Are you one of the many people in our county who received a letter telling you your Medicare Advantage plan or your Medicare Part D prescription plan will not be available for 2025? While that news can be distressing, the good news is that you do have options. Your local Statewide Health Insurance Beneficiary Advisors volunteers are happy to help you figure out which option is best for you.

If you have the Premera Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll have seven other different advantage plans to choose from. Several of these have a $0 a month premium. Some are HMOs, which restrict you to doctors and hospitals that are in their network, and some are PPOs, which permit you to see any doctor who accepts Medicare or use any hospital, although you will pay more for your visit if the doctor or hospital is not in your network. You also have the option to change to Original Medicare and buy a Medicare Supplement without having to go through medical underwriting, and a Part D drug plan. That option is often quite attractive for people dealing with health issues.

If you’re losing your Medicare drug plan, there are a number of plans to choose from. All available plans work with the pharmacies on our three major islands. Several of these plans also offer a $0 premium.

There are a lot of options and your local SHIBA volunteers can help you sort through the possibilities so you can select the plan that works best for you. SHIBA is a free, unbiased and confidential informational service offered through the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

Trained SHIBA volunteer counselors provide counseling in-person or by phone or Zoom, whichever you prefer. Call 360-375-0292 to schedule your free, personal counseling session on San Juan Island. The Orcas Senior Center sponsors the San Juan County SHIBA volunteers.