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-- Programs and Services -- Contact Information Health insurance information update
By Margie Ware, Elder Services Regional SHINE Director
Blue Cross Blue Shield will have an open enrollment beginning September 15 and extending to the end of the calendar year. The effective date of any policies you sign up for during this period will be January 1, 2006. This is a good time to review what supplemental insurance you presently have (otherwise known as “Medigap” insurance) and see if it is still appropriate. You may want to drop your “gold” coverage in anticipation of the new Medicare D plan; you may want to add a lower-cost supplemental policy with money you’ll save under the new Federal prescription plan; you may want to review whether your “Bronze” coverage is protecting you against things that don’t apply to you anymore. This is a great time to really take a look at the whole issue of supplemental insurance. Call your local Council on Aging or Elder Services to speak to a SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Elders) counselor.
We finally have some definitive information from the Veterans’ Administration about what their clients should do in regard to Medicare D. Most veterans will want to retain their VA coverage – “If you decide that VA meets your needs and you decide not to join a Medicare drug plan now, you won’t have to pay a higher monthly premium for your Medicare drug plan if you change your mind and decide to join a Medicare drug plan later.” However, please note that if you qualify for the Federal subsidy (income below $14,355 for singles/$19,247 married; 11,500/23,000 in assets not counting home or car) then you may want to apply for this assistance by filling out a form from the Social Security office or calling SHINE at Elder Services and asking to have a form filled out for you online.
Unfortunately, at this time, Elder Services still does not have definitive information for Prescription Advantage (PA) members who now pay a premium to PA. We can tell you that you must enroll in a Medicare D prescription drug program this fall in order to retain your relationship with PA. We can tell you that you will no longer pay a monthly premium to Prescription Advantage after December 31, 2005. Any monthly premium you are assessed will be paid to your new Medicare D provider. The rest of the details will depend on a number of factors. It is our intention to get this information to PA members as soon as possible. If we don’t have your name on our “list” of PA members in Berkshire County, feel free to call in and identify yourself.
This is also a good time for individuals with retiree insurance coverage that includes prescription drug coverage to check with their former employers about whether that coverage will continue past the end of the calendar year. Please get this information in writing from the Human Resources department.
For more information, call SHINE at 413-499-0524 (or 800-544-5242) extension 109 email shinedpt@esbci.org. We are especially encouraging family members under 65 to learn some basic aspects of this information so that they can be helpful to their family and friends.