Know someone who is eligible for Medicare? Here’s how you can help

When Melanie Bentley’s parents turned 65 a few years ago, their first call was to her.

“They came to me and said, ‘Tell us what Medicare plan we need to be on,’” said the Massachusetts resident, who knows the federal health insurance program well thanks to her position leading Medicare operations for the state’s largest not-for-profit health plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

“They were inundated with information from everywhere — health plans, Medicare — and they were completely overwhelmed by where to begin,” Bentley recalls.

She sat down with each of them to understand their health care needs, clinicians and medications, and helped them find plans that would be best for each of them. (Unlike employer-sponsored plans, each Medicare beneficiary must select their own plan and cannot be on a spouse’s plan.)

Bentley says that in addition to helping her parents look at their options every year during the Medicare shopping season, which runs from Oct. 15-Dec. 7, she looks forward to hearing from others who have questions.

“When a family member or friend turns 65 or the calendar reaches mid-October, I expect a call or text to come through,” she says, smiling. “But I am proud to help. Having someone as a sounding board is really helpful. Medicare is complex, and there’s a lot of noise out there. I help them focus on what’s important for them.”

An emerging trend

Bentley is not alone. Nationwide, more and more Medicare beneficiaries are turning to younger family members and friends to help them shop for and pick a plan, said Akshay Jindal, a partner at Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm based in Dallas, who has helped his in-laws shop for their Medicare plans.

“Particularly among Medicare eligibles who are 75+ there is a lot more involvement from family members, such as children and grandchildren, both in selecting a Medicare plan and also in managing the day-to-day health care needs of their loved ones,” Jindal said.

The trend is due in part to an aging population with more complex health care needs, as well as an ever-growing number of Medicare plans on the market.

“Add to that the increasing number of TV ads that make you question your choice, and the process becomes overwhelming,” Jindal said.