Medicare

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Very few government programs will help pay your long-term care expenses. Those that do have strict eligibility requirements and limits on what is covered.

You should not count on Medicare to pay for your long-term services and supports needs. Medicare pays little or nothing for help with activities of daily living for long periods of time. Medigap insurance (supplemental insurance for Medicare) is not intended to meet long-term services and supports needs; it covers very few long-term services and supports.

What is Medicare?

Medicare is health insurance for the following:

• People 65 or older
• People under 65 with certain disabilities
• People of any age with end-stage renal disease
  (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant)

Resources to help navigate Medicare

Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA)

Do you need help comparing Medicare medical and drug plan coverage? Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program counselors give one-on-one help with:

• Selecting a Medicare prescription drug plan
• Comparing Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplement plans
• Applying for Medicare savings programs, including Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Call SHIBA toll-free at 1-800-722-4134 or visit the program’s website to find a local SHIBA volunteer.

Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) programs help people receiving Medicare and/or Medicaid avoid, detect and prevent health care fraud. They protect older adults and help preserve the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

SMP staff and highly trained volunteers reach out to Medicare beneficiaries in their communities. Their primary goals are to teach Medicare beneficiaries to:

• Protect their personal identity
• Identify and report errors on their health care bills
• Identify deceptive health care practices such as:
• Doing illegal marketing
• Providing unnecessary or inappropriate services
• Charging for services that were not provided

Volunteers teach others to protect themselves against fraud. They discuss how to keep Medicare ID numbers safe. They also teach how to examine Medicare Summary Notices and other explanations of benefits for errors and to report suspicious activity.

You can reach the Oregon SMP Program by calling 1-855-ORE-ADRC (1-855-673-2372) or emailing oregon.smp@state.or.us.