By Mobility Alliance Group Staff

This is just a friendly reminder to all our customers out there that Medicare Open Enrollment ends on March 31st. Open enrollment gives individuals currently on Medicare the opportunity to change their Medicare coverage to either Original Medicare or to a private Medicare Advantage health plan.

Don’t miss out on your opportunity to make any changes that could be important during the coming year.

If you choose a Medicare Advantage plan, make sure you realize that because these plans are administered by a private health insurance company, you will be required to follow their guidelines and you can incur high out-of-pocket costs if you do not. But you can also get special benefits that are not covered by Original Medicare, such as dental and vision benefits.

In the end, as always, the key is to learn all you can about your options. Then you can make the best choice. You can talk to your doctor also (or more likely your doctor’s nurses) for advice.

Some of you probably use the Meals on Wheels service like I do. It’s such a great service for those of us who are unable to get out on our own. But as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, an insurance company is suing an 81-year-old woman because a delivery person slipped and fell on ice in her driveway.

She was home-bound and could not have shoveled her own driveway in the winter. Yet she went to the effort to have someone plow her driveway. Then the young girl delivering the food fell and was hurt pretty bad (which was a terrible accident).

But she’s not the one suing. It’s the insurance company who had to pay for her injuries. They’re suing the old woman! It’s outrageous. And it’s yet another service for seniors that will go away because no one wants the risk.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the “powers that be.” I know there’s the American’s with Disabilities Act and that buildings have to be accessible and all. Certainly things are better now than they were decades ago for those of us who use wheelchairs to get around. And ramped curbs, handicap parking, and wide bathroom stalls are great.

But what’s your city like to live in as a wheelchair user? Are the sidewalks well-maintained? Are the special events in your city inclusive? Is it practical—not simply possible—for you to participate and get involved in local events?

If your child or grandchild is performing in a community play, can you expect that there will be reasonable accommodations for your chair when you arrive? Or do you simply know that you’ll have to ask for accommodations?

If there’s a dutch-oven dinner served as part of your summer festival, will any of the organizers have thought at all about serving those with mobility challenges? Or will you require assistance to get your meal?

I feel like I’m pretty lucky where I live. But of course, it could always be better. What about your city?