SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a state supported program to provide seniors with unbiased information regarding medical insurance. Through one-on-one counseling with highly trained volunteers and information releases, seniors are able to make better informed decisions regarding their medical insurance.
The SHINE counselor provides assistance on the fourth Friday of the month at the Sturbridge Senior Center from 9 to 12. Please call 508-347-7575 for an appointment.
For information about medical insurance the following websites and telephone numbers may be helpful:
SHINE
(Serving Health Information Needs of Elders)
1-800-AGE-INFO (1-800-243-4636), press 2
Prescription Advantage
1-800-AGE-INFO (1-800-243-4636), press 1
TTY: 1-800-610-0241
Medicare
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
TTY: 1-877-486-2048
MassHealth
1-800-841-2900
TTY: 1-800-497-4648
MassMedLine
1-866-633-1617
Medicare Advocacy Project
(Help with Appeals)
1-800-323-3205
News from SHINE – July 2011
Are you in the Donut Hole?
The Affordable Care Act lowers the cost of your Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D), if you reach the coverage gap (donut hole). This year, you will no longer have to pay full price in the donut hole. You will automatically receive a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs covered by your Part D plan. For generic drugs covered by your plan, Medicare will pay 7% of the price and you will pay the remaining 93%. These discounts apply whether you buy your drugs at a pharmacy or order them through the mail. What you pay for both brand-name and generic drugs in the donut hole will decrease each year until it reaches 25% in 2020.
So far, 271,000 people have used the discounts to save an average of $613 for a total savings of $166 million dollars. These savings will continue to grow. Most people who reach the donut hole do so later in the year, so we know more and more seniors will be helped as the year progresses. So far in Massachusetts 4,783 people have reached the donut hole and saved an average of $607.87 for a total savings of more than $2,907,444. The Affordable Care Act is working for Medicare beneficiaries in Massachusetts and throughout the country.
If you have already reached the donut hole, you should already be receiving these discounts. In the Donut Hole, you should be paying LESS than you did last year for your medications. If you are not paying less this year you should call us at SHINE for an appointment.
Reminder: New Dates for Medicare Open Enrollment
October 15th – December 7th
You can now access our monthly SHINE chat line, sponsored by the Central Massachusetts Agency Aging, on the second Tuesday of each month. To attend the SHINE Session, go to www.SeniorConnection.org and click on Connection for Caregiver button. Then click on the Support Groups and Chats button. Create a username and password, log in and click on SHINE.
If you need help on any aspect of your health insurance, SHINE offers free counseling at your local Senior Center or Council on Aging. Call your Senior Center or COA and ask for a SHINE appointment. You can reach a SHINE volunteer by phone at 1-800-AGE-INFO (1-800-243-4636) If you get the SHINE voice mail, leave your name and phone number and a counselor will call you back as soon as possible. SHINE (Serving the Health Information of Elders) is coordinated by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs in partnership with the Friends of the Milford Senior Center, The Massachusetts Councils on Aging, and other local agencies.
News from SHINE – September 2011
Medicare Open Enrollment is Changing!
New Dates: OCTOBER 15 – DECEMBER 7
The annual Medicare Open Enrollment (October 15 - December 7) is the time to enroll in or CHANGE your Medicare coverage for next year. State-certified SHINE (Medicare) Counselors can help you understand your plan, as well as other options you may have. Call now to schedule a SHINE appointment during the Open Enrollment.
In September, if you are a member of a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan, you will be getting information in the mail about changes to your current plan. Be sure to save this information and bring it, along with your prescription drug list and Medicare card, to your SHINE appointment.
Remember: The Medicare Open Enrollment ends on December 7!
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE!
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