Do Your Homework During Open Enrollment

It is open enrollment season for health care, and experts say it's important to make sure people are getting their information from trusted sources.  Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act marketplace started November 1st, while enrollment for Oregon Medicare recipients started earlier.

Rodney Schroeder, with the Oregon Department of Human Services, said there are no major changes in the process for Medicare this year.  But, he adds, there is no reason to go it alone.

"Use the resources that are online, and by all means, if there are questions, don't hesitate to stop and then reach out to somebody for some help. Our folks will provide non-biased, just factual information." 

A recent survey found that 43% of people regret a health decision they’ve made because of misleading information.  With so much health advice circulating online, Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer with UnitedHealthcare urges all of us to be vigilant against scams and false claims.

“You want to make sure that you're checking the source that you're getting your information from a credentialed medical professional or a reputable organization, look to see if they've included links to research."

Randall recommends that no matter the situation, people start the enrollment process early to give themselves enough time to make an informed decision.

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