Newly Medicare-eligible residents encouraged to attend Welcome to Medicare: 2020
The Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau (DMAB), a division of the Department of Insurance, has announced a series of Welcome to Medicare: 2020 events taking place throughout the year. More than a dozen public learning sessions will take place across the state. Participants will learn about various parts of Medicare and their benefits, supplemental insurance policies, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare prescription drug coverage, and details on signing up.
“Bringing information about Medicare to residents in convenient locations throughout the state helps us to increase understanding of the complex healthcare system and encourage the community to reach out to our team for assistance when needed,” said Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro.
Upcoming events include:
- Wednesday, March 4 at 10:00AM, Delaware Department of Insurance, 1351 W. North Street, Dover*
- Wednesday, March 11 at 10:30AM, Bear Library, 101 Governors Place, Bear*
- Wednesday, March 18 at 10:00AM, Rockland Place, 1519 Rockland Road, Wilmington*
- Thursday, March 26 at 10:00AM, CHEER Community Center, 20520 Sandhill Road, Georgetown
*Commissioner Navarro will attend.
Residents who plan to attend are encouraged to RSVP by calling DMAB at (302) 674-7364 or via Eventbrite. Press should RSVP to Christina.Haas@delaware.gov.
Additional events are slated to take place throughout the year and can be found on the DMAB calendar. Details of future events may be subject to change.
“These seminars are geared towards new and soon-to-be Medicare beneficiaries who can meet with our professional staff and ask questions,” said Lakia Turner, DMAB Director. DMAB encourages residents turning 65 this year and those newly eligible for Medicare due to a disability to attend one of the Welcome to Medicare: 2020 sessions. You do not have to be retired or without health insurance to apply for Medicare.
While the annual open enrollment for Medicare takes place October 15 to December 7, residents are eligible to enroll up to three months before the month a person turns 65 and up to three months after their birth month. Applying early helps residents to avoid possible financial penalties, avoid gaps in coverage, and reduce wait time for response from Medicare and DMAB, which experience very high volumes of contact during annual open enrollment.
The Delaware Medicare Assistance Bureau provides free one-on-one health insurance counseling for people eligible for Medicare. Residents can call DMAB at 1(800) 336-7364 or (302) 674-7364 to set up a free confidential counseling session with a trained volunteer at a convenient site throughout the state.