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Voted #1 Radio Station in the Missoula Valley, Trail 1033's Official Podcast makes exclusive on-air interviews, performances, new music and interesting conversations available to you on demand.
Enjoy daily uploads following community interviews on the Morning Trail show with Robert Chase, occasional live performances from both new and landmark bands and artists. Check out the Lunchbox every weekday at Noon, as Mike Smith dishes up a great block of themed music, interviews and more. New music your thing? Every Tuesday 6PM-7PM, enjoy The New Show hosted and produced by Tommy Evans.
Catch so much more interesting and timely conversation and, of course, amazing music from Robert, Mike and Tommy - LIVE- on The Trail 1033FM in Missoula and around the world at trail1033.com every day from 6AM until 9PM.
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Mike Smith: It's about a minute ahead of 10 o'clock. Trail 103.3, KDTR FM Florence, Missoula. I'm Mike Smith. It's as good a time as any to focus on something happening locally and nationally.
I welcome Chris Hightower from Missoula Aging Services. Hello, Chris!
Chris Hightower: Hello there. Thank you for having me.
Mike Smith: It's very exciting. Is this your first time at the Trail?
Chris Hightower: This is my very first time, yes.
Mike Smith: You look familiar. Could that be because you're a Missoula guy?
Chris Hightower: I'm a Missoula guy. I'm born and raised here. The topics we're going over today with Medicare are pretty familiar to me.
Mike Smith: Before you change that dial, Medicare is something a lot of people need, and we're going to talk about it. I enjoy having you in because it's something I know is out there, but I want to learn a little more about it because, at some point, I'll be on it.
Chris Hightower: God willing!
Mike Smith: Absolutely. My parents are on it, too. Let's drill down on this. But first, having grown up in Missoula, do you have a favorite thing about the town? We're going to open up a big topic here.
Chris Hightower: Yeah, let's crack it open! I'm born and raised here in Missoula. I've been here my whole life. I went to Hellgate High School and graduated from the University of Montana.
Mike Smith: And what did you study?
Chris Hightower: I studied social work. I have a degree in social work.
Mike Smith: Good program.
Chris Hightower: A really good, strong program. I was very fortunate to graduate from it, and I had a lot of great professors. It gave me a really good foundation. But I think what I value most about my education is that I got to minor in gerontology.
I studied the process of aging, what older adults face, and what it's like to age. That really set me up well for the role I'm in right now.
Mike Smith: We're all heading in that direction, and hopefully we'll be able to enjoy some old age. That's where Missoula Aging Services comes in.
Your organization is no stranger to the airwaves here at the Trail. Can we run down a few of the things you do? Oftentimes, I come around the corner and think, "Well, there's the Meals on Wheels building." But what else is in there?
First of all, Meals on Wheels. What a great program!
Chris Hightower: Amazing program. We're very fortunate to have it under our roof.
We have a lot of volunteer drivers and a lot of people receiving these meals. There are many homebound individuals in Missoula, and they get the opportunity to have some social interaction with someone. Sometimes, the driver might be the only person they see throughout the day.
That social interaction is wonderful, and they also get to have a nutritious, balanced meal.
Mike Smith: I've noticed that sometimes volunteers don't just do it for a little while. You get kind of hooked on delivering meals.
There's a volunteer named Ted who's been doing it for decades. He's in his 90s and still delivering meals, probably having some nice conversations and making friendships along the way.
Chris Hightower: Yeah, absolutely. He's a very valuable individual.
Mike Smith: Meals on Wheels is a great part of Missoula Aging Services. It's pretty straightforward: we're taking meals to people who need them.
But this isn't quite so straightforward. You're here to talk about open enrollment. Can we begin with what it is and who provides Medicare?
You provide Medicare counseling. How does that work?
Chris Hightower: That's our wheelhouse. I'm in the Resource Center at Missoula Aging Services. We're a specific department, and there are a lot of different departments providing other services.
In the Resource Center, my teammates and I are all SHIP counselors.
Mike Smith: Okay. You said SHIP, with a P?
Chris Hightower: Yes.
Mike Smith: Not because you're not a very good counselor?
Chris Hightower: Correct!
Mike Smith: It's a SHIP counselor. Great. Make no mistake!
Chris Hightower: Right. We receive a significant amount of education in Medicare, Medicare coverage, Medicare plan options, and so on.
We take in all that information and make it digestible for community members and Medicare beneficiaries. We help guide people through the process. If they're new to Medicare and getting coverage for the very first time, for example, we can help them navigate that transition.
But our biggest and busiest time of year is Medicare Open Enrollment, which begins October 15. That's today!
It's great that we get to have this interview today.
Mike Smith: It's great to have you in. October 15. So it's a relatively short window, and during that time, Medicare beneficiaries can sit down with a SHIP counselor or a staff member at Missoula Aging Services to go over their drug coverage, review their health coverage, and make changes if they need to.
How important is it to review the drug coverage you currently have?
Chris Hightower: That's a great question. It's extremely important because insurance companies can make changes to their coverage, which providers are in-network, and how they cover medications. Premiums may also change from year to year.
It's always a great idea for every Medicare beneficiary to sit down and review their coverage options to make sure they're on the best plan for them for the upcoming year.
