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The Rockbridge Regional Library in Lexington will host Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistive Program (VICAP) certified counselor Kathie Bare on Thursday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. for an informational session to help Medicare enrollees understand the differences between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
Medicare open enrollment begins Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7. Prospective Medicare applicants are inundated with marketing from insurance companies and are understandably confused about complex rules that often change each year. Mistakes are often irreversible or expensive.
Bare will explain differences in original Medicare, administered through the U.S. government, and Medicare Advantage, administered through private insurance companies. She will detail how each Medicare option works and any costs and caveats associated with each.
She is familiar with policies and assistance programs to help with “doughnut hole” situations, as well as unaffordable maximum-out-ofpocket costs. She is qualified to advise applicants based on their own unique and specific circumstances and resources, and will provide information about how to make an appointment through Virginia Program for Aging Services (VPAS) to thoroughly explore individual needs and options.
Bare worked in health care settings for 40 years, and served as a local volunteer reading tutor. Currently she is performing her role as VICAP counselor with Valley Program for Aging Services at the Maury River Senior Center, 2137 Magnolia Ave., Buena Vista.
