Medicare’s open enrollment period for prescription drug plans (Part D) and Medicare Advantage plans starts today, October 15 and runs through December 7. King County residents can obtain free counseling through the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA), sponsored by Senior Services in the county. Through SHIBA, trained volunteers provide free, unbiased health insurance education, counseling, and assistance to all Washington residents. SHIBA is part of Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner's consumer protection services.

Assistance is available in-person at a community site in King County neighborhoods, or over the phone at 206.727.6221 or (toll-free) 800.562.6900. A list of King County sites is available at http://bit.ly/SHIBAKingCounty.

Via SHIBA, Senior Services assists people of all ages with questions or complaints about health care coverage. Learn more about all of the resources available at Senior Services at www.seniorservices.org.

Additional Resources:
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner
Press Release: http://www.insurance.wa.gov/about-oic/news-media/news-releases/2014/10-…

Medicare.gov
https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/home.aspx