SHIP Program Provides Seniors with Medicare Assistance
Seniors have a lot to contend with, from aging and increasing health concerns, to worrying about financial needs in retirement.
Wheeling Township's Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) counselors assist the elderly with navigating the various aspects of Medicare, including Medicare supplements, Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans. SHIP services are free to all Illinois residents, and provided by highly trained volunteer SHIP counselors at Wheeling Township, as well as other locations throughout the state. Sponsored by the Illinois Department of Aging, the SHIP program was created to:
• Educate consumers and answer questions about Medicare, Medicare supplements, Medicare Advantage, long-term care insurance and prescription drug coverage.
• Provide assistance in all issues related to Medicare, such as enrollment, filing appeals, resolving claims issues and reporting suspected fraud.
• Provide guidance and enrollment help during the annual open enrollment period for Part D drug plans.
Wheeling Township's volunteer SHIP counselors are available throughout the year, and the office is staffed four days a week. They are especially busy during the Part D open enrollment period, which has a deadline date of Thursday, December 7 in 2017.
Lou Barnett, who has been the volunteer SHIP Coordinator for Wheeling Township since 2010, knows first-hand the difference that SHIP counselors make for seniors in need of their guidance and help.
"This year alone, our four SHIP counselors have helped local seniors save approximately $200,000 on their drug plans for 2018," Barnett says. "The Township's SHIP counselors assisted nearly 625 residents in 2017, with everything from reviewing and enrolling in 2018 prescription drug plans, to clarifying different Medicare options and choices."
A unique feature of the SHIP program is that its volunteers cannot be affiliated with any insurance company, or hold an active insurance license. Since counselors cannot sell insurance, seniors receive free, impartial information so they can make the best decisions for their individual needs.
Wheeling Township's SHIP counselors also assist residents with applying for Illinois Benefit Access, a state aid program based on income, which allows seniors and permanently disabled individuals to qualify for reduced license plate fees and ride free transit benefits.
Contact Wheeling Township at 847-259-7730, or visit wheelingtownship.com for more information about its senior programs, or to make an appointment with a SHIP counselor about Medicare-related questions (inquiries about open enrollment for drug plans will only be taken until the deadline of December 7).
About Wheeling Township
Wheeling Township provides a wide variety of services and giving programs for in-need families living in the Township. These include financial assistance for income-qualified residents, transportation for the elderly and disabled, a food pantry, Meals on Wheels, a mobile dental clinic, back-to-school supply drives, holiday giving programs, and more. The Assessor's office assists homeowners with the filing of property tax extensions and appeals, as well as handles issues and complaints, while the Clerk's office is available for voter registration and election information. Additionally, Wheeling Township maintains five miles of unincorporated roads, and the historic cemetery located within the Township's borders.
There are currently more than 155,000 residents that live in Wheeling Township, in all or part of the following communities: Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling. Wheeling Township is bordered on the north by Lake Cook Road, by Wilke Road on the west, Central Road on the south, and the Des Plaines River on the east. For more information, please visit wheelingtownship.com.