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Do you have questions about Medicare
and insurance?
There’s help with SHIIP!
Is Medicare + Choice for me? Are mammograms covered by Medicare Part B? What coverage can I get with Medicare supplement insurance?
You
can find the answers to your questions about Medicare and insurance
by meeting with the Senior Health Insurance Information Program
(SHIIP) volunteers at Franklin General Hospital.
FGH is pleased to sponsor this valuable program. Our SHIIP volunteers, Harlan Hunt, Everett Petersen and Marie Russell, have taken extensive training conducted by the State of Iowa Insurance Division.
SHIIP was created in 1990 to help meet the statewide need for senior health insurance information. SHIIP truly is neighbors helping one another. Local sponsors like FGH provide a link to the community. Volunteers provide one-to-one assistance as they answer questions and solve problems related to understanding and organizing medical bills and Medicare and insurance statements. They help compare and evaluate Medicare supplement policies and provide information on long-term care insurance policies. They understand Medicare managed care and other options and can help evaluate employer retiree plans and other types of health insurance, as well as inform clients of various assistance programs such as prescription drugs and Medicaid.
SHIIP does not recommend insurance
plans or agents; volunteers answer questions and provide impartial
information to help seniors make well-informed decisions. The
service is free, objective, and confidential.
SHIIP volunteers save Iowans money and headaches. Each year the program saves
older Iowans almost $371,000. It’s an important service and Franklin
General Hospital is pleased to be able to help offer free, unbiased assistance
to seniors with health insurance questions.
The local number to call is 456-5074. You will get a recorded message as a reply, but we urge you to leave your name and number. As volunteers, Harlan, Everett and Marie are not available to answer the phone at all times, but messages are checked regularly and you will be called back promptly.
SHIIP is offered through the State of Iowa Insurance Division. That toll-free number is 800-351-4664. The SHIIP website is www.shiip.state.ia.us.