Winnie Greenshields, Flathead Valley Coordinator for Senior Medicare Patrol, has a passion for helping people understand Medicare and for stopping fraud and abuse of program dollars.

Her patrol partner, Ruth Pomeroy, shares her passion along with the four other volunteers of the patrol, who give their time to educate consumers.

Now Greenshields and Pomeroy have teamed up to offer Medicare seminars to groups throughout the Flathead Valley to educate people receiving benefits and those soon to qualify.

“So far, it has been very well received,” Greenshields said.

For easy comprehension, they divided their seminar into three sessions of one and a half to two hours, depending on the number of questions. Greenshields said they ask for a commitment of three weeks to present one a week.

“The first one is on understanding Medicare,” she said.

Using a slide presentation, Greenshields reviews Part A and B, called original Medicare as well as Part C health plans and Part D prescription drug coverage. She said they explain how Medicare coverage interacts with other private insurance coverage people may carry.

“We also want to make sure they understand and are aware of Medicare fraud,” Greenshields said.

During the second session, she and Pomeroy go over the Medicare government website. Participants learn how to determine their share of prescription drugs cost with Part D policy and how to find health plans available in this area.

The www.Medicare.gov website lists the six Part C plans and 28 Part D plans available in the Flathead Valley.

“This is what we do with people when we meet with them individually,” Greenshields said.

Their third session looks at Medicare fraud. They ask participants to bring one of their insurance company’s explanation of benefits along with summary notices from Medicare.

They have samples for people not receiving Medicare to use as they explain how to read each document and how to cross reference them to understand what services were charged to each. The idea is to verify that the services charged were actually received.

“They are the front line of what is going on between themselves and the doctor,” Greenshields said. “We have to rely on them.”

She said that baby boomers who help their elderly parents would also benefit from the seminar. By learning how to read these statements, they can protect their parents from fraud.

The seminars provide helpful tips on ways people can protect themselves.

“We tell them not to carry their Medicare card in their purse or wallet,” Pomeroy said.

If the wallet or purse is stolen, a thief would have everything necessary to fraudulently bill their account between the information on the card and a driver’s license. Beneficiaries stand to lose their skilled nursing home days or needed medical equipment like a wheelchair they may need in the future.

  Following the formal presentations, Pomeroy and Greenshields take questions.

“We deal with a lot of insurance questions,” Pomeroy said.

Greenshields said that she can field questions on long-term care policies and evaluating coverage. She draws on her background in the insurance industry to handle these.

Pomeroy developed a specialty in fiscal services while working St. Patrick’s Hospital. All volunteers received training in Medicare.

“During the coffee break, we mingle with people and take questions personally,”  Pomeroy said. “Sometimes people are afraid of asking ‘dumb’ questions in public.”

Other information provided at the seminar includes the more than 20 new benefits added to Medicare via health care reform legislation. Some of these include colo-rectal screenings, colonoscopies and smoking succession therapies.

Greenshields said their initial seminar presentations to a church group and community organization went very well.

“Now we feel it’s time to offer it to other organizations,” she said. “We’re willing to do Saturdays and evenings or mid day sessions.”

People interested may leave a message at the Agency on Aging at 758-5730 and they will return the call.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com