Medicare drug plan changes are coming

Don’t miss the Medicare annual open enrollment period for Part D drug plans which runs through December 7. Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon has SHIIP counselors Russ Hagen and Stan and Mary Straate available to discuss Medicare Part D plans available for 2017 and Medicare Advantage. Appointments are required.

Call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411 to schedule an appointment. Those with appointments will need to bring their Medicare card, current Part D plan card and a list of medications from their pharmacy which includes drug name, quantity and dosage.

These SHIIP volunteers are available throughout the year at Veterans Memorial Hospital. To make an appointment with a SHIIP volunteer, call the hospital at 563-568-3411.

Interested individuals can also go to www.medicare.gov and do a comparison of 2017 Medicare drug plans. SHIIP has step-by-step instructions for doing a comparison of plans on its website, www.therightcalliowa.gov. Go to the “Find Health & Drug Plans” section. SHIIP is a free, confidential service of the State of Iowa Insurance Division with counselors available across the state to help compare Medicare drug plans. For the nearest SHIIP site nearest call 1-800-351-4664 (TTY 1-800-735-2942) or go to www.therightcalliowa.gov. Those choosing to change plans or enroll in a plan but missed an earlier deadline must enroll in the new plan by December 7.