Alldredge continues to help navigate the world of Medicare

With many people, volunteering is an ‘every-once-in-a-while’ type of thing.

You help out if an opportunity arises and if it is mostly convenient, but rarely does it become routine.

With Linda Alldredge though, volunteering her time and teaching people about the complicated world of Medicaid is something she is definitely committed to.

For ten years now, Alldredge has been holding free classes in the Silver Valley for anyone who wants to know more about Medicare and how to use it.

Not only is her choice of topic to teach incredibly admirable (with health insurance being an incredibly hot-button and complex subject), but the fact that she has done it for so long shows that she really cares about others who are having a tough time.

Alldredge was already an incredibly motivated individual when she was young, but with some military discipline tacked on, you get a recipe for someone with tremendous determination.

Originally from Chewelah, Washington, she moved to Cheney, Washington after high school to attend Eastern Washington University (EWU).

It was there that she would earn a degree in Physical Education/ First Aid.

With this degree, she then moved to Newport, Washington to teach P.E.

While she was there, Alldredge explained that she found a desire to join the military after some of her former students, who had joined, came back and spoke of their experiences.

“They got to see things in different parts of the world and got interested in being a lab tech,” she explained.

“I could go do things (in the military) that I would never be able to do on my own.”

Alldredge would serve in the military for 33 years (four and a half years in active duty, the rest in the reserves) and worked as lab tech and medical instructor in the Army.

After her active duty stint and living in Chicago for two years in 1978-80, Alldredge moved to back to the area and earned her Masters of Science degree in exercise physiology and college instruction at EWU.

She then ran the Fairchild Air Force Bases exercise program for a short time before moving to Kellogg in 1985.

In search of land suitable for horses, she then moved from Kellogg to her current home in Dudley.

During her time in the Silver Valley, Alldredge has held a variety of jobs in including teaching at North Idaho College, working as a lab tech for Dr. Faith, and working at the Sports Conditioning and Rehabilitation (SCAR) Clinic- all the while still serving in the Army Reserve.

Her motivation to teach Medicare to people started 10 years ago, when she was listening to a presentation on insurance at the American Legion and realized that it could be pretty complicated.

“It was like, Hey! This is something I can do to give back,” she said.

“What I like to try to do is take something complicated and make it simple enough for people to understand.”

She explained that it took her three years to really nail down the topic to the point that she could “take it apart and put it back together,” but she also said that “I’m getting better every year.”

This year, Alldredge will be holding four “Making smart choices about Medicare” sessions in two different locations.

The first week of class will be an introduction to Medicare.

Attendees will learn about different types of Medicare (such as part A and part B), deductibles, and “how it all fits together.”

Week two will focus on understanding original Medicare by taking the topics discussed in the previous week, and showing how they can be put to use.

Week three covers Medigap (supplemental) plans and prescription drug coverage.

The last week will be focus on the individual and show attendees how to make Medicare work for them.

Classes held at the Osburn VFW will be on Nov. 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 2 p.m.

Classes at the Pinehurst library will be on Nov. 7, 14, 21, and 28 at 3 p.m.

Alldredge asks that attendees bring their Medicare and their book.

For more information regarding the classes, she can be reached at 208-682-2556.