BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Medicare Open Enrollment starts October 15, and the Palm Beach County Library System wants residents ready for it. The library system is partnering with SHINE — Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders — to bring free Medicare workshops to branches across the county. The sessions target beneficiaries, their families and caregivers who need help sorting through coverage options before enrollment opens.
Trained SHINE volunteers run the workshops. They walk participants through Medicare coverage and plan options, take questions, and help people compare choices side by side. SHINE doesn’t sell or represent insurance plans. Its counseling is free and unbiased, funded to serve seniors rather than steer them toward any particular plan.
An advisory from the library system says that more than one in four Palm Beach County residents is 65 or older. Out of roughly 1.57 million county residents, about 411,000 — 26.1% — fall into that age bracket, according to 2025 U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
“Access to reliable, unbiased information is essential when making decisions about Medicare,” said Library Director Doug Crane. “The Palm Beach County Library System is proud to partner with organizations like SHINE that can connect residents with trusted resources and information at convenient locations throughout the county.”
Understanding Medicare Enrollment sessions run at the Glades Road Branch on Tuesday, Sept. 22 from 1 to 2 p.m.; the Greenacres Branch on Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 3 to 4 p.m.; the Gardens Branch on Friday, Sept. 25 from 2 to 3 p.m.; the Main Library on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 10 to 11 a.m.; and the Okeechobee Boulevard Branch on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 2 to 3 p.m. Preregistration is required at http://www.pbclibrary.org.
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