🩺 Medicare Opens Tomorrow, Free Care This Weekend and a Handwashing Habit for School Season: Your Healthy Valley Report

Or: Open Enrollment Starts Wednesday, RAM Brings Free Dental Vision and Medical Care to Chattanooga, and Global Handwashing Day Meets Fall Germ Season

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Some weeks the health calendar feels like a fridge door covered in sticky notes. This is one of those weeks — and that is actually good news. Everything below is optional, free or already on your schedule, and none of it needs to feel rushed.

Here’s what’s in this report: Medicare Open Enrollment opens tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 15, and runs through Dec. 7. You do not have to change a thing, and free, unbiased help is a phone call away at TN SHIP. This weekend, Remote Area Medical (RAM) brings free dental, vision and medical care to Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga — no ID, no insurance, no income paperwork. Wednesday is also Global Handwashing Day, a calm nudge as cooler weather and school hallways put germs on the move. Looking ahead: Prescription Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24, Fight Flu TN free shots Tuesday, Oct. 20 in Dunlap, and mobile mammograms Wednesday, Oct. 21 in Hixson.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Medicare opens Wednesday, Oct. 15–Dec. 7: Compare plans if you want. Free help: TN SHIP 1-877-801-0044 or dda.ship@tn.gov. Changes start Jan. 1, 2027.
• RAM free clinic Sat.–Sun., Oct. 17–18: Notre Dame High School, 2701 Vermont Ave., Chattanooga. Parking opens by 11:59 p.m. Friday; doors about 6 a.m. Saturday. No ID or insurance needed.
• Wednesday is Global Handwashing Day: Soap and water for 20 seconds — hum “Happy Birthday” twice — especially before meals and after school.
• Take Back Day Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.: Elks Lodge #91, 1067 Graysville Road, Chattanooga. Year-round drop box at Dunlap Police, 119 Church St.
• Still on the fridge: Free flu shots Tue., Oct. 20 in Dunlap. Mobile mammograms Wed., Oct. 21 in Hixson (appointments: 423-495-4040).

📬 Medicare Opens Tomorrow: Compare Slowly, Call SHIP Free

Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period runs Wednesday, Oct. 15, through Sunday, Dec. 7, 2026. During that window you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan, move between Original Medicare and Advantage, or change a Part D drug plan if you have Original Medicare. Coverage you pick now generally starts Jan. 1, 2027, as long as the plan gets your request by Dec. 7.

Here is the front-porch truth: you do not have to change anything. A lot of folks open the mailers, glance at the dates, and leave well enough alone. That is fine. If you are curious — new doctors, new prescriptions, or a plan that no longer feels like a good fit — take it slow. Medicare.gov’s plan finder lets you plug in your medicines and pharmacies so the cost estimate matches real life, not a glossy brochure.

In Tennessee, free, unbiased help comes from TN SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). Counselors do not sell insurance. Call 1-877-801-0044, email dda.ship@tn.gov, or use the counseling-site map on the state website. You can also call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

What it means for you: Think of Open Enrollment like sorting the seed packets on the kitchen table. You do not have to plant every one. Keep what works, ask a trusted neighbor (SHIP) before you swap, and give yourself until Thanksgiving to decide if anything needs changing. Bring your Medicare card, a list of your medicines and your doctors’ names when you call.

👉 Read more (Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment) · TN SHIP: Free counseling · Medicare: How to join a plan

🏥 This Weekend: Free Dental, Vision and Medical Care in Chattanooga

Remote Area Medical (RAM) returns to Chattanooga Saturday–Sunday, Oct. 17–18, at Notre Dame High School, 2701 Vermont Ave. Services are free and first-come, first-served. Open to everyone. No ID, no insurance and no income requirements.

What they offer, according to RAM:

• Dental: Cleanings, fillings and extractions (denture services are not available at this clinic)
• Vision: Eye exams and glasses made on site
• Medical: Basic health exams and screenings for every patient

The parking lot opens no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and stays open all night. Clinic doors open about 6 a.m. Saturday. Everyone waits in the parking lot — there is no indoor waiting area before doors open — so pack water, snacks, medicines you take, weather-appropriate clothes and a blanket if it is chilly. You must stay on site to keep your place; leaving and returning puts you at the end of the line. Dental and vision often fill early, and patients may need to choose between those two. Medical care is offered to every patient. Sunday is an abbreviated day, so arrive early. Questions: 865-579-1530 (weekdays 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.).

