Meet the Medicare experts

Many older adults know it’s Medicare shopping season because of the commercials they see on TV and the information they get in their mailboxes and inboxes every day. 

But they may not know there are nearly 90 highly trained Medicare counselors across Massachusetts who speak 21 languages and spend their days helping older adults make sense of often complex Medicare information so they can pick a plan that will work best for them, explains Cynthia Phillips, program director of Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone. 

“Our mission at SHINE is to serve people with Medicare of all ages and folks with disabilities,” Phillips said. “We try really hard to train counselors from a range of backgrounds who speak different languages and live in different parts of the Commonwealth.”

The SHINE Program’s certified counselors provide free, unbiased Medicare information to beneficiaries throughout Massachusetts all year long, but especially during the annual open enrollment period, which runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. In 2019, SHINE counselors assisted more than 73,000 beneficiaries through the program, which is administered by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs. Phillips notes similar Medicare counseling programs are available to older adults across the country.

Meet a few of SHINE’s counselors below: 

      Alicia Szendiuch - 73

      Counsels in: Belmont, Mass.
      Languages spoken: Spanish, Ukrainian
      Interests: International travel — I have travelled extensively in Europe
      and Asia for the past 45+ years. 
 

How did you become a SHINE counselor?
When I retired at age 65 from banking, I had questions about Medicare, and a friend told me about SHINE. I contacted them, and the counselor was very helpful. Based on this experience, I got trained and certified as a SHINE counselor in 2013. Coming from banking, I wanted to get involved in volunteering for an organization that combined interpersonal skills and hard, factual information that would make life easier for older adults, as I was finally part of that group! 

What’s the most important message you want older adults to know about Medicare?
Medicare can be complex and initially somewhat overwhelming, but help is available. People should reach out to their Council on Aging or senior center to make contact with their local SHINE counselor, both at the beginning of the application process and annually thereafter to keep up to date on changes in plans and prices and ensure they select the most appropriate and price-competitive plan that suits their needs.

      Arthur Levine - 68

      Counsels in: Ipswich, Mass.
      Children: 3
      Interests: Guitar, singing, home repair, working out,
      pickleball, tennis, golf
 

What’s the most important message you want older adults to know about Medicare?
That they need to closely reevaluate their options every year, especially when looking for prescription drug coverage.

What is your favorite part of being a SHINE counselor?
I love helping people find the right coverages for their individual needs and often saving them money as well.

What is a fun fact about you?
I wrote and performed a song for the recent wedding of my daughter, Leah.

      Buliah Mae Thomas - 75

      Counsels in: ​Huntington, Mass.
      Children: 2, Grandchildren: 7, Great grandchildren: 7
      Interests: Singing, writing, art, African American history​
 

How did you decide to become a SHINE counselor?
Working as a Navigator at the Hilltown Community Health Center introduced me to numerous programs available to seniors. It bothered me that many of my senior clients were unaware of these offerings. I felt the need to help them become familiar with and apply for programs that supplemented their Medicare. ​

What’s the most important message you want older adults to know about Medicare?
If you are having difficulty understanding your Medicare situation, call the SHINE regional office at 1-800-243-4636, and they will direct you to a counselor in your region.​

What is your favorite part of being a SHINE counselor? ​
When a worried client turns into a happy client. 

      Jeananne Goodhue  - 64

      Counsels in: North Andover, Mass.
      Children: 2
      Interests: I’m an avid skier and skied 70 days last year.
      In the summer, I enjoy sailing along the coast of Maine.
 

How did you become a SHINE counselor?
During my career in pension administration, I learned about SHINE. A few years ago when I helped my mother select her Medicare coverage and saved her several thousand dollars, I thought, “Maybe I could do this for other people.” That’s when I signed up to become a SHINE counselor. Now I’ve become very popular among my peers!

What’s the most important message you want older adults to know about Medicare?
Spouses are used to being on the same plan, but Medicare is an individual plan. Each person needs to choose a Medicare plan based on their individual needs and reevaluate it each year because pricing changes and their health care needs change as well. 

What is your favorite part of being a SHINE counselor?
The ability to help people navigate a complicated system and save them a few hundred to over a thousand dollars each year in some cases.

      Luisana Paez Espinal - 40

      Counsels in: New Bedford, Mass.
      Languages spoken: Spanish
      Interests: Reading about health and nutrition
 

How did you become a SHINE counselor?
I have been working with the Department of Community Services since 2012, and I have had clients with questions regarding Mass Health, Medicare and prescription assistance who I was not able to assist. When my boss asked me if I was interested in taking the SHINE counselor training, I said yes.

What is your favorite part of being a SHINE counselor?
Helping people obtain financial relief with their medical and drug expenses.

      Sefatia Romeo Theken  - 59

      Counsels in: ​Gloucester, Mass.
      Languages spoken: Italian/Sicilian
      Children: 3, Grandchildren: 4
      Interests: Cooking, entertaining, spending time with family and friends
 

How did you become a SHINE counselor?
I’ve been a SHINE counselor since 1997. Because I spoke English and Sicilian, I would help lots of people in the Sicilian community on the North Shore with their health care issues. When a friend told me SHINE essentially did the same thing for Medicare, I decided to become a counselor.

What’s the most important message you want older adults to know about Medicare?
I tell people, “Do not enroll in anything until you talk to a SHINE counselor.”

What is your favorite part of being a SHINE counselor?
Seeing the smile on their faces after I have enrolled them in a plan and they tell me they’ll be able to buy some extra groceries this month because I helped save them money. 

SHINE offers primarily phone and video appointments and some in-person counseling this fall. Older adults can call 1-800-243-4636 to find their regional office and book an appointment.

“We want to connect with Medicare beneficiaries in a way that works for them and meets their comfort level right now,” Phillips said.  

And just like most folks have an annual health checkup, Phillips encourages beneficiaries to review their health care and drug options every year. 

“I encourage people to start by reading the annual notice of change from their insurer and reflecting on their current health care and prescription needs,” she said. “Then they can join a SHINE group presentation, receive online training to use the Medicare Plan Finder themselves, or meet with an individual counselor. We are here to help in whatever way works best for them.”