Seniors saving $3.4M on prescriptions through TARCOG assistance program

HUNTSVILLE — There are 3,237 people in northeast Alabama who will collectively save more than $3.4 million in 2025 on their Medicare insurance premiums and prescription medications thanks to the Alabama State Health Insurance Assistance Program administered through the TARCOG Area Agency on Aging. 

This year the program served 488 more people and saved almost $1 million more than last year during the Medicare Open Enrollment period between October and December, said TARCOG’s Director of Aging Programs Sheila Dessau-Ivey. 

SHIP is an important program because change is inevitable in people’s lives. For example, one client faced $282,000 in medication charges under his existing prescription plan for 2025 because of a recently diagnosed condition. The client’s 2024 prescription plan didn’t cover any of the new medications he needs.

After the client met with SHIP Resource Coordinator Teresa Hazzard, she found a new plan for him that dropped his total medication cost for the year down to $2,000. 

There are many plans out there and they all offer different coverages. Hazzard said she and the other coordinators are able to compare a client’s medication list with the different plans and find the most cost effective option to share with the client. 

“I love it because when you look at that savings number, that’s money that is going back into our client’s  pockets that they can spend on other needs,” Hazzard said. 

The TARCOG region team responsible helping with Open Enrollment includes Hazzard, who works out of TARCOG’s headquarters in Huntsville; and Kathryn Kestner from Studio 60 Senior Center in Huntsville; Veronica Woodall in Jackson County; Lynn Hixon and Emily McCamy in DeKalb County; Tammy McElroy, Susan Bishop and Kennedy Cooper in Marshall County; and Heidi Stinnett, Carla Sims, and Helen Carter in Limestone County 

The regional counselors met or talked with 3,237 seniors during the 2024 Open Enrollment period. The total savings for those clients during 2025 will amount to $3,404,862.06.

The next opportunity to take advantage of the free service offered by TARCOG will be during this year’s Medicare Open Enrollment, Oct. 15  through Dec. 7. For questions, call Hazzard at 256-830-0818.