skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Medicare Open Enrollment: OR Beneficiaries Encouraged to Compare Plans

play audio
Play

Monday, October 14, 2019   

PORTLAND, Ore. – Starting Tuesday, Medicare enrollees and folks new to the program can review their plans or sign up for 2020.

Open enrollment in the health insurance program runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, giving nearly 860,000 Oregonians the opportunity to change their coverage if they choose.

Lisa Emerson is a Medicare program analyst with Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA), which helps Oregonians navigate Medicare enrollment. She says there are more than two dozen plans to sift through.

"So it's very important to compare them and do that on an annual basis, because you could save considerable money,” she states. “And also, just making sure that you have the coverage of benefits that you need in the new year, making sure that certain prescriptions are covered on the individual prescription drug list."

AARP Oregon encourages folks to look at their options during open enrollment to make sure they have the right plan heading into next year. Changes go into effect at the beginning of 2020.

The SHIBA program receives a federal grant to assist Medicare beneficiaries and consists of a statewide network of counselors who can walk people through the process. The agency works with local partners to provide in-person assistance as well. Emerson encourages folks to reach out.

"SHIBA can be a great advocate and provide counseling and information and assistance," she stresses

Oregonians can find assistance online at SHIBA.Oregon.gov, or by calling 1-800-722-4134. And Emerson says the assistance program is always looking for volunteers.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …


Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …


More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social media platform X temporarily shutdown searches of "Taylor Swift" following the release of explicit deepfake images in early 2024. (Mdv Edwards/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

Social Issues

play sound

A 2023 study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center concluded the number of Nebraskans with a mental health or substance abuse disorder has pr…

Environment

play sound

A farm group is helping Iowa agriculture producers find ways to reduce the amount of nitrogen they use on their crops. Excess nitrates can wind up …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021