Insurance Commissioner speaks to consumers in Shoreline about Medicare

Commissioner Kreidler and Judy Ellis,
SHIBA volunteer with Sound Generations in Shoreline
Photo courtesy OIC

By Kara Klotz

Attendees to a Medicare birthday event on Saturday morning got to hear Insurance Commissioner Kreidler talk about why Medicare is important and what SHIBA does for Washington consumers.

SHIBA stands for Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors. It’s a statewide network of nearly 400 highly trained volunteers who have been helping seniors and others understand their health insurance options for more than 35 years in Washington state.

Washington was the first state in the nation to establish a SHIBA program, before the federal government offered assistance in reaching out the consumers who are or are about to be enrolled in Medicare.

Medicare provides health coverage for nearly 45 million Americans who are age 65 and older, and for 7 million younger adults with permanent disabilities. Medicare has been in existence for 51 years, which really isn’t that long ago.

Attendees at the Medicare birthday event on June 18 in Shoreline
Photo courtesy OIC

Commissioner Kreidler recalled for the attendees a time before Medicare existed when his grandmother had to move in with his parents because she was ill and didn’t have health coverage. Her medical bills prohibited her from living on her own. If Medicare had existed, it would have provided a lifeline for her to have access to the health care she needed.

SHIBA offers free, unbiased assistance with health care choices, including Medicare, to more than 100,000 Washington residents each year. You can find more SHIBA events around the state here.