Department on aging offers help
Staff writer
Lu Turk has been extremely busy signing seniors up for Medicare.
“I will see people until Dec. 5 to go over drug and Medicare plans,” said Turk, director of the county’s department on aging.
Turk wants to make it clear to seniors that she is here to help.
“I treat your money like it is my money,” she said. “It’s based on you, not someone else.”
Anyone 65 and over can sign up for Medicare through a website, but many seniors are not Internet savvy to be able to do it on their own.
“A lot of the elderly don’t want to do anything with computers,” she said.
Seniors with no health issues often take the plan most affordable, though deductibles can be high.
“Medicare Advantage gets you at the end,” Turk said.
While she offers advice, she does not sell insurance.
“I cannot enroll people in a health plan because I am not a broker,” said Turk, whose office is at the Marion Senior Center.
Medicare pays 80%, and seniors need to be aware of this when trying to decide whether to purchase supplemental insurance.
“If money is not an issue, they might want to sign up for it,” she said.
Premiums range from $90 to $700 a month based on age.
For someone using Medigap Plan A, premiums range from $115 to $560 for a 65-year-old man who does not use tobacco. The standard Part B plan would add another $174.70 to the premium.
Senior centers send out fliers every year to make sure seniors are aware of what is available.
Turk traveled to Goessel twice to sign up 30 seniors.
She also travels once a month to senior centers in Hillsboro, Peabody, Florence and Tampa.
The main issue with seniors is lack of transportation.
“We go to them instead of them coming to us,” she said.
Turk also is working with seniors on the homestead tax relief that many seniors do not know exist.
Homestead is for homeowners older than 60 and can create refunds for a large portion of their property taxes.