May 18: News 5, Ohio Department of Insurance phone bank gives Medicare guidance

CLEVELAND — The landscape for Ohio Medicare and Medicaid recipients is constantly changing, but the Ohio Department of Insurance is working to provide resources to help seniors make the best healthcare choices.

News 5, the Ohio Department of Insurance and its Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program, or OSHIIP, are teaming up on May 18 for a phone bank to give Medicare and Medicaid users the information they need. Check back later Thursday for information on how to contact the phone back and have your questions answered.

Christina Reeg, Program Manager with the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program, told News 5 that OSHIIP saved Medicare recipients more than $46 million dollars in 2022.

“We provide objective, unbiased information to all Medicare patients in the State of Ohio,” Reeg said. “So we’re able to give them a really good overview of all the different options, all of the benefits and aid them in making an educated decision.”

Reeg said it’s crucial seniors shop their Medicare choices every year.

“We really want everyone to decide their health insurance based on their medical needs, their prescription needs so that they’re covered in full in the next calendar year,” Reeg said. “Every year in the fall during open enrollment, we encourage you to compare benefits to see if you need or want to change plans for the following calendar year. At the bare minimum, you want to compare the prescription drug plans and the medicare advantage plans; those are on a one-year contract with the federal government, with Medicare.”

Regarding Medicaid recipients, Theresa Foster-Keplin with the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging said to prepare for some significant changes this year.

Foster-Keplin told News 5 that during the pandemic public health emergency, there was “continuous care provision” in place, which prevented states from disenrolling Medicaid members to ensure access to healthcare. But Foster-Keplin explained that on March 31, the “continuous care provision” came to an end, so the State of Ohio is resuming normal operations, again requiring individuals to prove they are eligible annually for Medicaid.

Foster-Keplin said Medicaid recipients should be getting an official envelope from the State of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Medicaid and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services that their renewal is up and have to get their documents to their county case worker to prove they are still financially eligible to remain on Medicaid.

“If you’ve moved, if your number has changed, call the Medicaid hotline number as well, make sure you get that information updated so they know how to reach you because you don’t want to be missed,” Foster-Keplin said. “It’s also important to know that if you have been disenrolled from the Medicaid program, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re done; you can reapply, and you can also request a state hearing.”

“The Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging can help you go through the Medicaid process and help you initiate that process; we can connect you to community services to meet your unmet needs,” Foster-Keplin said. “We can connect you to Medicaid waiver programs. Those are the programs if you need a little more assistance with your activities of daily living.”

Seniors can find Medicaid assistance by contacting the Ohio Department of Medicaid or calling the Ohio Medicaid Hotline at 1-800-324-8680.

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