The skyrocketing cost of Anita Taylor's health care plan left her shocked and looking for a bargain.

"Well, the plan I was on was $43.70 and had gone up $16 a month," says Taylor.

So she started to shop around.

"I looked on the internet and I got one that was $6 less, so only a $10 difference," says Taylor.

This group of seniors here at the L.E. Phillips Senior Center might love to play cards, but they don't want to gamble with their health insurance. And even though picking health insurance can be a puzzling experience, they're aware that some companies are out there to take advantage of them with discount health cards.

"You have to be wary of this because some of the cards are advertised as a free card, where you get 30 days free membership,” says Cindy White of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. “But that's not all it's advertised to be, because you initially have to sign up for a registration fee."

Those fees can start out with an $18-20 registration fee, and an added $30-$50 monthly fee. White says there’s a pretty simple way to avoid these.

"Go with Medicare, sign up with Medicare," she urges.

Katy Venskus of the Medicare RX Access Center of Wisconsin says that is the best way to find cheap and legitimate health care for older adults.

"We all know the seniors are paying more out of pocket than ever before, and this really offers them a resource to alleviate some of those costs," says Venskus.

For penny pinching seniors like Anita, the newer Medicare prescription plans save them money, and give them a sense of security.

"I would say safer, is the word that I'm looking for,” Taylor describes her experiences on Medicare. “Before Medicare D, I had gone to Canada to get some of my pills."

Consumer protection also warns against giving out any personal or medical information to companies that you don't have a policy with, because it’s often a scam for identity theft. This includes social security numbers, bank account numbers, and medical history.

There will be another Medicare information session at the L.E. Phillips Senior Center on Friday, December 12, from 9 am to 11 am.

If you’re looking for information online about Medicare and Medicare scams, visit the following Web sites, or call:

Wisconsin State Health Insurance Program
Department of Health Services
1 West Wilson St.
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 1-800-242-1060
http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/aging/SHIP.htm

Medicare
Phone: 1-800-MEDICARE
(1-800-633-4227)
www.medicare.gov

Social Security Administration
Office of Public Inquiries
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235
Phone: 1-800-772-1213
www.socialsecurity.gov