Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The Medicare Open Enrollment period is underway and a local non-profit has free counselors available for one-on-one help for seniors to navigate the very often confusing process.

AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services, formerly the Area Agency on Aging 1-B, partners with the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to offer free, un-biased benefit checkups throughout the six counties it serves. Trained counselors will help beneficiaries determine the best plan for them in 2027.

The Medicare Open Enrollment period kicked off October 15th and runs through December 7th.

Beneficiaries can have their plan reviewed by a certified, unbiased Medicare counselor to see if it will work for their health care needs and budget next year.

The open enrollment period is the only time during the year when beneficiaries can drop, switch, or change their coverage and prescription drug plans without penalty.

Open Enrollment is said to be particularly critical this year and the federal government is ending prescription drug subsidies for insurance companies, meaning that beneficiaries could see a spike in their premiums next year.

Senior Manager of Aging and Disability Resources at AgeWays Crystal Turbett told WHMI Medicare is complicated and plans can change every year, so even if someone has been happy with the coverage, things can still change. She stressed their counseling is a completely free, unbiased service with the only goal being to help save people money – they have no financial gain of any kind from organizations, insurance companies, or Medicare.

Turbett noted the majority of their counselors are retired and between the age of 60 and 85 who can relate well to their audience, but also just love to support and help people. She said “people don’t have to figure this out alone” – adding there’s also a lot of advertising during open enrollment so it can be hard to figure out what actually applies sometimes.

For those who do intend to set up an appointment, Turbett reminds to bring your Medicare card, information about your current coverage, an updated medication list with the dosages and how often being taken, and a list of your doctors and preferred pharmacy.

Turbett says if your plan sent you an ANOC or Annual Notice of Change, that is important and people should bring those for counselors to answer any questions.
AgeWays provides services in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw Counties.

In Livingston County, in-person appointments are available at a few sites: Livingston County Catholic Charities, Hartland’s Cromaine District Library, and the Brighton Senior Center.

Complete information is available in the provided link, or by calling 800-852-7795.