Pauline Fortier of Lewiston was honored with the presentation of the 2024 Margaret Ross Award at the June 24 annual meeting of SeniorsPlus.
Fortier was honored for 10 years of volunteerism for the organization. Her focus at SeniorsPlus has been assisting clients to understand Medicare better and what is best for their individual situation.
The award, presented annually, recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the agency and the larger community, according to a news release from SeniorsPlus, based in Lewiston.
Fortier has volunteered almost 600 hours as a certified Medicare counselor, Fortier educates Medicare clients and their families about Medicare insurance options and benefits. Being a Medicare counselor involves knowing federal and state insurance laws, insurance coverages, enrollment periods and completing data entry. This volunteer role also involves taking a state certification test and recertifying every two years.
In addition, Fortier assists with follow-up with clients of the Medicare Savings Program that enables individuals to get their medications at greatly reduced copays and may also qualify clients for enrollment into specialized plans that offer extra benefits like groceries, utility payments, transportation and over the counter supplies.