According to Data USA, 10 percent of people living in Bath County receive Medicare benefits. Another 10 percent of citizens are uninsured. Because of the clientele we serve and the leadership of our Bath County Homemakers, a volunteer decided to host Medicare Minute through Family and Consumer Sciences Extension. 

The Homemaker Volunteer, a certified health insurance broker, and the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent began their partnership with Medicare Minute at the beginning of spring to provide educational material that is pertinent to clientele. The decision to host this monthly program came from the Family and Consumer Sciences Council's recommendations for programming. The health insurance broker provides a nationally certified program that highlights different topics of interest to participants, and the FCS Agent provides a sample of the Nutrition Education Program's monthly calendar, as well as other nutrition education to fulfill educational requirements. There were two meetings held before COVID-19 changed the in-person programming to virtual Zoom and Facebook Live programming. 

Since beginning the program earlier in the year, the program has reached more than 500 people through Facebook and Zoom views and calls. The insurance broker has had several followup calls with individuals to explain specific scenarios and has mentioned that she is grateful for the partnership. A participant stated, "I am so glad for these monthly calls. They have helped me to plan my future in ways that I didn't know I needed." 

We look to continue the program in the coming months and host in-person meetings when it is safe to do so.