FAIRMONT– A New to Medicare virtual class will take place at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 27. the class is offered through Senior Linkage Line, a service of the Minnesota Board on Aging.

Robin Thompson with Senior Linkage Line said it’s targeted toward people who are going to be new to Medicare within the next six months, or people who have just gone on Medicare but don’t fully understand all of the different parts.

“It will give a pretty good overview of Medicare parts A, B, C and D. It will also give information about programs available to help pay for Medicare,” Thompson said.

She said for those who aren’t yet on Medicare, it will help let them know if they should enroll as well as how and when.

“It’s really dependent on each person’s situation, especially people who are continuing to work past age 65,” Thompson said.

She pointed out they don’t sell anything and aren’t trying to market a certain plan, they’re just there to help people understand their options and make informed decisions.

The class used to be offered in person. In the past Thompson had come to Fairmont and offered an in-person presentation through Fairmont Community Education and Recreation but she hasn’t been here since before the start of the pandemic.

Thompson said that once things with Covid settle down, they would like to start offering them in person again, but also still have a virtual option.

“It’s really worked well,” Thompson said.

Since the presentation is virtual, it has the potential to reach people all across the state. Thompson said they usually have half a dozen to 30 people attend the presentation.

“The small size is nice because typically people feel more comfortable and have more opportunities to ask questions,” Thompson said.

Throughout the presentation there will be several “chat checks” so people have the ability to verbally ask a question or type it. There will also be time at the end of the presentation for questions.

“We do want to be able to answer people’s questions. If they have questions specific to their situation, we will let them know how they can contact us and set up a one-on-one discussion,” Thompson said.

While the presentation is free, people do need to register because that’s how they will get sent a link to the class. It will be put on through Microsoft Teams, which can be accessed through a desktop computer, laptop, smart phone or tablet.

“It’s pretty easy to navigate but we also have a staff person who can help with that,” Thompson said.

She said if people don’t have internet access but want to find out more about Medicare, they can call Senior Linkage Line at 1-800-333-2433. To register, visit mnraaa.org/calendar.