The Medicare Information Office is pleased to announce that the first volunteer has completed the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Foundations Training and the Group Presentation Training. Ms. Sharon White-Wheeler has recently completed both preparatory trainings. This puts the SMP on track to begin offering the Medicare Minutes program starting this fall.
The Medicare Minutes program is intended to help the Senior Medicare Patrol reach people under the age of 65 with Medicare with good information and assistance related to Medicare and detecting, preventing and reporting fraud.
Medicare Minutes presentations are given each month to a pre-determined site in the community. Each presentation lasts 5 to 10 minutes and provides information on a timely Medicare and fraud-related topic. This can be layered onto an existing program such as a place of worship, monthly luncheon or support group. They can be scheduled before or after regularly scheduled events and they can be longer (up to around 30 minutes) if requested.
The same volunteer will come back at the same time every month to share a new Medicare Minute.
These presentations make it easier for audience members to think about and talk about their health insurance before problems arise. Time permitting, presentations are usually followed by audience questions and discussion.
Medicare Minutes are developed by the Medicare Rights Center, (www.medicarerights.org), a national, nonprofit consumer service organization that works to ensure access to affordable health care for older adults and people with disabilities. This project was supported by the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.
If you are interested in having a Medicare Minutes volunteer come to your organization, or if you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact Nila Morgan at the Medicare Information Office at (907) 269-4199 or nila.morgan@alaska.gov.
Nila Morgan is the Medicare Fraud Education Coordinator at the Alaska Medicare Information Office.
Nila Morgan is a Certified Medicare Counselor who works at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center.
