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Medicare Rights Center
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=beJKIRNwFhJLJ3K&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
Dear Marci -- Your trusted source for Medicare answers
Topic of the Month:
Things to Remember Before March Is Over
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This week, in Marci . . .
Volume 7, Issue 10: Week of March 10, 2008
* Dear Marci: How can I avoid paying the Part B premium penalty?
* Get Resources: Resources to answer your Medicare questions.
* Health Tip: March is MS Education and Awareness Month.
* Survey Says: Expensive placebos considered more effective than cheaper ones.
* * * * * *
To make sure you continue to receive our e-mails in your inbox (not bulk or
junk folders), please add [EMAIL PROTECTED] to your address book or safe sender
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Dear Marci,
I didn't enroll in Medicare Part B when I turned 65 even though I did not have
health coverage from my job or my wife's employer. I know that there is a
penalty for enrolling late. Is there any way I can avoid paying this penalty?
— Richard (Watertown, WI)
* * * * * *
Click on the blue, underlined hyperlinks for related information available
through Medicare Interactive!
* * * * * *
Dear Richard,
The only way you can avoid paying the Part B premium penalty
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=ehKQI0OILkISKdJ&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
is if you apply for and are accepted into one of the Medicare Savings Programs
(MSPs) that help you pay for Medicare. The Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB
or QI), also known as Medicare Buy-In programs, will pay your full Part B
premium—including the penalty—for you.
You can apply for an MSP at anytime at your local Medicaid office. Your
Medicare Part B coverage will begin when your MSP takes effect.
Read the full article on Medicare Interactive
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=hkIWJ9PUKnLZInI&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
to find out how a Medicare Savings Program can help you avoid the Part B
premium penalty. You can also learn more about how Medicare Savings Programs
work
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=anJIKONsEgKMK3L&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
and how to apply
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=gjIUI6PQJnKQIcI&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G).
— Marci
* * * * * *
Looking for past Dear Marci Answers? Got other Medicare questions? Find your
answers in Medicare Interactive, the Medicare Rights Center's FREE virtual
counseling tool. Visit Medicare Interactive today!
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=jmK0JfM2IqJXJmL&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
MI's new Google™ Custom Search lets you find answers more easily.
Do you need individual counseling? Call the Medicare Rights Center consumer
hotline at 800-333-4114, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday
through Friday. A Medicare counselor will be happy to answer your question.
You can also call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=cfIMKUNAKjIKL2K&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
(SHIP) for personal counseling on Medicare benefits, rights and options. Call
Social Security
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=fsJSK3OMImLRJcJ&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
(800-772-1213) for questions about enrolling in Medicare or applying for Extra
Help!
Feel free to send comments
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=ivLYLcMYLpKYLmI&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
about Dear Marci or suggestions about topics you would like Dear Marci to
cover.
* * * * * *
Health Tip of the Week
National MS Education and Awareness Month
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=beJKIRNwFiJLJ2K&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G),
which takes place every March, is an effort by the National Multiple Sclerosis
Foundation to promote an understanding of multiple sclerosis (MS) and to assist
those with MS in making educated decisions about their healthcare.
Over 350,000 people in the United States are currently living with MS. This
disease is thought to be an autoimmune disorder that affects the central
nervous system. In autoimmune diseases, the body attacks its own tissue.
Depending on the level of damage, people with MS can suffer from various
symptoms
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=ehKQI0OILlISKcJ&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G),
ranging from difficulty with walking, balance and coordination to vision
problems and cognitive dysfunction.
Because MS poses uncertainties about the future, it is a good idea to learn
what you can do to prepare for that future now. With trusted loved ones, you
should go over your financial plans, insurance coverage, housing needs, and
other practical issues. Read Medicare Interactive for information about getting
long-term care
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=hkIWJ9PUKoLZImI&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
and advice for caregivers
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=anJIKONsEhKMK2L&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
navigating Medicare.
* * * * * *
Survey Says . . .
A recent study
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=dgLOKXOEKkJTIcK&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
indicates that many people believe that pricier medications work better than
cheaper ones.
In this study, 82 healthy participants were given a light electric shock and
then given identical placebo pills to relieve the pain. Half of the
participants were told that the pills they were given were similar to codeine
and cost $2.50 per pill. The other half was given the same information, except
that they were told that their medication cost only 10 cents per pill.
About 85 percent of participants who took the placebo that researchers said
cost $2.50 per pill reported pain relief, compared with 61 percent who took the
placebo that researchers said cost 10 cents per pill.
According to Consumer Reports
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=jmK0JfM2IrJXJlL&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G),
generic drugs are as safe as their brand-name counterparts and work just as
well for most people, and they are much cheaper. Generic drugs save consumers
$8 to 10 billion dollars at the pharmacy each year.
* * * * * *
Spotlight on Resources
* Contact your local Social Security Administration office
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=cfIMKUNAKkIKL1K&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
to enroll in Part B.
* Need more help with your Medicare private plan? Ask your state's SHIP
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=fsJSK3OMInLRJbJ&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
to help you!
* Want to find out more about your Medicare choices? Visit MyMedicare.gov
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=ivLYLcMYLqKYLlI&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G).
* * * * * *
MRC's Hotline for Professionals
Do you help people with Medicare? Where do you turn to for help? Call the
Professional Hotline, a national service offered by the Medicare Rights Center
to support people serving the Medicare population. Dial 877-794-3570 from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT for accurate, up-to-date information and ongoing technical
support.
* * * * * *
Newly Updated Medicare Drug Coverage 101
MRC's Medicare Drug Coverage 101 is an advocate's guide that tells you
everything you need to know about Part D. Get a FREE copy
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=beJKIRNwFjJLJ1K&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
of this great resource.
* * * * * *
Newly Updated Medicare Part D Appeals Help for Advocates
MRC's Medicare Part D Appeals: An advocate's manual to navigating the Medicare
private drug plan appeals process
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=ehKQI0OILmISKbJ&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
offers an easy-to-understand, comprehensive overview of the entire appeals
process, including real-life case examples. Get a FREE copy
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=hkIWJ9PUKpLZIlI&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
of this great resource.
* * * * * *
Stay Healthy! Learn About Medicare-Covered Preventive Care Services
Check out MRC's FREE educational web seminar "Preventive Care Benefits" to
learn about preventative benefits covered by Medicare
You can listen to a recording
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=anJIKONsEiKMK1L&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
of this online seminar.
* * * * * *
Spread the Word About Dear Marci!
Tell your friends, colleagues and clients to sign up to receive Dear Marci
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and other Medicare policy and news updates from the Medicare Rights Center!
Subscribe
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=gtJUL6PQIoI0KlJ&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G)
to MRCs other e- newsletters.
Dear Marci is a weekly e-newsletter designed to keep youpeople with Medicare,
social workers, health care providers and other professionalsin the loop about
health care benefits, rights and options for older Americans and people with
disabilities. Dear Marci is a free service of the Medicare Rights Center
(http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=cfIMKUNAKlIKL0K&s=piL1I9OFIaIUK4MOH&m=lkL2KdOUKkI2G).
* * * * * *
The Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is the largest independent source of Medicare
information and assistance in the United States. Founded in 1989, MRC helps
older adults and people with disabilities get high-quality, affordable health
care.
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Privacy Policy: MRC will never share your e-mail address with a third party.
Contents are 2008 by Medicare Rights Center, 520 Eighth Avenue, North Wing, 3rd
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