Free workshop for residents to learn about 2025 Medicare plan choices in El Dorado County

(PLACERVILLE, CA) - A free, one-hour virtual workshop to help Medicare recipients understand drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans available in El Dorado County in 2025 is scheduled for Friday, October 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The workshop is open to the public and will be held via Zoom and there will be help sessions at all county libraries.
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A one-hour question-and-answer period will follow the workshop. The workshop is presented by the El Dorado County Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP).

“This important workshop focuses on Medicare options available to El Dorado County residents in 2025 and prepares individuals for Medicare’s open enrollment period, October 15 through December 7, 2024,” said Rhoda Slagle, regional coordinator for HICAP. “Research shows that people who review their plan choices each year can reduce prescription drug costs by switching to a different Part D drug plan.”

“Each year Medicare drug plans can and do change the list of covered drugs or the price of drugs. A major change in 2025 will be a new $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket Medicare drug costs. Drug plans can accommodate this change in various ways such as higher annual premium costs, higher deductibles and/or
higher copays for some drugs,” said Slagle.

The Medicare enrollment period is one of the few times Medicare beneficiaries can change, enroll into, or dis-enroll from a Medicare Part D drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan (such as an HMO). If changing plans, enrollment in the new plan will take effect on January 1, 2025.

The workshop is offered as a webinar with slides. No registration is required. Individuals may access the online workshop at: www.HICAPservices.net/events. Those with limited computer access may attend on October 25th via workshop watch parties at: The Placerville Senior Center, Placerville Library, Georgetown Library or South Lake Tahoe Library.

Individuals may also listen by telephone (audio only):
1-669-900-6833, meeting code: 852 1209 9714 and passcode: 450253 (long distance rates might apply).

After the workshop, a recording of it will be available at: www.HICAPservices.net/events.

HICAP can help Medicare beneficiaries review either their Part D drug plan choices or their Medicare Advantage Plan choices for 2025. To receive assistance, El Dorado County residents can pick up and return to the Placerville Senior Center a completed “HICAP/Medicare Worksheet for 2025”. HICAP Medicare Worksheets are available at the El Dorado Hills Senior Center, the Placerville Senior Center, and South Lake Tahoe Senior Center during open enrollment. Worksheets can also be requested at the public
libraries in El Dorado County or by calling El Dorado HICAP at (530) 621-6169.

HICAP provides free, unbiased, individual counseling about Medicare to residents of El Dorado County. HICAP is a non-profit and is not affiliated with insurance carriers or products. The program works in partnership with Older Adult Programs of the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency.