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The Whale-Boat Season, and the One Rule That Governs Every Trip
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Medicare Open Enrollment Begins October 15 on Cape Cod
- By Margaret Thorne
- Published
- Last updated
- Seasonal
Medicare Open Enrollment on Cape Cod runs from October 15 to December 7. The SHINE Program offers free counseling and local presentation dates.
Medicare Open Enrollment begins on October 15 and ends on December 7. Visitors with aging parents on Cape Cod should use this time to ensure their coverage is adequate for the coming year.
The Barnstable County SHINE Program provides free counseling to help residents understand their coverage. Counselors assist with comparing health and prescription drug plans, identifying cost-saving opportunities, and learning about programs for premiums and copayments. Kristina Whiton-O'Brien is the SHINE Program Manager.
Beneficiaries receive an Annual Notice of Change by September 30. Visitors should check this notice to see if their current plan costs will change before the enrollment period starts.
SHINE will offer a presentation at Yarmouth Senior Center on October 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. A presentation at Falmouth Senior Center follows on October 19 from 2 to 4 p.m. On October 22, a presentation at Chatham Community Center runs from 12 to 2 p.m. SHINE will offer a presentation at Provincetown Council on Aging on October 26 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and at Orleans Council on Aging from 2 to 4 p.m. A virtual webinar is available on November 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Presentations at Harwich Council on Aging and Bourne Council on Aging are scheduled for November 10 from 1 to 2 p.m.
SHINE appointments can fill quickly during Open Enrollment. Residents can schedule appointments in person, by phone, or online. Contact the Cape Cod & Islands Regional SHINE office at 508-375-6762 or visit capecod.gov/SHINE for more information.
The SHINE Program is located in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod and the Islands. It offers unbiased counseling and educational presentations.
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Who reported this
Margaret Thorne
Senior Editor
Margaret has edited New England travel coverage for fourteen years and owns the practical pages here: which town sells a beach sticker to whom, what the Sagamore queue does to a Friday in July, and which half of the Cape is shut in February. She quotes fees as bands because towns revise them annually, and she says plainly when a number is unconfirmed.
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