Medicare Store opens free help line for insurance questions amid pandemic

The Medicare Store, which recently opened a branch in Reno, announced last week it is staffing a free help line to answer questions from Nevadans about their Medicare insurance.

According to an April 10 press release, the line is staffed 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, in which a team of representatives answers the line, and returns calls from messages left after hours.

“We're keeping our staff safe (by working remotely), but we've figured out a way to do that while also giving people the help they need with Medicare,” Calvin Bagley, President and CEO of The Medicare Store, said in a statement. “The phones are ringing. People are asking us how to use their telemedicine benefits to contact medical professionals without leaving their home.

"Some callers are concerned about their coverage and what it will cost them to get tested for COVID-19 or treated if they get sick.”

Earlier this year, the Las Vegas-based company opened its first Reno location at 5470 Kietzke Lane, Suite 300.

Any Medicare-eligible person can call the help line or schedule a call at themedicarestore.com. Help line numbers are 702-514-4111 for Southern Nevada and 775-335-2035 for Northern Nevada.

According to the release, The Medicare Store has reps who speak English, Spanish, Tagalog, Portuguese, French, Hebrew, Khmer and Hungarian.