AREA — SeniorsPlus, the designated Area Agency on Aging serving Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties, will offer free, unbiased health insurance counseling during Medicare open enrollment and throughout the year. Open enrollment for Medicare health plans runs from October 15 to December 7, as does the Medicare Part D drug plan open enrollment.  Open Enrollment is the time to enroll and make changes to existing Medicare plans or investigate and possibly pursue changing current plans. These Medicare information services are available in the offices of SeniorsPlus, via Zoom meetings, phone calls, and using regular mail service as needed.  SeniorsPlus also offers Medicare 101 classes regularly. Appointments for the agency’s assistance are required and are filling up fast. If you seek an appointment, call 1 800 427-1241.

“Medicare offers a lot of options and it’s hard to discern what is best for you,” said Betsy Sawyer-Manter, President and CEO of SeniorsPlus. “Unlike many Medicare counseling services, our services are offered without any fees or select products in mind, except what the client chooses and what is best for their particular situation. We are not an insurance broker.”

Since 1972, SeniorsPlus has been improving the lives of older adults and adults with disabilities. As the designated Area Agency on Aging for Western Maine, SeniorsPlus provides statewide services with an emphasis on Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties for core services (ie nutrition and information and assistance) that support independent living, healthy aging, and fight isolation. The overall program goal of SeniorsPlus is to assist older people and adults with disabilities in its tri-county area to remain safely at home for as long as possible. The mission of SeniorsPlus is to enrich the lives of older people and adults with disabilities, their families, and communities, and to support them to make informed choices. SeniorsPlus envisions a future where all older adults and individuals with disabilities are engaged and respected while living quality, independent lives in the communities of their choice. Annually, SeniorsPlus serves more than 8,000 individuals and fields 170,000 phone inquiries. SeniorsPlus offers a network of support, including information and assistance, short-term care management, Medicare counseling, caregiver support and respite, health and wellness education, benefits counseling, and Meals on Wheels and congregate dining.