The Medicare open enrollment period closes on December 7th, so people at or approaching retirement age are encouraged to talk with a counselor in the Senior Health Insurance Information Program, or SHIIP.

The SHIIP counselor at Dallas County Hospital is Lou Hoger, and he describes some of the ways he can help, such as how to avoid getting taken advantage of. “We encourage people, very strongly, to check those Medicare summary notices that they receive following receiving medical care at their physicians or the hospital or anywhere, because there have been occasions when things come through Medicare that the people never received. And so that’s probably either just an error or it’s a case of Medicare fraud. And so if people notice any discrepancies on their Medicare summary, it would be wise to call SHIIP and we can look into that for them.”

Hoger also says people should be mindful of potential scams. Two prevalent examples include a caller selling medical equipment like knee braces and saying Medicare will pay for it, and people offering DNA testing covered by Medicare. He emphasizes that Medicare won’t pay for anything not specifically ordered by your doctor, so those types of calls are always scams. Hoger adds, there are a multitude of issues people have concerning Medicare, and he and other SHIIP counselors are equipped to help you navigate the maze of coverage.

To set up an appointment, call Dallas County Hospital at 515-465-3547. To learn more about SHIIP, click the link below to listen to the Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Hoger.

https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2019/11/25/lets-talk-dallas-county-11-25-2019-lou-hoger/