NEBRASKA- Volunteers with a local nonprofit group have been able to help seniors save hundreds — or in some cases thousands — of dollars during Medicare open enrollment this year.

Volunteers Assisting Seniors helps seniors review Medicare plans and find the one that best fits their needs, often saving them lots of money on prescription drugs.

One Omaha man will save more than $2,300 by switching plans, said Sue Fredricks, executive director of Volunteers Assisting Seniors. The man, who is in his 80s, recently was prescribed a new — and expensive — eyedrop medication. His current plan wouldn’t cover it. But volunteers with the group found a plan that would.

Last year, the group helped 1,200 people save a total of nearly $1.1 million, averaging about $895 a person.

Medicare open enrollment, which runs through Dec. 7, gives beneficiaries the opportunity to review their Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans, also known as Part D.

If beneficiaries like what they have, they can keep those plans. But Fredricks said because plans change every year — changing premiums and copays and even dropping medications and pharmacies from their preferred lists — seniors should review their plans each year.

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