MAC Inc. holds information session for retired state employees’s prescription plan
Faces of concern and worry filled this room inside the MAC incorporated center on Monday as more than 100 retired state employees tried to figure out their next steps. This comes after retirees learned about a new Maryland law that will get rid of their prescription drug plans within the next couple of months.
"We all kind of panicked because we were under the impression as a state retiree we were going to be covered for our health insurance and our pharmacy as we have been since we retired," said retiree Richard Yobst.
On Monday afternoon officials from the State Health Insurance Assistance program met with retired Maryland state employees in Salisbury to make sure they're prepared for when their drug plan ends on December 31st.
"A lot of the concerns were pretty much where they wanted to make sure that their other policy was in effect before that one expired and how is that going to work because now they have to go through the open market where they have to pick their own independent plans," said SHIP counselor Michelle Parker.
"It's just new for all of us and we just have to attend sessions like this that the MAC center is offering and decide what's going to be best for us and move forward from there," said Yobst.
MAC will also offer a variety of other programs to continue to educate retirees including a do-it-yourself program that will teach them how to enroll in a new drug plan themselves.
"Those are going to be sessions where we go on and we navigate the Medicare websites so we can learn about what important things to look at are. You know is this on my formulary is this a deductible what's the premium, so kind of going through all of those items so folks feel comfortable when it's time and they know what they are going to be shopping for," said Parker.
Information sessions for Medicare eligible state of Maryland retirees and others needing information — will take place on Tuesday June, 5th at the Westover senior center at 11 AM and the Worcester County Library in Ocean Pines at 2 PM.
Other sessions below:
- Thursday, June 7th 2-3 PM @ Pcomoke City Branch of the Worcester County Library
- Wednesday, June 13th 2-3 PM @ Charles and Martha Fulton Senior Center in Snow Hill
- Tuesday, June 19th 1-3 @ Hurlock Senior Center
