BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ( WBRC ) - United Way is offering free assistance to help Medicare beneficiaries navigate open enrollment through their State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

The SHIP program is dedicated to helping people make the most of their Medicare benefits during the enrollment period that runs Oct. 15 - Dec. 7.

United Way Area Agency on Aging SHIP/SMP Coordinator Susan Hackney said Medicare can be extremely difficult to navigate alone and they help hundreds of people every year.

She said the biggest changes for 2026 will be prescription coverage, similar to most years.

“The big thing is medications because the medication list changes from year to year and if your medication’s not on the list, you might have a really big nasty surprise in January when your me

See Full Page