Mike Smith: How about general healthcare coverage, beyond prescription drugs?
Chris Hightower: During open enrollment, people have a couple of different options. They can change from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, or they may be able to change from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare.
The healthcare portion is important because someone's health can change. They might develop an illness or experience a significant change in their overall health. Maybe they start going to doctor's appointments more often.
It's good to pay attention to copays, coinsurance, and deductibles because they may be using those services more frequently and facing higher out-of-pocket costs.
Mike Smith: It's so nice to have a human being to interact with in a world of AI and, sometimes, a land of confusion. It's nice to sit down face-to-face with a guy like Chris.
I should point out that this is unbiased, free advice and education. Oftentimes, you're saying, "Here are some choices you can make," and then shepherding people through the process.
Chris Hightower: Yes. Thank you for saying that.
That's the true essence of the SHIP program. We provide unbiased, free counseling on Medicare. We're not insurance agents, and we're not trying to sell you anything. We're really here to provide education.
We cover all the different parts of Medicare and help people understand them. If we do our job well, the goal is to empower people to feel confident and comfortable making healthcare decisions for themselves.
Mike Smith: That's really great.
So, the open enrollment period starts today and runs through December 7. That's the window. Can you explain how that works? It's open, and then it's closed!
Chris Hightower: Exactly. We need to make those changes during that period.
It's especially important for people who have Original Medicare and a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan to review their coverage during that time.
If we miss that window, there's a possibility someone could be locked into the plan they had for 2026 and have to keep it in 2027, even if there have been significant changes to the plan. Those changes could involve out-of-pocket costs, medication coverage, and more.
That might not be a good situation.
For people on Medicare Advantage plans, there's another enrollment period from January 1 through March 31.
Missoula Aging Services will continue helping people understand those options and deadlines.
Mike Smith: What are some of the best resources available? Everybody, including people on Medicare, has a phone these days. I love the face-to-face approach, but what are some good resources people can keep in touch with?
I imagine your organization has a robust social media program and a website.
Chris Hightower: Yes, we do. We have a great person named Hannah who manages our social media and puts information out there.
I'd really encourage people to follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We share updates about all our programs, not just the Resource Center and Medicare, but everything happening at Missoula Aging Services.
If people are looking for solid, reliable information about Medicare, we also encourage them to check out Medicare.gov.
Mike Smith: Cool. Not Medicare.com. Medicare.gov.
Chris Hightower: Yes!
Mike Smith: And again, this is unbiased, free Medicare counseling and education through Missoula Aging Services.
I need to ask a favor of you, Chris Hightower. I'm not there yet, but I will be. You seem like a fairly young guy, and I'm hoping you're still there when I get to that point.
When I get on Medicare, I'll bring all my paperwork over, and we'll discuss it.
Chris Hightower: I look forward to our meeting at that time!
Mike Smith: What advice would you give to somebody who's feeling really overwhelmed? You might have someone walk through the door and say, "Hey, I've just got a couple of quick questions," but they're really confused and feeling a little lost.
Chris Hightower: That's a great question.
What I think is really good about Missoula Aging Services is that our SHIP counselors, the Medicare experts, are the ones answering the phones, too.
When someone calls with a quick question or needs a little guidance, or when people walk through the door with questions, those SHIP counselors are right there at the front desk.
Oftentimes, if someone has a quick question, there's a good chance we can answer it in the moment, when they need the information.
If it's a more in-depth conversation that requires additional time, we'll schedule an appointment. All our appointments are scheduled for 90 minutes so we have a really good opportunity to cover everything we need to discuss.
Mike Smith: Nice. That's great. I think we've really gotten the information out there today.
Very nice meeting you, Chris Hightower of Missoula Aging Services. I appreciate your organization partnering with our local radio group.
And again, no kickbacks! No kickbacks, no kickbacks, no kickbacks!
This is simply unbiased, free Medicare counseling and education. This might be something you need to pass along to a friend, a loved one, or a family member. Maybe a parent who's dealing with Medicare.
Chris Hightower: Exactly. That's one of my big things. If you know anyone on Medicare—friends, family, loved ones—encourage them to reach out.
You don't have to do it alone. We're here to support you, and we're here to help.
Mike Smith: So, with you here, who's answering the phones over there right now?
Chris Hightower: Great question! I've got two staff members whom I have the pleasure of managing: Laurie and Rachel.
Mike Smith: Cool! So that's who people will get this morning. Let's light them up over there! What's the phone number?
Chris Hightower: It's 406-728-7682.
Mike Smith: 406-728-7682. Let's light them up, let's get enrolled, and let's get all our questions answered!
I very much appreciate your time today, Chris. People can visit MissoulaAgingServices.org for more information.
I'll give you the parting thoughts. A thought, a quote, anything. Thought of the day!
Chris Hightower: What I'd most like people to know is that Medicare changes. It changes constantly.
We keep up with those changes, we keep up with the information, and we're ready to support you. You don't have to do it alone.
Mike Smith: All right. Everyone needs to review their plan. Everyone!
That's perfect. Chris Hightower, don't be a stranger. We'll look forward to chatting with you down the road.
Chris Hightower: Thank you so much!
Mike Smith: Down the Trail, 103.3. Thanks for coming in!
Chris Hightower: Right on!