Santa Barbara Village is pleased to host a free workshop on Medicare, open to its members and the general public.
“Managing the Medicare Maze” will be held from 3:45 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, at the Bronfman Family Jewish Community Center, 524 Chapala St. in Santa Barbara.
Whether someone is new to Medicare or not, attendees will gain useful knowledge about Medicare and related information.
“The timing of this workshop is strategic, with Medicare’s open enrollment coming in October,” said Naomi Kovacs, executive director of Santa Barbara Village. “We want to help people to understand Medicare and to make the best decisions they can for themselves regarding their Medicare options.
“For people new to Medicare, this workshop will help them understand what is available to them. For those already on Medicare, they will find out how to evaluate their current health coverage, understand which options best fit their current needs, and determine if it is in their best interest to switch plans or not.”
The workshop will be led by Gary Clancy, a volunteer counselor with the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP).
“We’re pleased to partner with HICAP to present this workshop,” Kovacs said. “It was important to us to have HICAP lead the workshop because HICAP provides knowledgeable, free and unbiased assistance for people on Medicare.”
Santa Barbara Village hopes the workshop will also introduce local seniors to, or remind them about, this free community resource. In addition to providing Medicare counseling, HICAP also helps people understand supplemental insurance, HMOs and long-term care insurance, and provides information and assistance with understanding Medicare benefits and rights, solving medical billing problems, filing claims and appeals, and comparing insurance plans.
Seniors who would like to know more about their Medicare options and how to compare them are encouraged to attend the workshop.
“Gaining such knowledge,” Kovacs said, “is key to making good choices.”
Santa Barbara Village is a nonprofit membership organization that serves as an alternative to a retirement or assisted-living facility for seniors age 50 or older who wish to remain at home and independent as long as possible.
Very limited parking will be available on site for this event, and four city parking lots are located within two to three blocks: Paseo Nuevo (Chapala Street), Lot 10 (Ortega Garage), Lot 11 (at Haley and Anacapa streets) and Lot 12 (at State and Gutierrez streets).
Click here for more information on Santa Barbara Village, or call 805.729.8828. To RSVP or for more information about the workshop or HICAP, call 800.434.0222 or 805.928.5663.
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