Questions abounded Thursday at Douglas County Senior Services Medicare Information Day, but so did answers.

At least 35 people attended the event at the Lawrence Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive. The day included exhibitions from health care providers and government agencies, speakers explaining aspects of Medicare and a table where experts could help answer individual questions about Medicare coverage.

Paula Haisch, who heads the Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas program at Senior Services, organized the event. Haisch counsels seniors on Medicare questions every day.

“We’ve had not as many people as we’d like,” Haisch said of the day’s attendance. “But we’ve gotten lots of inquiries.”

Darrell Elliott of the Kansas Department on Aging spoke about Medicare fraud and ways to prevent it.

Elliott said some of the worst instances of Medicare fraud involved impostors making phone calls, posing as Medicare representatives, asking for personal information and committing identity theft. He said Medicare representatives would never ask for personal information door-to-door or over the phone, and would never offer products or services for free.

Later, Rick Bailey, a Medicare provider representative for Wheatlands Administrative Services, spoke about the Medicare appeals process. Bailey stressed that Medicare beneficiaries always had a right to appeal any Medicare decision. Appeals must be in written form.

Other speakers addressed how Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits could interact with Medicare benefits.

Haisch said Medicare beneficiaries, future beneficiaries or caregivers can call Senior Services at 842-0543 for answers to Medicare-related questions. Haisch offers free Medicare counseling by appointment.

She said beneficiaries often were confused by Medicare’s complicated nature, but the system could be very helpful when understood.

“It’s, to me, the best thing going,” Haisch said. “It really is a good system, but it’s big.”

The event was the first of its kind organized by Senior Services. Most of the same presenters will return for another Medicare Information Day on June 28 at the Baldwin City Public Library. Haisch said she hoped to have more information days in the future, but she said Senior Services could provide free Medicare information anytime.