What it means for you: If someone in your family has put off a tooth that hurts, a glasses prescription that is years old, or a basic check-up, this is a real door that opens this weekend. Carpool if you can. Pack like a Friday night football game in October — layers, snacks, patience — and check ramusa.org before you drive in case weather or capacity updates the plan.

👉 Read more (RAM: Chattanooga clinic details) · Local 3: What to expect

🧼 Global Handwashing Day: Twenty Seconds That Beat a Lot of Sniffles

Wednesday, Oct. 15, is Global Handwashing Day. The CDC keeps saying the same plain thing because it works: washing with soap and clean running water is one of the best ways to stay healthy, especially as cooler weather and school hallways put germs on the move.

The five steps are as simple as grandma’s biscuit recipe:

• Wet hands with clean running water, turn off the tap, apply soap
• Lather the backs of your hands, between fingers and under nails
• Scrub at least 20 seconds — hum “Happy Birthday” twice
• Rinse well
• Dry with a clean towel or air dryer

Key times: before eating or cooking, after the bathroom, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, after changing a diaper, and after touching garbage or pet mess. If soap and water are not handy, use a sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Today’s Dunlap Tribune also notes that handwashing, covering coughs and staying home when sick help keep flu from hopping from doorknob to dinner table.

What it means for you: Stick a bar of soap by every sink the kids use and make the 20-second song a family joke instead of a lecture. It costs almost nothing and beats a week of missed school or work.

👉 Read more (CDC: About handwashing) · CDC: Global Handwashing Day

💊 Clear Out the Medicine Cabinet: Take Back Day Is Oct. 24

The DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. It is a safe, free way to drop off unused or expired household medicines so they do not sit in a bathroom drawer.

A confirmed local collection site this year: Chattanooga Elks Lodge #91, 1067 Graysville Road, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., with first responders on site, drug-awareness resources and free smoke detectors for families. Info: 423-894-8850. Tennessee’s TN Together site also maps dozens of Take Back events statewide.

Need a drop-off sooner? Dunlap Police Department keeps a year-round prescription drop box at 119 Church Street. The state also lists permanent take-back locations across Tennessee through TDEC.

What it means for you: Pull the old antibiotics, leftover pain pills and mystery bottles from the cabinet this week. Put them in a labeled bag by the door for Oct. 24, or drop them at the Dunlap Police box any weekday. It is like taking the recycling out — one small chore that keeps the house safer.

👉 Read more (DEA: Take Back Day) · Chattanoogan: Elks Lodge event · TN Together: Tennessee Take Back map

📅 This Week’s Sticky Notes

Quick reminders we have covered before, still accurate:

• Tuesday, Oct. 20: Fight Flu TN free flu shots, Sequatchie County Health Department, 16939 Rankin Ave., Dunlap, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Central. Ages 6 months and up. Also at Bledsoe, Marion, Grundy and Rhea health departments — see the Fight Flu map. Confirmed today by the Dunlap Tribune.
• Wednesday, Oct. 21: Mobile mammograms at Morning Pointe of Hixson, 5501 Old Hixson Pike, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Open to the public; appointments required: 423-495-4040. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Uninsured or underinsured? Ask when you call. Statewide free screenings for women who qualify: Tennessee Breast and Cervical Screening Program, 1-877-969-6636.
• Pharmacy option anytime: If Oct. 20 does not work, ask your doctor or local pharmacy about a flu shot this week. Many pharmacies offer walk-in or same-day appointments while supplies last.

✅ Your Healthy Valley Checklist

• ✅ Glance at Medicare mailers after Wednesday, Oct. 15. Call TN SHIP 1-877-801-0044 before you change anything.
• ✅ Need dental, vision or a basic exam? Plan an early arrival for RAM this weekend in Chattanooga.
• ✅ Make the 20-second handwash a house rule before meals and after school.
• ✅ Bag old medicines for Take Back Day, Oct. 24, or use the Dunlap Police drop box this week.
• ✅ Put Tuesday, Oct. 20 on the fridge for a free flu shot in Dunlap.
• ✅ Due for a mammogram? Call 423-495-4040 for the Hixson mobile unit on Oct. 21, or ask your clinic.

