By Mary Goitia | Sun City
I just finished reading the June 11 article in the Independent.
I am replying with some suggestions regarding the article.
Thank you for providing helpful information for our residents. It was helpful that you also interviewed the National Federation of Republican Women member. It is important to "not" get everybody alarmed over Medicaid cuts. Care center patients will not be tossed out the door!
Brokers are not the only source of information out there. I want to provide a bit more information.
ARIZONA SHIP (SHIP is an acronym for State Health Insurance Assistance Program) is a wonderful resource available free of charge. Their counselors are totally free of charge. Their website is azship.org and their phone number is 1-800-432-4040. You call them and they will get back to you in 24 hours. If you need personal assistance for complex issues, they will meet with you. Their office is located in the Area Agency on Aging building at 1789 W Jefferson. SHIP counselors have extensive training.
If you do not want to drive downtown or talk to people on the phone, we also have a great local resource. Sun City Community Assistance Network has excellent personal Medicare assistance counselors available. These counselors also can connect people to several other community resources that are available. They meet personally with residents on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, starting at 8:15 a.m. Four appointments are available each day. Call 623-933-0394. This is an important resource ‑ information is power.
Lastly, the Medicare website is fantastic. You can compare all plans online and select the plan that is available in your area.
There is no reason that anybody should need to spend hard-earned money to get good Medicare assistance. It is available for free. I am a former SHIP volunteer that works with Sun City CAN. They are great.
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