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By Margie Ware
Now that the Medicare Part D May 15 enrollment deadline without penalty has come and gone, some things are back to “normal” at the of Elder Services SHINE Program. But in another sense, health insurance counseling will never be the same again.
One of the BEST things about the Medicare Part D program was the numbers of people who contacted Elder Services for help who had never accessed the agency before. Many times clients looked around and said “I haven’t been in this building since it was the Stanley Club!” We heard about people’s weddings, engagement parties, anniversary dances and bowling leagues. We also helped a tremendous number of people. Just at Elder Services alone, we have probably seen 1,000 people face-to-face for individual counseling in the last year, and that doesn’t count all the people who received counseling at senior centers or the thousands who attended one of our public presentations.
It would be impossible to tell you how proud I am of the SHINE Volunteers! It is hard to realize that this major change in public policy was implemented at the grassroots level by individuals who chose to help out of the goodness of their hearts. Whether they were paid staff in other organizations, Elder Services case managers or unpaid volunteers (including two who came out of retirement to give us a hand!), none of these individuals were required to be part of this program. All their work was voluntary, and to say that it went far beyond the boundaries of “business as usual” is an understatement of incredible proportions. Berkshire County, and the nation as a whole, owes an enormous debt to the state SHIP programs around the country.
So yes, we’re tired. But glad we could be here to help. But now We need help. We can use more volunteers, and now that the rush of the first phase of Medicare D is over, we can begin to recruit new people for our training program that begins September 12, 2006. Classes will be held three times a week for three weeks, with a graduation ceremony at the end of October, just in time to be able to have new recruits assist us in “open enrollment” for both Medicare D and possibly Prescription Advantage. Now that we’ve gotten the drill down, we’re hoping that our experiences will be good object lessons for new people joining us about how to give the most effective counseling to individuals. If you’re interested in even exploring the idea of becoming a SHINE counselor, please contact us at 800-544-5242 extension 109 or 499-0524 extension 109. We will be having an informational session for those who want to ask questions before they commit to training. You will never feel more needed or worthwhile.
Margie Ware is the Regional SHINE Coordinator at Elder Servicesand the Regional Family Caregiver Coordinator for Western Massachusetts.