Ohio Program To Educate Seniors On Medicare Scores Best In Country

 A state program to help people age 65 and over better navigate healthcare coverage under Medicare is entering 2017 with high marks. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rated Ohio’s Medicare counseling program the best in the country.

The program is called the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP). It’s a free education and counseling service to help seniors sort through confusion that comes from having to choose between the different insurance plans and supplemental coverage options offered through Medicare.

Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor says 2016 marks the second year in a row the program received the top score in the country.   She notes, “What we like to work with senior citizens with on is if they have high pharmaceutical costs, for example. We want to make sure they are gauging what their pharmaceutical responsibility is going to be   under various plans. If they have a particular health issue, we want to make sure they are looking at the details of a particular plan that they might not otherwise look at to make sure they are getting the coverage that best meets their needs at the lowest cost.”   

Taylor says last year OSHIIP counseled nearly 423,000 consumers saving a combined total of 21-million dollars. The next open enrollment period for Medicare doesn’t start until October but Ohio’s counseling and education service runs year round.

To contact the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program:   call 1-800-686-1578  

Or click here