A National Medicare Education Week event will be held in West Hartford on Sept. 19.

Submitted

If you are confused about Medicare, you’re not alone. That’s why baby boomers, Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers in Greater Hartford are invited to participate in an educational event, as part of National Medicare Education Week (Sept. 15-21).

During the event, a local UnitedHealthcare representative and a Walgreens pharmacist will address people’s questions and will be available to speak one-on-one. National Medicare Education Week begins exactly one month before the start of the Medicare Open Enrollment Period (Oct. 15-Dec. 7), and is designed to prepare older Americans with the knowledge they need to make confident, informed decisions about their Medicare coverage.

The event, open to the public free of charge, will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. at the Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford, 355 Bloomfield Ave., in West Hartford. There is free parking on premises. Light refreshments will be provided.

According to the Medicare Made Clear Index, a survey by UnitedHealthcare, more than one in five Medicare beneficiaries describe Medicare as confusing. The same survey found that 70 percent of baby boomers ages 60 to 64 who are approaching Medicare eligibility say they have a “fair” or “poor” understanding of Medicare.

The goal of the event on Sept. 19 is to equip people with the tools and information they need to make informed health care decisions before the start of the annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period in October. Attendees will have the opportunity to get answers to frequently asked Medicare questions, such as:

• What are my coverage options?
• How do I decide?
• What if I’m still working?
• How can I save money?
• When can I enroll?

Individuals are urged to attend the event and bring questions that they’d like to have answered.

To RSVP online, please go to https://www.medicaremadeclear.com/medicare-news/national-medicare-education-week/9990003 or call 1-855-603-7423. There is no cost to attend but registration is requested.

The sixth annual National Medicare Education Week is supported by Walgreens, Caregiver Action Network, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, AARP, ProHealth Physicians and Optum IPA.