In-person Senior LinkAge Line assistance

Last updated September 16, 2024

 When to use: 

Contact centers may be able to help people in-person with their Medicare or help navigating other resources, however, to reserve resources and for statewide consistency in-person assistance should be limited to people who cannot be helped over the phone.

 If a person requests in-person assistance: 

• Try to help them over the phone.

• If the person is unable to be assisted over the phone, assess their needs.
  • What have they already tried? Who have they already contacted?
  • Are they hard of hearing, have memory concerns or other disabilities that hinder their use of the phone?
  • Do they have access to a computer and know how to use it?
  • What supports, if any, do they currently have in place?
  • Are they on programs (MMIS lookup) and should they connect with a care coordinator or case manager instead?
  • Is it something that can be handled over chat, mail or video instead?

• If the person’s needs are appropriate for in-person help, let them know the contact center in their region may be able to provide an in-person appointment but they are very limited and not guaranteed. Do not promise an in-person visit. Remind them how to prepare for the follow-up call.
  • Medicare card and other health insurance cards
  • List of prescriptions (dosages and amounts; preferred pharmacies)
  • General information about income and assets
  • The phone number we call from may be one they do not recognize

• Schedule a task to the General queue of the contact center that serves the person’s region.
  • Begin follow-up instructions with the type of assistance needed and a summary to provide a snapshot for the person who will follow-up. This information may include:
    • Person’s location
    • Reason for follow-up
    • Preferred follow-up time (if gathered)
    • Best phone number to reach
    • What’s already been done by the specialist?
    • Example: In-person assistance: Person lives in private home in Pipestone, MN and needs help changing her Medicare Part D plan. She is hard of hearing and requires use of TTY for phone calls. She does not have computer access. Attempted to assist the caller by phone, screened the need for in-person assistance, and notified the caller that they cannot guarantee that the office can accommodate this request (especially during OEP). 

Every region must assign someone to monitor and pull tasks from their regional queues.

 Helpful links: 

Senior LinkAge Line contact center map