BRIDGEPORT—St. Vincent’s Medical Center is offering free counseling to help people select the best plan to meet their needs for the coming year and help them save money. Everyone is urged to sign up for this free, unbiased counseling through St. Vincent’s during Medicare’s Annual Open Enrollment Period, which opened on October 15 and runs through December 7.
With 16 years of experience, Certified Medicare and Government Benefits Counselor Betty Brandt will help individuals learn about their options regarding Medicare Part D Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans, which change every year. In addition, the Medicare Savings Plan and Extra Help for prescriptions will be discussed.
This one-on-one, confidential counseling will be especially helpful for those new to Medicare or about to turn 65. Senior citizens, people with disabilities and family members are invited to talk with Betty on the phone by appointment. Brandt is also available to discuss Medicare benefits, Medicare supplemental insurance, statements, bills, claims, appeals and Medicaid.
Brandt, who is a volunteer with St. Vincent’s Medical Center, holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of Bridgeport and is certified in Medicare and government benefits counseling through the CHOICES Program at the Southwestern CT Agency on Aging. She has been assisting people with Medicare issues since 2005.
This Medicare counseling program, sponsored by St. Vincent’s Mission Services, is a community outreach effort to help seniors and people with disabilities obtain the medical benefits they need, and to make the best decisions about health insurance coverage.
To schedule an appointment, or for more information, please contact Betty Brandt at svmcmedicare@gmail.com or 475.210.6393.
About Hartford HealthCare
Hartford HealthCare is Connecticut’s only truly integrated healthcare system. With 33,000 colleagues, $4.3 billion in operating revenue and a medical staff of 4,000 providers, the system offers the full continuum of care with seven acute-care hospitals, the state’s longest-running air-ambulance service, behavioral health and rehabilitation services, a physician group and clinical integration organization, skilled-nursing and home health services, and a comprehensive range of services for seniors, including senior-living facilities. Learn more at HartfordHealthCare.org
About St. Vincent’s Medical Center
Founded by the Daughters of Charity in 1903, St. Vincent’s Medical Center is a mission-driven organization committed to exceptional health care for all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those who are most vulnerable. St. Vincent’s, with more than 3,500 associates, includes a licensed 473-bed community teaching hospital, a 76-bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport, and a large multispecialty provider group. St. Vincent’s was awarded the Nursing Magnet® Recognition, the highest national award for nursing excellence. In 2013, St. Vincent’s Medical Center was named Top Performer on Key Quality Measures® by the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America, and has been recognized by both the Joint Commission and OSHA as a model of a highly reliable organization dedicated to patient safety. The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer awarded St. Vincent’s an Outstanding Achievement Award with Accreditation in 2012, and it also has earned its designation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Cancer. For more information on programs and services, visit www.stvincents.org