Practical rule: Call SHIP before you change Medicare, pack snacks for RAM, wash for 20 seconds, and clear the medicine cabinet before Take Back Day. Calm beats rushed every time.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor, pharmacist or a trusted counselor about what’s right for you and your family. In an emergency, call 911.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Health Glossary

• Open Enrollment Period: The yearly window (Oct. 15–Dec. 7) when most people with Medicare can review and change their health or drug plan for the next calendar year.
• TN SHIP: Tennessee’s free, unbiased Medicare counseling program. Counselors do not sell insurance.
• Medicare Advantage (Part C): A private plan that bundles hospital and medical coverage (and often drugs) as an alternative to Original Medicare.
• Part D: Medicare’s optional prescription drug coverage for people with Original Medicare.
• RAM (Remote Area Medical): A nonprofit that runs free pop-up clinics offering dental, vision and medical care without requiring ID or insurance.
• Global Handwashing Day: An annual Oct. 15 reminder, backed by public-health groups including the CDC, to make handwashing a daily habit.
• Take Back Day: A DEA-coordinated day when communities collect unused household medicines for safe disposal.
• Fight Flu TN: The Tennessee Department of Health’s yearly day of free flu shots at local health departments.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to change my Medicare plan during Open Enrollment?

No. Open Enrollment is optional. Keep your current plan if it still fits. Call TN SHIP at 1-877-801-0044 if you want a free comparison before you decide.

When do Medicare changes take effect?

For Open Enrollment choices made Oct. 15–Dec. 7, coverage generally starts Jan. 1 of the next year, as long as the plan receives your request by Dec. 7.

Do I need an ID or insurance for the RAM clinic?

No. RAM says the Chattanooga clinic is open to everyone with no ID, no insurance and no income requirements. Arrive early; dental and vision fill fast.

What should I bring to RAM?

Water, snacks, medicines you take, weather-appropriate clothing and layers if it is cold. You wait in the parking lot before doors open. Stay on site to keep your place in line.

How long should I wash my hands?

The CDC says at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Hum “Happy Birthday” twice. Use a sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol only when soap and water are not available.

Where can I drop old medicines near Dunlap?

Year-round: Dunlap Police Department prescription drop box, 119 Church Street. On Take Back Day, Sat., Oct. 24, 10 a.m.–2 p.m.: Chattanooga Elks Lodge #91, 1067 Graysville Road, plus other mapped sites at tntogether.com/takebackday.

Where is the free flu shot in Dunlap?

Tuesday, Oct. 20, Sequatchie County Health Department, 16939 Rankin Ave., 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Central. Free for ages 6 months and up.

🔗 Other Resources

• Medicare.gov: Open Enrollment
• Medicare.gov: Plan Compare
• TN SHIP: Free Medicare counseling
• TN SHIP: Counseling sites map
• Remote Area Medical: Chattanooga clinic
• CDC: About handwashing
• CDC: Global Handwashing Day
• DEA: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
• TN Together: Tennessee Take Back Day map
• Chattanoogan: Elks Lodge Take Back event
• Dunlap Police: Prescription drop box
• TDEC: Unwanted household pharmaceuticals takeback
• TDH: Fight Flu Tennessee map
• Dunlap Tribune: Free flu shots Oct. 20
• Chattanoogan: Mobile mammography Oct. 21
• TDH: Tennessee Breast and Cervical Screening Program

🌻 Calm Week, Clear Choices

Nothing here is cause for worry. Medicare season is about options, not pressure. RAM is a helping hand for folks who need care this weekend. Clean hands and a cleared medicine cabinet are small chores with big peace of mind. Do one or two of these this week and you are ahead of the season.

We’ll keep watching for clinics, screenings and free services so you don’t have to. Read Dunlap.Today and sign up for our newsletter for plain-English Valley news, and find local businesses anytime on Dunlap.Directory.