Medicare Open Enrollment

Soon senior citizens across our congressional district will be receiving information about Medicare Open Enrollment. During the two month period, current Medicare beneficiaries can alter their coverage plans and new beneficiaries can sign up for a Medicare plan for the first time. Medicare enrollment is open from October 15th through December 7th. During open enrollment there will be an opportunity to:

• Change to a Medicare Advantage Plan, or select a different plan that better meets your needs;
• Join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan;
• Switch from one Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to another Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

Open Enrollment is an important time for you to make sure you have the Medicare plan that best suits your individual needs. Navigating any federal program can be daunting. My staff and I are here to help make sense of the Open Enrollment process. If you need assistance changing your current plan, signing up for a new plan, or you just want someone to help you with the process, I encourage you to contact one of my district offices. You can call my Cape Girardeau office at 573-335-0101, Farmington at 573-756-9755, Rolla at 573-364-2455, or West Plains at 417-255-1515. If you have internet access, you can visit www.medicare.gov to learn about the different plans Medicare offers.

Our Eighth Congressional District is home to many senior citizens who rely on Medicare to see their doctor and get their prescriptions filled. I understand the importance of Medicare in seniors' daily lives. My parents are both on Medicare. Since my election to Congress, I have worked to keep the promise we have made to seniors with Medicare. Moving forward I will continue efforts to improve seniors' access to Medicare and will fight off any actions to deny care or change benefits for our Greatest Generation.

Seniors who have worked hard their entire lives and paid into Medicare and Social Security deserve the best options possible. During the Open Enrollment process seniors can learn about the various plan offered by Medicare and can select the coverage that best suits their individual needs. Please know that my staff and I are here to serve you and we hope you will contact us if we can be of assistance.

This Week's Highlights

I had a great tour of the Kenny Rogers Children's Center in Sikeston last Friday and was excited to learn all about their mission!

I had a great time last weekend at the Bank of Missouri Customer Appreciation lunch in Jackson.

I had the honor of attending the Missouri Community Betterment 50th Annual Conference earlier this week. I participated in the Missouri Community Betterment program as a young person and it's great to have the chance to visit an organization that does so much good in our district. I enjoyed speaking to the group on leadership and civic engagement and meeting with students.

Houston High School

Steelville High School