By Barbara Zebley-Oldani, LBSW, Health Benefits Assistance Director
Larry Ault has assisted numerous Medicare beneficiaries in his 22 years as a Health Benefits Assistance Program volunteer. Larry started shortly after retiring from Dow Corning in 1999. Larry completed an extensive training provided by the Medicare Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) in preparation for assisting Medicare Beneficiaries. Since the initial training, Larry attended many trainings each year and spent countless hours researching information needed to provide a complete view of options for clients.
Many of you may have talked with Larry over the years or met with him during Medicare Open Enrollment which runs annually from October 15-December 7. He is extremely knowledgeable about Medicare and has a patient and calm approach to providing Medicare information and options. Kay Burton, another Health Benefits Assisstance Volunteer stated, “Our team will certainly miss Larry! He is such a wealth of knowledge in all things Health Benefits Assistance! And his inside knowledge of Dow Corning insurance has been so helpful over the years!” Kay went on to state “I so admire his ability to remain calm year after year as Medicare throws changes at us. And Larry has ALWAYS been willing to stop what he is doing and help me work through a difficult case – he is the perfect go-to guy when you need a second set of eyes.”
Larry assisted 342 individuals during Medicare Open Enrollment over the last 5 years, helping them review and make the necessary changes for the next year. Since 2017, Larry assisted 493 individuals overall. From Allison Rossi Utter, Volunteer Manager and former Health Benefits Assistance Coordinator, “Larry has been a wonderful Health Benefits volunteer. He has been very thorough and detail orientated, always making sure he understood the client’s issues and would go above and beyond to help them. Larry knows Medicare well and had a calming way of explaining it. He will be missed for sure!” Larry was recognized as Senior Services “Volunteer of the Month” in April 2007 for his hard work and dedication as a Health Benefits Assistance volunteer.
A note from Larry: “I can never be thankful enough for all the support Senior Services staff (Allison, Barb, Kayla and Kristi) have provided to make the program work as well as it has. We appreciate everything Senior Services does to support the community and my wife and I still hope to help out with Meals on Wheels.”
Senior Services simply couldn’t have offered the level of service to our community without Larry’s help. Thank you Larry for your commitment to Midland County Medicare Beneficiaries over the years. Your knowledge and kindness will be missed.
