The Boulder Junction Public Library invites the community to join us for a monthly Medicare Information Series with J. Patrick Smothers, Elder Benefit Specialist with the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Vilas County on Tuesday, August 20 at 2:30pm, Thursday, September 5 at 10:30am, and Tuesday, October 8 at 10:30am in the Boulder Junction Community Center.

The August 20th program is “Maximizing Your Medicare.” Smothers will go over the different “Parts” (ABC and D) and coverage choices that people can make when enrolled in Medicare. What parts they choose opens a route for them to take, because some parts work together and some do not. For example, a person cannot be enrolled in a Medicare supplement (sometimes called Medigap) and a Part C Medicare Advantage plan at the same time.

Smothers will also explain the different premiums, deductibles, and co-insurance associated with the different parts. He will discuss the best times to enroll in plans as well, because the different parts have different enrollment periods, and places where one can enroll, and find assistance while doing so. The presentation will also cover cost saving programs that can help beneficiaries with limited income.

J. Patrick Smothers is an Elder Benefit Specialist (EBS) with the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Vilas County. He started his position in April 2024 when Susan Corrieri retired. An EBS is a paraprofessional trained by GWAAR (Greater Wisconsin Agency for Aging Resources) attorneys to help persons 60 or older who have issues or questions with their private or governmental benefits. Elder Benefit Specialists are called “Red Tape Cutters” because they help older persons with the extensive and complicated paperwork that is often required in benefit programs. An EBS helps older persons figure out what benefits they are entitled to, and tell them what is required to receive those benefits.

This program is free and open to everyone. For more information, call the library at 715-385-2050 or email [email protected].