Are you eligible for Medicare and curious about your plan options? Upper Cumberland SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) is conducting a series of FREE Welcome to Medicare! classes this month in Overton County on Sept. 14 from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the Millard Oakley Library, located at 107 E. Main St. in Livingston; in Cumberland County on Sept. 22 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., at the Art Circle Library located at 3 East St. in Crossville; and in Putnam County on Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m., at the Upper Cumberland Development District office located at 1104 England Dr. in Cookeville. Each class will consist of training on Parts A, B, C & D, as well as Medigap policies and ways to prevent Medicare fraud.

SHIP is a federally funded program administered through the Area Agency on Aging & Disability (AAAD). Please call SHIP at 931-432-4150, visit the Upper Cumberland SHIP Facebook Page at facebook.com/UCSHIP, or email ship@ucdd.org to register or learn more.

SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) and SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) are administered locally by the Upper Cumberland Development District and cover all 14 Upper Cumberland counties. SHIP/SMP representatives provide free and unbiased Medicare counseling for any questions, abuse, or concerns; they will also screen Medicare beneļ¬ciaries for Low-Income Assistance Programs. Got Medicare? Got Questions? Call SHIP at 1-877-801-0044 or 931-432-4150.

AAAD, a division of the Upper Cumberland Development District, connects older adults and adults with disabilities in the 14-county Upper Cumberland region with services and resources to improve their quality of life. Find AAAD on the web at www.ucdd.org and at facebook.com/UCDDconnect.