So for most of you, Medicare’s Annual Open Enrollment is still looking like it’s far away. Due to COVID-19, the Office for Aging’s Health Insurance, Information and Assistance program (HIICAP) is looking at Open Enrollment  now and planning for how we should assist our clients from October 15 – December 7, 2020.   

Time seems to fly by so quickly and the need for health insurance counseling continues to be in big demand each year. This year’s counseling process will be a little bit different.  Our HIICAP counselors will be providing counseling via telephone only. In order for the Office for Aging to accommodate as many clients as possible, we are asking that all individuals interested in scheduling a phone counseling call should contact our OFA’s NY Connects Helpline.

For those of us who are counselors, this is a challenge as well as a little bit sad. We love to see our clients each year, it is like a homecoming and we so enjoy assisting the families of Chautauqua County.

For those individuals who are comfortable with navigating the internet, we encourage you to begin looking at www.medicare.gov beginning Oct. 1, 2020 when the new plans for 2021 become available.

Many of you can actually enroll yourselves or your loved one into plans beginning October 15th. If you are in need of assistance, however, we ask that you don’t wait to contact our NY Connects helpline now. There will be limited slots available this year. We look forward to hearing your voice!

Chautauqua County Office for Aging’s NY Connects Helpline:

Jamestown: 716.661.7582

Dunkirk: 716.363.4582

Mayville: 716.753.4582