By Gail Radke, Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging, Slayton
I am not sure if you are aware, but an average of 10,000 Americans turn age 65 each day. The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging Inc., your local area agency on aging, is here to help the Minnesotans in southwest Minnesota who are turning age 65 and have questions about what that means to them.
While it used to mean that turning age 65 meant retiring and going onto Medicare, that is no longer the case for many Minnesotans. However, we find that sometimes people miss important deadlines, which can lead to lifelong penalties costing thousands of dollars.
The Area Agencies on Aging in Minnesota, through a partnership with the Minnesota Board on Aging, provide free counseling through the Senior LinkAge Line to help people eligible for Medicare understand their health insurance options. The Senior LinkAge Line provides non-biased comprehensive assistance so that people can make informed decisions, while also not missing important Medicare deadlines. People can access this service by calling the Senior LinkAge Line at 1-800-333-2433 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
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The Senior LinkAge Line is the Minnesota state SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). You can find more information about the SHIP program at https://www.shiptacenter.org/about-us/ .
