Need Medicare Help? SHINE Can Help You.
This is how SHINE can help you.
The SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) program provides health insurance information and free, unbiased, and confidential counseling assistance to all current and prospective Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers. Through a network of specially trained volunteers, SHINE works to empower individuals to make the best decisions for their individual needs.
Topics Include:
- Enrollment and coverage questions
- Medicare Parts A, B, and D
- Supplement and Advantage Plans
- Plan comparisons
- Medicare claims
- Medicare billing issues
- Complaints and appeals
- Financial assistance programs to lower Medicare costs
- Anything Medicare-related
Free, educational presentations can also be provided to groups of current or soon-to-be Medicare beneficiaries, care givers and professionals. Simply call 1-800-963-5337 to schedule a counseling session or an educational event.
Save Money On Your Medicare Costs
Call for a SHINE volunteer to help you check your eligibility and apply for financial assistance with Medicare premiums, deductibles, and co-payments.
How much are you paying out-of-pocket for your Medicare costs? On average, beneficiaries spend $38,688 out-of-pocket toward medical assistance during the last five years of life. Medicare does cover a large amount of health care expenses for beneficiaries, but it does not cover everything. Fortunately, there are programs that could lower your Medicare costs.
The Extra Help (LIS) Program and the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) have proven to be very helpful for eligible beneficiaries. The Extra Help program assists with annual deductibles, co-payments and monthly premiums for Medicare prescription drug plans (Medicare Part D). The MSP program provides different levels of assistance for Medicare Part A and/or B premiums, deductibles, and co-payments depending on your eligiblity. If you are unsure of whether you qualify for any financial assistance with your plans, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs’ SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) program can help.
SHINE counselors are standing by to help you navigate the Medicare maze so that you can make informed decisions. SHINE is not affiliated with any insurance company and does not sell any insurance or other products. Our SHINE counselors help Medicare beneficiaries save thousands of dollars on their health care costs each year through unbiased plan comparisons and knowledge of various assistance programs and resources. Counseling can be conducted over the phone or at a counseling site in your community. Call today: 1-800-963-5337.
How Can I Help?
Many Floridians find the Medicare system to be daunting and there are millions of individuals who need guidance to understand their options. By joining our award-winning team, you gain the ability to change lives for the better by empowering older adults and individuals with disabilities to be confident and in control of their health care choices. Since 1993, SHINE has helped the aging and disabled populations save millions of dollars!
Individuals volunteering for SHINE receive the following benefits:
- Professional training by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and their local Area Agency on Aging
- Opportunities for additional training, growth, and leadership
- Gaining the ability to serve the local community by educating others on an individual basis, as well as through various outreach opportunities
- Become a local hero to those who truly need your help. In addition to serving members in your community, the invaluable knowledge and experience you gain with SHINE can be beneficial for you, your friends and loved ones.
Studies have shown that volunteering boosts self-confidence, life satisfaction and even your health! If you want to challenge yourself to have a more active mind, a stronger sense of purpose, greater social involvement and improved mental, emotional, and physical health, the SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is the volunteer opportunity you’ve been looking for!
Quotes from SHINE Volunteers:
“I’m very excited to become part of this group and look forward to being able to assist those seeking information for these potentially life changing decisions.”
“I came to SHINE initially as a client and a caregiver. I became a volunteer for the SHINE program to help others in the way that I was helped.”
Click on the link below to access an online orientation. Then submit a volunteer application here. Join this dedicated team of SHINE.
Testimonials
“I had felt overwhelmed trying to decipher the various drug plans. The counselor was very considerate. He helped me use the computer to compare plans and determine which best suited my needs.”
“The counselor took me step-by-step to help with a Medigap policy, which is what I wanted assistance with, but many other “resources” would not help me with. I give gold stars to the SHINE program!”
“I would like very much to let you know that the SHINE program really came to my rescue and helped me so much with advice I needed. They put my mind at ease and stopped all my worrying.”