(KNZA)--Local Medicare recipients are encouraged to evaluate their options, during the Open Enrollment, underway now through December. 

Bev Sunderman, spokeswoman for the Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging says cost savings could be lost if a recipient's current plan isn't evaluated. "There could be savings for them," Sunderman tells MSC News. "It's the determination of which plan a person should choose, and it's done by proving a list of medications and dosages. The plan works with a premium, sometimes a deductible and co-pay, so I recommend anyone that would like to know where they stand with their drug plan, call our office and we can do a comparison. Monetarily, it is well worth the while to do a little shopping." 

Sunderman says now is also the time for those meeting eligibility who are without health insurance coverage to assess their options through the Kansas Health Insurance Marketplace, which differs from Medicare. "They are very, very separate," Sunderman says. "The Marketplace, which could also be called an exchange, is mainly for people who don't have insurance, aren't insured by their employer, don't have Medicare, aren't included in their spouse's employer insurance, or have a preexisting condition, maybe having trouble getting their insurance. Those are the folks that would benefit, so they can, again, call our office and ask to speak to a navigator who will be able to help them with it."  

Medicare Open Enrollment runs now through December 7th, while enrollment in the marketplace begins November 1st. 

Sunderman encourages anyone planning to utilize the services to call the  Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging office in Hiawatha for assistance. They can be reached at (785) 742-7152 or toll free at (800) 883-2549. 

The agency serves the local counties of Brown, Atchison, Doniphan, Jackson, Marshall, and Nemaha.