Evaluating Your Medicare Benefits

Free, local service helps in reviewing your Medicare plan options for 2021
Did you know those with Medicare health and drug plans can make changes each
year—things like cost, coverage, drug formularies, and which providers and pharmacies
are in their networks? If you have been waiting to make changes to your Medicare
Prescription Drug or Medicare Advantage plan, wait no more! The Medicare Open
Enrollment Period (OEP) is the time to make any necessary adjustments to your plan to
ensure you have the best coverage to complement your health needs for 2021.
Medicare can be a daunting subject for most people and the OEP only runs from Oct.
15, 2020, through Dec. 7, 2020, but you don’t have to go it alone! During this time, lean
on experts for advice and utilize a local, valuable resource: the SHINE (Serving Health
Insurance Needs of Elders) Program.
SHINE is a program of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and is operated locally
through Elder Options. Specially trained SHINE counselors help educate and empower
Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to understand their health care
options so they can make the best decisions for their individual needs. The SHINE
mission is to provide free and unbiased information about Medicare and Medicaid for
beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. SHINE also educates beneficiaries to
protect, detect, and report potential errors, fraud, and abuse with their Medicare
coverage. SHINE strongly encourages beneficiaries to be on the lookout for their
Annual Notice of Change (ANOC), which they should receive from their plan no later
than Sept. 30, 2020. Reviewing their benefits and evaluating their health care options
each year is vitally important for beneficiaries. Acting quickly can assure a smooth
transition into the 2021 benefit year.
To receive help from SHINE, individuals may call 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) to
speak with a trained SHINE counselor in your area. For more information, please visit
www.floridashine.org.