Question: I saw an ad in the paper about March Medicare Madness, what is that?

Answer: At Senior Life Matters we are getting that question, or similar questions a lot lately. Throughout the year I give a number of speaking engagements to talk about Medicare. I do talks about many other topics as well. The March Medicare Madness is a three-part series. This series of talks are on three different but related topics, revolving around Medicare. The topic of Medicare is pretty broad with LOTS of different ways to think about it. This three-part series is designed to give more in-depth information on three different nights.

The dates of these talks are March 8, 14 and 22. These are different days of the week. All of the talks are held on the Lutheran Campus at 715 Falconer St., Jamestown. They all begin at 6:30. They are all free and we ask that you make a reservation if you would like to attend. Those reservations can be made by calling 720-9122. You can also make a reservation on the website at www.lutheran-jamestown.org.

The month of March for many of us is Basketball March Madness, hence the “basketball themed’ talks. Trust me we are not playing basketball, I am 5′ 1” and have never been a good shot. What we will be doing is talking about Medicare, all its parts and the options related to each part.

The breakdown will be as follows; The March 8th discussion will focus on Original Medicare A & B as well as Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Benefit). This talk will focus on what the rules are regarding these three Medicare benefits, how they differ, how they are similar and what they cover. This evening is designed to help you understand what Medicare is, what Medicare covers and how you sign up for it.

The March 14 discussion will focus on Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement Plans (Medigap). This type of insurance works with Original Medicare. The evening will be spent talking about the type of plans available, how the plans work, benefit, & and how much they cost.

The March 22 evening will be about Medicare Advantage Plans. These are insurance products that cover your Medicare services and sometimes Medications in a slightly different way. There are a number of different types of Medicare Advantage Plans. We will be talking about those different types, the companies that sell them, benefits related to costs, and the strengths and weaknesses of the different types.

This three-part series is a way of giving our attendees in-depth information about the many Medicare options they have available. One of the things I love about working in this part of the country is that our older citizens (anyone over the age of 60) are very informed. I am so proud of our population for the work they put into learning about their options and alternatives. That says a lot about our region of the world. You research, you read, you listen and work to be a well-informed population. This is not just about Medicare, it is about everything related to health insurance and health care coverage. You attend programs, write letters, call on the phone and voice your concerns and issues of interest. That makes working with you a little easier. You have already done some research and now have some different questions.

This doesn’t mean that those of you who don’t know anything about Medicare should not attend. This program is useful for you as well. This series is meant to be a foundation of learning about Medicare. So make your reservation at 720-9122 or at www.lutheran-jamestown.org. I look forward to seeing you on any or all of the nights that sound interesting to you!

To contact Janell Sluga, GCMC with questions or concerns, please call 720-9797 or e-mail her at janells@lutheran-jamestown.org.