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• Jack was nearing 65 and thinking about retiring. He was being swamped with mailings from insurance companies selling Medicare drug plans and Medicare supplement insurance. He didn’t understand Medicare and wasn’t sure what his options were if he did retire. He met with the SHIIP counselor who reviewed his options and he felt more comfortable making his decisions.
• Ralph had 160 envelopes containing medical bills, Medicare statements and insurance statements. A SHIIP volunteer spent 26.5 hours sorting through the papers, organizing, and explaining to the client the status of each claim.
• Beth wanted to help her mother choose a prescription drug plan and found the help she needed by meeting with a SHIIP volunteer. The volunteer gathered information from Beth and printed out a comparison of plans. The family especially appreciated that all the information given to them was confidential and objective.
Now, these people and others in our community can find answers and help with solving
these problems by calling 515-733-4325.
Bethany Life has been named a sponsor for the Senior Health Insurance Information Program, a service of the State of Iowa Insurance Division. Bethany Life SHIIP volunteers provide free-of-charge counseling and information to people with questions about Medicare, Medicare supplement insurance, prescription drug coverage and claims filings.
Kari Matheason will coordinate the program at Bethany Life. The SHIIP office is located at 618 Broad Street and people can make an appointment by calling 515-733-4325.
Linda Henderson, an experienced and trained SHIIP Counselor, will be the one to assist and answer questions for the public. “SHIIP has a great track record for saving Iowans money and headaches,” said Kris Gross, SHIIP Director. Annually the program saves older Iowa’s hundreds of thousands of dollars. “It’s an important service and we’re pleased to have Bethany Life join us in offering free, unbiased help to seniors with health insurance questions.”
The State of Iowa created SHIIP in 1990 in response to the statewide need for senior
health insurance information. SHIIP provides free informational materials as well as one-to-one assistance and community education programs. SHIIP does not recommend insurance companies, plans or agents; the volunteers, trained by the State of Iowa Insurance Division, answer questions and provide impartial information to help seniors make well-informed decisions.