The Cedar Grove Foundation is bringing educational awareness about Medicare and Medicaid to the Elizabethton community this weekend, with licensed agent Randy Kiss coming to answer questions in a public conference.

Kiss, Senior Market Manager at Humana MarketPoint, said the event is educational in nature, providing information about how this kind of health insurance works and what potential customers need to know about it.

“My portion will be for Medicare beneficiaries, and it will be educational to explain choices they have with accessing their Medicare benefits,” Kiss said.

The conference comes in the midst of tax season for many Americans, and many matters relating to the government, whether it be state or federal, can be difficult to fully understand, and this lack of understanding can negatively impact people’s decision-making during important processes.

“Medicare can be complex at times to many, and understanding options available can be very helpful,” he said.

Humana, as well as Cedar Grove, often work to promote education on important financial issues such as insurance, retirement and more.

Kiss said he has given many presentations in the past, including to specific medical providers themselves.

While the conference will be partly to give information about what people need to know, such as eligibility and deadlines, the Saturday event will also allow attendees to ask their own questions about Medicare and Medicaid.

He said preparing for the conference in a way that is easier to digest is important.

“My favorite part is simply the preparation to be sure it is given in a way that those in attendance can understand and go away with a better understanding of their choices,” Kiss said.

It is not all serious business during the two-hour event, however, and Kiss will not be the only professional taking questions, either. There will be refreshments and door prizes, as well as brochures of information attendees can take home to help educate family members.

He said he wanted to be clear this is just informational in nature.

“It is purely educational on Medicare and no selling of any plans,” Kiss said.

The conference will run from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Elizabethton Parks and Recreation, which is located at 300 West Mill Street in Elizabethton. The event is free and open to the public.