Care Connection for Aging Services has announced it will provide free, one-on-one Medicare Part D prescription and Advantage plan enrollment help by phone in 13 West-Central Missouri counties.
Medicare Part D Open Enrollment takes place from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Care Connection partners with CLAIM, Missouri’s State Health Insurance Program, to provide plan comparisons and enrollment assistance for people with Medicare throughout the year.
This year, all Part D enrollment assistance will take place by appointment only and by phone and mail.
“While we have hosted events in the centers and have accommodated walk-ins in the past, we regret that we will not be able to do that this year. All services will be by appointment only and largely handled over the telephone,” said Rona McNally, Director of Special Projects.
Participants must call to make a phone appointment to get the process started. After that initial appointment, materials will be mailed to the beneficiary or picked up curbside by appointment. No transactions will occur in person or via email.
During the phone appointment, enrollees will need their Medicare cards, a preferred pharmacy and a list of current prescriptions and dosages. Medicare enrollees are encouraged to review their plans annually to make sure the offerings still fit their needs.
“It’s always a good idea to review your Medicare Part D plan during annual open enrollment because plans change every year,” McNally said. “Our Medicare counseling services are popular in part because we are able to provide free, unbiased information. We don’t sell anything, and we do not recommend any particular plan.”
Care Connection is a non-profit agency serving people 60 and older 22 locations in 13 counties in West Central Missouri – including Bates, Benton, Carroll, Cedar, Chariton, Lafayette, Hickory, St. Clair, Vernon, Johnson, Pettis, Henry, and Saline. Its mission is to provide opportunities to create positive aging experiences. For more information, call 1-800-748-7826.
Here is a list of whom to contact depending on the location:
Bates and Vernon counties:
Artricia Lowry, 417-279-5138.
Benton County:
Dee Locke, 660-438-3300, Ext. 3.
Carroll and Chariton counties:
Robyn Kistler, 660-324-2058.
Cedar County:
Katie Hunter: 417-876-5574 or
417-372-8239.
Henry County:
Roy Qualls, 660-885-3482.
Hickory and St. Clair counties:
Melanie Foster, 417-646-8292, 660-207-2190.
Johnson County:
Laura Miles, 1-800-748-7826 or 660-747-3107.
Lafayette County
Higginsville: Call the center, 660-584-7040.
Odessa: Call the center, 816- 633-4161.
Concordia and Lexington: Penny Humphrey or Samantha Schnell 1-800-748-7826.
Pettis County:
Joy Guymon, 660-826-0713 or 660-619-9009.
Saline County:
Shery Fogle, 1-800-748-7826.