About one in five Oregonians have Medicare, and many of them have questions about enrollment, insurance, penalties and such. More than a dozen volunteer Medicare counselors are available to help Marion and Polk residents by phone during the pandemic.
To make a counseling appointment with a trained volunteer, or to learn how to ask a question to be answered here, see the end of this column.
Here are answers to several frequently asked questions.
I plan to enroll in Medicare this summer. If the Salem Social Security office is still closed, what should I do?
Even with the office closed you still have two options: You may enroll online at the Social Security site (ssa.gov). Or call the Salem office at 866-593-1559 weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. You will be given a time when you will receive a callback to enroll by phone.
I have good Medicare insurance, but I also need dental. What are my options?
The company providing your Medicare insurance very likely offers dental insurance. Other companies also sell dental insurance. A good place to start is by asking your dental office what insurance policies it accepts. Be aware that most dental policies will pay no more than $1,000 or $1,500 annually.
I should have some health-care benefits through the VA to supplement my Medicare benefit. Where can I find out what’s covered?
The veterans service officer in your county will have the answer. To learn who that is, call the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs at 800-828-8801. Or find the information on the ODVA website.
I have a friend moving to Oregon from out of state. He will lose the insurance he has now. He has cancer. Will he be able to get Medicare insurance here?
Yes. He could enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan; they do not ask about pre-existing conditions. Or, because he has insurance that he will lose in the move, he will have guaranteed issue for a Medigap “supplemental” policy in Oregon. That means he would not pay a higher premium because of the cancer. (This would apply to any Oregonian new to Medicare, too.) With Medicare Advantage plans he would have doctor and hospital co-pays; with Medigap he would not, although his monthly premium would very likely be higher.
My Medicare insurance has premiums, co-pays, deductibles – is anything free with Medicare?
Yes, there is quite a list, including an annual wellness visit with your physician. Among the other free services are the first 20 days in a skilled nursing facility for an injury or illness requiring temporary care as well as mammograms, alcohol misuse screenings and counseling, and screenings for such things as cardiovascular disease, cervical and vaginal cancer, depression, glaucoma and prostate cancer.
Vaccinations such as for the flu and hepatitis B also have no cost. For a more complete list, see page 14 of the Oregon Guide to Medicare Insurance Plans. To find the guide, go online to healthcare.oregon.gov and, on the left side of the page, click on 2020 Oregon Guide.
Jim Sellers of Salem is a certified Medicare counselor with the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program (SHIBA). To ask a question to be answered in this column e-mail [email protected]. To schedule a free SHIBA phone appointment with a volunteer Medicare counselor, call 800-722-4134.
