Free AARP workshop to help Maui kūpuna choose Medicare insurance

Medicare beneficiaries can expect changes next year when key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act take effect, says AARP Hawaiʻi, the largest nonprofit dedicated to empowering American adults 50 and older.

To help people review their benefits and choose appropriate plans during the Medicare Open Enrollment, the nonprofit and State of Hawaiʻi Health Insurance Assistance Program will hold a joint workshop on Maui.

The biggest change coming to Medicare, according to AARP Hawaiʻi, is a cap on out-of-pocket expenses for Part D drug plans to $2,000. The change, effective Jan. 1, means a savings of about $1,500 annually on prescription drug copays for more than 10 percent of people with a drug insurance plan who do not receive subsidies. Previously there was no cap on how much people would have to pay for medications through Medicare.

“The Medicare prescription drug cap could mean changes to Medicare drug insurance plan fees and coverage so it’s especially important that people review and compare their Medicare supplement insurance plans this year to make sure they have access to the drugs they need at the best prices,” said Kealiʻi Lopez, AARP Hawaiʻi State director. “The State of Hawaiʻi Health Insurance Assistance Program or Hawaiʻi SHIP provides help to consumers using trained volunteers so they you can get information on Medicare insurance without a sales pitch.”

AARP Hawaiʻi is part of the nonprofit side of AARP and does not sell health insurance.

The Medicare Open Enrollment Forum will be held at Kaunoa Senior Services in Pāʻia from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 25. Space is limited, and people can register to reserve a space at aarp.org/local or the AARP Hawaiʻi Facebook page. For those who can’t make it, a Zoom webinar will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m.

Medicare Open Enrollment runs through Dec. 7 and allows recipients to review and make changes to their Medicare coverage.