Fred Brock Post 828, VFBA Provided Assistance to Seniors Learning about Medicare
(Article by Post Commander Burrell Parmer) — To learn about upcoming changes to Medicare, Fred Brock American Legion Post No. 828, in cooperation with VFBA, hosted a free Medicare Information Luncheon for persons ages 64 and older at the Post’s event center earlier this month.
According to medicare.gov, Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. Some people get Medicare automatically, others must actively sign up — it depends if a person starts getting retirement or disability benefits from Social Security before he or she turns 65.
“The reason why we want folks who are 64 years old to attend our information luncheons is because, most of the time, they know nothing about Medicare and they don’t know they can actually enroll three months prior to their 65th birthday,” said Brian Piacentini, a principal with VFBA. “Seniors in deep rural areas and the inner cities have little to no representation when it comes to obtaining quality advisors.”
Veterans are perfectly suited for the advantage plans offered by VFBA because they could receive a buyback option in certain cases Piacentini said.
The guest of honor of the luncheon was Medal of Honor Recipient Ret. Col. Donald “Doc” Ballard, Army National Guard, who earned the military’s highest honor as a Navy Corpsman with the Marines in Vietnam.
“The VFBA and Doc Ballard have a vision for Texas….to create a trustworthy physical location the members and the community can go to each year for honest information regarding their confusing Medicare options,” said Piacentini. “By choosing to work with the VFBA they are choosing to keep their business with an organization owned by Veterans and built for Veterans as well as supporting a Medal of Honor recipient’s non-profit. A financially healthier Legionnaire creates a healthier American Legion.”
It is important to note that the VFBA does not create Medicare plans for seniors to enroll in. They simply assess what’s important to the individual and then find all the plans that best fit that individual’s needs and wants.
“The American Legion is a fantastic organization, but its reach has diminished over the decades,” said Piacentini. “Hosting these information luncheons is a great way to get back into the community spotlight considering there are over 4.6 million Medicare-aged people in the Lone Star State.”
