Medicare Information

This page is part of the LOVE Columbia information library website. To contact the organization listed below, please follow links or phone numbers given within the article.
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Website: medicare.gov

Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You’re first eligible to sign up for Medicare 3 months before you turn 65. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Step 1  Medicare basics

• Start here. Learn the parts of Medicare, how it works, and what it costs.

Step 2  Sign up

• First, you’ll sign up for Parts A and B. Find out when and how to sign up, and when coverage starts.

Step 3 Get more coverage

• Then, review your options for more coverage, when and how to get it, and browse plans.

Step 4 Using Medicare

• When you’re ready, find out how to get services and ways we can help you.

You can apply online for Medicare even if you are not ready to retire. Use the online application to sign up for Medicare. It takes less than 10 minutes. In most cases, once your application is submitted electronically, you’re done. There are no forms to sign and usually no documentation is required. Social Security will process your application and contact you if we need more information. Otherwise, you’ll receive your Medicare card in the mail. For more information about applying for Medicare only and delaying retirement benefits, visit Applying for Medicare Only – Before You Decide.

You may qualify to have your Medicare premium waved or reduced and receive help with payment of coinsurance and deductibles for Medicare services. Access the application here: mydss.mo.gov/medicare-cost-savings-programs

Take the application to:

Columbia Resource Center
601 Business Loop 70 W
Parkade Center Ste 272
Columbia, MO 65203
Mon, Tues, Thurs or Fri, 8 AM - 5 PM or Wed, 9 AM – 5 PM
855-373-4636

Family Resource Center
2700 W Ash Street
Columbia, MO 65203
Tues & Thurs, 8 AM - 4 PM
573-874-1995

Primaris
4215 Philips Farm Rd
Ste 101B
573-817-8300
primaris.org

Services for Medicare beneficiaries. Assists with concerns about quality of care, educational materials on HMOs, reviews quality complaints regarding Medicare.

Additional Resource:

Claim
1105 Lakeview Avenue
Columbia, MO 65201
800.390.3330
www.missouriclaim.org

CLAIM has been the official State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for Missouri since 1993. Missouri Connections for Health provides the services for the CLAIM program through a contract with the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI). Funding is provided by the Administration for Community Living with oversight by DCI.

CLAIM averages around 300 volunteer counselors and 180 community partners throughout Missouri who provide local Medicare counseling in their communities. Volunteers receive extensive training to become a certified Medicare counselor, and continue to receive updates and trainings on a regular basis. CLAIM provides free, unbiased counseling and education to Missouri Medicare beneficiaries. Claim can help individuals look at their options & assist with filing Medicare part D.

Part D Prescription Drug Plan Medicare Part D is an optional program that helps pay for prescription drugs. It does this through a variety of plans offered by private companies that have been approved by Medicare. A Medicare Prescription Drug Plan offers:

• Prescription drug coverage for everyone with Medicare regardless of income and resources, health status, or current prescription expenses

• Both brand name and generic prescription drugs at participating pharmacies convenient to beneficiaries

• Protection for people who have very high drug costs or from unexpected prescription drug costs in the future

• The program can dramatically reduce the cost of your medications. Remember, unless you qualify for “Extra Help,” this program is designed to share the costs with you, not pay all of your prescription costs.