Dottie Beauregard is a volunteer at the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging. As such, she has helped countless local seniors to navigate the complexities of senior health insurance, Medicare, TRICARE and veteran’s benefits.
Davidsonville resident Dottie Beauregard has done a lot to help seniors in our area. For 16 years, she has volunteered her time with the Department of Aging to help seniors navigate Medicare and the Senior Health Insurance Program.
Sometimes it means helping to determine the best Medicare plan options, while other times it might be helping to ferret out fraud and abuse of the system.
Because of her work, Dottie was recently presented the Senior Medical Patrol Volunteer Excellence Award at a conference and luncheon in Washington, D.C.
Ten recipients from nine states and the territory of Guam received the award. Having a winner in south county is quite an honor since there are thousands and thousands of volunteers in both the SHIP and the Senior Medical Patrol programs.
Dottie started her service with the county Department of Aging in 1993. She came to a free talk about Medicare because her husband was turning 65, and she wanted more information about the programs and policies available to him.
"I listened to the talk and I've been volunteering ever since," Dottie said.
Five years after she first began working on the SHIP program, she took training to be involved in the SMP.
"We try to see if there is fraud. Sometimes people think it is doctors, or sometimes it is people who are trying to provide services who try to con people, or people who sell insurance, and the insurers who are overeager," Dottie said.
But she added that most cases she investigates are simply cases of miscommunication. For example, a patient who visits the doctor and is subsequently billed for an appointment or procedure that he or she can't recall. Dottie said that one of the best things for seniors to do is to carry a small note pad to record the dates, and provider names, for any medical visits or services.
Amy Rubino, Dottie's volunteer supervisor and trainer at the County Department of Aging, submitted Dottie's name for the award because of one particular case she had worked especially hard to resolve. It was a case that took months to find closure on.
The situation was an 80-year-old woman who was a retired federal worker. She carried federal employee's health insurance. The woman had somehow gotten herself signed up for a Medicare program that she didn't need, which created an overlap with her existing federal health insurance coverage. Her federal plan was better than Medicare Part D, and Dottie needed to get the Medicare plan dropped.
"It took a lot of work. I was headed out to vacation, and I was on the phone to the Office of Personnel Management as we were going over the Bay Bridge," Dottie said.
Dottie said that she continues to do this work because she enjoys helping people, but also because she enjoys solving problems.
"Lately we've been getting pretty complex problems. Now with all of the different components, Parts A, B, C and D. Most people don't understand it until they get to that age. Then suddenly it opens a whole new world of jargon," Dottie said.
In order to be able to consult with residents about the complexities of the programs, Dottie has had to undergo hours and hours of training, which is ongoing. Next up, she will be learning about TRICARE and Veterans Administration programs.
She advises any seniors or their caregivers to never, ever give out either their Social Security or Medicare number to anyone who phones.
"Have them (the caller) give you a number so that you can call them back," Dottie said.
And for those new to the senior insurance system, look for talks at your local senior center or nutrition center. The Anne Arundel County Department of Aging staff presents free informational lectures about Medicare and SHIP programs throughout the year.
The Anne Arundel CountyDepartment of Aging Web site has resources on both the SHIP and the SMP programs at www.aacounty.org. To reach the Department of Aging directly, call 410-222-4464.
Patrick Owen of Davidsonville has already earned the highest award in Boy Scouts - his Eagle Award. But that hasn't stopped him from continuing to give back to his community.
This past weekend Patrick organized a group of Scouts from the Capitol District, which includes southern Anne Arundel County, to help maintain the nature preserve at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Lothian.
Over the weekend, the young men removed non-native plants and replanted the area with local grass species.
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