors and disabled individuals, their families and caregivers. This service is provided at no charge by trained counselors.
The program seeks to educate the general public and Medicare beneficiaries so they can better make informed decisions about their health care.
SHIP goals
• Educate seniors on health insurance coverage, benefits and consumer rights;
• Provide assistance and education on a one-on-one basis or through educational forums;
• Protect consumers against fraud or misdirected collections
• Empower consumers to make informed health insurance choices.
What can SHIP
do for you?
The Kentucky SHIP has partnered with the Department for Public Health Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program to become a partner site. The KPAP helps qualified persons access prescription drug programs offered by drug manufacturers, discount programs, and discount pharmacy programs.
Through the KPAP partnership, SHIP will help those who qualify and/or their families access available prescription drugs for free or at reduced cost. The service area includes all 120 counties.
Call the statewide SHIP Hotline at (877) 293-7447 (option #2) or call DAIL at (502) 564-6930 and ask for a SHIP counselor.
Here is Big Sandy ADD’s full schedule of SHIP events:
• Pike County/Shelby Valley Senior Center – Monday, Oct. 23.
• Martin County Senior Center – Tuesday, Oct. 24.
• Magoffin County Senior Center – Thursday, Nov. 2.
• Johnson County Senior Center – Monday, Nov. 14.
• Floyd County/McDowell Senior Center – Friday, Nov. 17.