Rufty-Holmes helps people get the right Medicare coverage

Rufty-Holmes helps people get the right Medicare coverage

Published 12:06 am Tuesday, November 7, 2023

By Brad Dountz

SALISBURY — Finding the perfect health insurance that fits a person's specific needs is not always easy and often requires outside support. For people of a certain age, renewing or being introduced to Medicare comes with its own set of challenges, but Rufty-Holmes Senior Center is once again offering their resources to make signing up for health insurance that much more bearable.

Starting back in Oct. and ending on Dec. 7, Rufty-Holmes is having free, open enrollment appointments that provides counseling for anyone on Medicare or will soon qualify for Medicare. Executive Director Nan Buehrer says Rufty-Holmes has been organizing this program for as long as they have been in business and its main goal is to guide people to ensure they do not overpay for insurance and get the ideal coverage for themselves.

"Because Medicare is confusing and changes all the time, our clients that come out of here feel much more confident about what they're doing and the decisions they're making and it's all designed also to be cost saving so that our clients can get the best plans that they need at the best cost," Buehrer said.

Rufty-Holmes partners with the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) through the North Carolina State Department of Insurance every year to have these services available for people who rely on Medicare for their health insurance. Rufty-Holmes receives grants from Medicare and SHIIP to assist in offering this aid. Since the department of insurance is responsible for training the counselors, it means they can be as unbiased as possible when figuring out the most practical choice for people seeking help.

"Because our counselors are trained through the state office of insurance, we don't sell any insurances at all and we are showing them all of their options that they have because our counselors don't make any commissions on any of this," Buehrer said.

Typically, people call into Rufty-Holmes to schedule an appointment. They will need to confirm details beforehand about an individual's medical history like their Medicare card's identifying number, the date when they enrolled, other general information, and a list of any medications they are taking.

Appointments can last an hour to an hour and a half. Additionally, two screens are present that allows a person to see what the counselors are doing at all times. If anyone can not show up in person, appointments can be done over the phone. Open enrollment is only going on until Dec. 7, however, counselors are able to see people all year long.

Counselor Charlotte Hall comes from a medical background who first got involved with the program years ago along with her husband. Hall's husband passed away last year, but she is still active with Rufty-Holmes to the point where she is in charge of scheduling all of the appointments, too.

"I do it now in his memory as well as the fact that I think I do good service for everybody," Hall said.

Counselor Don Mitchell first heard about the Medicare services from the tax prep program at Rufty-Holmes. Even with having a background in insurance for 18 years, Mitchell admits the training was "intense." Currently, he is learning firsthand how the appointments take place and he will soon be leading them himself. On a Nov. 6 appointment, Mitchell is strictly an observer to what goes on and he knows the role he needs to play in order to be an effective counselor.

"Be a listener to understand how the process works and go from there," Mitchell said.

The two main types of appointments Rufty-Holmes deals with are people who are turning 65 and are unfamiliar with Medicare or are renewing. People new to Medicare, their coverage options can include standard Medicare with a supplement plan and separate medication plan or a Medicare advantage plan that "bundles" those together. The counselors compare plans and look at drug lists to see what is available in the county. Insurance can be complicated for people not familiar with it and the counselors take that into account during the appointments.

"It's a little bit convoluted, but that's what we aim to do, is to teach them the ins and outs and help them make decisions," Hall said.

Hall recommends those with advantage plans or Part D medication coverage to come in during open enrollment every year so that they can compare coverages in case there are any differences compared to the last time they enrolled.

Kurt Stackman is new to Medicare and first heard about the workshops through his sister. After sitting in with Hall and Mitchell, he is confident he will now have the plan that fits him and expects to return to Rufty-Holmes in 2024.

"I am very pleased with their service and I will be back again next year to go over this to see if there's any changes," Stackman said.

To make an appointment, call 704-216-7724.