He Helps People With Medicare Plan Choices

Chuck Henry is a familiar fixture this time of year at the Riley County Seniors’ Service Center in Manhattan where he helps many people three days each week throughout Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period.

When he retired, he knew he wanted to help others with Medicare so he sought the opportunity to do that as a volunteer with the Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK).

“The whole aspect of Medicare counseling is very rewarding,” he said. “Many people, whether age 60 or 90, are fearful of undertaking an activity that involves the federal government. It is enjoyable to me to know that my training allows me to assist them and possibly put their minds at ease.”

chuck henry of manhattan is a dedicated volunteer for SHICK counseling at the riley county senior center. (staff photo)

Henry said the best part about SHICK counseling is that this counseling is free and without bias.

“A SHICK counselor’s only purpose is to save the Medicare client money, if possible, and still provide the best coverage available in the marketplace,” he said. “That is not always the case with others who might offer to assist people with Medicare choices.”

Henry is aware that a lot of people might hesitate to compare plans, especially if they liked the plan they had last year. Still he urges people to shop.

He sees first hand that drug insurance companies often change their premiums, their preferred pharmacies or their drug formularies—and people who don’t check each year can lose money or benefits.

“These changes might make no difference to your coverage--or they might be a significant financial change,” Henry said. “It doesn’t hurt to check!”

Henry knows that many people can use the Planfinder tool at www.medicare.gov to compare plans on their own. Still he believes there is an advantage to having an extra pair of eyes looking at the material, which could lead to peace of mind.

He also said it can be very helpful to have a trained counselor help you enroll in a different plan.

“People should not shy away from seeking assistance with a task that seems daunting,” he said. “Consider how much time you would spend studying the Medicare information, only to find out you should have considered one more option.”

One of Henry’s most rewarding experiences happened when he helped a person who had been on Medicare for a few years but had never enrolled in Part D. This person was experiencing higher pharmacy costs and wanted a prescription drug plan, however, the estimated $25 monthly late enrollment penalty was more than this person could afford.

Henry helped this person apply for Extra Help, a program that helps pay drug costs and insurance premiums and deductibles. The net result was this person not only didn’t have to pay the penalty, but also wouldn’t have to pay the premium--even very much at the pharmacy--due to receiving Extra Help.

“It was obviously a win, win, win for that person,” he said.

Before beginning to provide counseling, all SHICK counselors must complete an extensive online self-study on Medicare. This is followed by a one-day, in-person training led by trainers from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). Henry received his initial training in 2018 and completes one-day continuing education training annually.

“That training is sufficient to assist with usual questions related to the open enrollment window,” he said. “Personally, I studied the entire Medicare program in order that I might also be useful in counseling those under 65 before they make the choices required to participate in the program.”

Henry encourages other people who are comfortable dealing with federal regulations and with an elderly population should consider volunteering as a SHICK Counselor.

“It is my choice how much time I devote to this volunteer effort. I also receive inquiries at other times during the year, usually from people about to go on Medicare or about to retire, but that is much less frequent,” he said

Besides SHICK counseling, Henry is also an AARP volunteer income tax preparer at the Riley County Seniors’ Service Center.

“This program is similar in my mind because it allows me to perform a service that sometimes makes people uncomfortable if they try to take care of it themselves,” he said. “Thus, my volunteer efforts are focused from October through April.”

Then he said with a wink, “That gives me the summer off to travel!”

This article was prepared by Karen Mayse, who is also an experienced SHICK Counselor and Medicare expert. This article first appeared as the cover story in the Fall 2020 edition of Keynotes. There is still time to schedule an appointment for SHICK counseling, but time is running short. To learn more about scheduling an appointment for SHICK counseling, please visit ncfhaaa.com/shick or call 800-432-2703. For those living in Kansas, outside the NC-FH AAA region, please call 866-457-2364.