KASC Information & Referral

Kennett Area Senior Center
427 S Walnut St
Kennett Square PA 19348 www.kennettseniorcenter.org
(610) 444-4819

If you are tired of receiving credit card applications you do not want, “opt out” by calling the toll-free number 1-888-567-8688. Complete a five-minute phone survey, and you can choose to be removed from the credit card companies’ mailing list for five years, or possibly even permanently.

Did you know? 
The Department of Aging services supports a toll free Alzheimer’s information and Referral service through its Long Term Care Helpline.  Also, two Alzheimer’s Association Chapters in Pennsylvania provide services throughout the state.  

The chapters provide information to the general public about the disease:

• Locations of support groups

• Research projects

• Adult day services and respite care programs

• Dagnostic and evaluation centers

• Personal care homes and nursing facilities that accept Alzheimer’s patients

• Publications

• Training programs for caregivers and practitioners  

For phone numbers call the Kennett Area Senior Center, (610) 444-4819  

Medicare
If you have Medicare, there are a number of important steps that you can take to maintain better health:  

• Know your health history.

• Be physically active, eat a healthy diet, stay at a healthy weight, and don't smoke …these all work to keep you healthy and help you live longer. 

• Talk to your doctor about Medicare preventive services, and find out which are right for you.  

• Don’t overlook routine services such as cancer screenings (mammogram, colorectal, prostate), cardiovascular screenings and diabetes screenings.

• Consider getting Glaucoma tests, Bone mass measurements, flu shots, pneumococcal shots, and Hepatitis B shots at the appropriate intervals.  

• For people who are just getting into Medicare, there is a one- time “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam.    

• To protect your health and prevent disease, take advantage of the available Medicare preventive services.

These tests and services can be critical to your overall health, and can help you prevent diseases or detect them early, when treatment works best.

Take control of your own health!   

        September 2007:       Information and Referral 

Hello Everyone!!

At this time I want to report a big and dangerous SCAM that was brought to my attention a few days ago. It’s reaching almost every single household in the nation including my own. You might get a letter in the mail from NATIONAL DEED SERVICE, INC. letting you know that you should have an official or certified copy of your deed.  The price given is $69.50.  Please be aware that this is a SCAM and do not send any money or send any of your private or personal information. If you ever want a copy of your deed, you can get it from your local Registrar of Deeds, and it will cost you no more than $2.00.

Did you know??

Every Medicare consumer who is admitted to a hospital for an in-patient stay will receive a notice from Medicare. This notice will explained the consumer’s rights at the hospital, how to appeal a hospital discharge to the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) and how to file a complaint concerning quality of care at the hospital.  Contact information for the QIO must be included in the notice. The consumer must receive this notice within 2 days from the date of hospital admission. The consumer is required to sign and date the notice upon receipt to ensure that the notice was delivered. The client will receive another copy of the same notice two days before being discharged from the hospital to remind them about their rights and give them information about how to appeal the hospital’s decision to discharge. Guidance can be found through a search at www.cms.hhs.gov.

Some Reminders!!

·        December 6, 2007–Medicare Enrollment Event at KASC. By appointment only.

·        Property Tax /Rent Rebate deadline is December 31, 2007

We can supply and assist you with the forms.

*APPRISE is a free health insurance counseling program designed to help with questions about Medicare and provide you with objective, easy-to-understand information about health insurance.                            

Carmen Cruz-Rivera  
Member Services Coordinator (610) 444-4819

      January 2008:  Information and Referral      

Hello Everyone!!

Feliz Año Nuevo or Happy New Year to all!

A number of Medicare beneficiaries have been asking me the same question:  ”What is the donut hole?”  Medicare Prescription Drug Plans have a gap in coverage otherwise known as the “donut hole.”  During the coverage gap, a beneficiary is responsible for paying 100% of their drug costs.  In 2008, the coverage runs from the initial coverage limit of $2510 to $5726.25, making the beneficiary's total out of pocket costs roughly $4,050.

Some drug plans offer extra coverage through the gap. Many “enhanced” plans offer coverage of generic drugs through the gap. These “enhanced” benefits come at a higher monthly premium.  Beneficiaries have some options while in the coverage gap, that might provide a little financial assistance:

• Keep utilizing your Part D card.

• Check into Prescription Assistance Programs

• Talk to your doctor about switching from brand medications to generics when available.

Reminders:

Special Enrollment Period - From January 1 through March 31, 2008 – This special enrollment period is for those people who enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan with Prescription Drug coverage, and who now wish to go back to their original Medicare coverage, and enroll in a Prescription Drug Plan.

Carmen Cruz-Rivera ,  Member Services Coordinator

Did you know??

There is a new law that could help protect you against identity theft.  All Pennsylvania residents now can place a freeze on their credit files which are maintained by the three national credit bureaus: Trans Union, Experian and Equifax. Under this law, known as the “Credit Reporting Agency Law,” consumers can freeze their credit file with a credit bureau by sending a written request to the bureau by certified mail.

To initiate a freeze there is a fee of up to $10.00.  Customers 65 years or older or people who are victims of identity theft are exempted from the fee. Additional information about this law, as well as tips on safeguarding personal and financial information, can be found on the Attorney General’s website at www. AttorneyGeneral.gov.

Carmen Cruz-Rivera ,  Member Services Coordinator

March Information and Referral

Hello Everyone!!

From January 1, 2008 and March 31, 2008 there is a Special Enrollment Period for those of you who enrolled into a Medicare Advantage plan ( HMO, PPO) with prescription Drug coverage and want to disenroll back to original Medicare coverage and a Prescription Drug Plan. Also, this is the time for those who didn’t sign up for Part B when they turn 65. Please remember the penalty for not signing up for Part B is 10% for every year you do not sign up when you could have.

Did you Know ??

Homestead/ Farmstead applications for tax relief are due March 1, 2008. Information can be found at www.chesco.org or by calling 610-344-6105 for Chester County and www.co.delaware.pa.us or by calling 610-891-4893 for the Delaware County Homestead Coordinator in the tax Assessment Office.

Alert!!!

Be aware of different types of scams and how attractive seniors are for scam artists. Yes, you are very attractive targets. In the Daily Local News on January 3, 2008,  there was an article about a man and a woman who were attempting to scam a Downingtown senior. The woman knocked at the senior’s door and identified herself as a fence installation contractor.  She asked the senior to help her locate the property line in the back of her house. The senior never left the house but a witness saw the woman talking to a man in an unmarked white truck, and the two of them left suddenly. This was a real incident.  Never let anyone into your house that you don’t know, and always ask for identification.  Be very careful!

Carmen Cruz-Rivera ,  Member Services Coordinator

May Information and Referral

Hello Everyone!!

Please remember Social Security or Medicare agencies will never call you at home.

What is the $299 Gang?

It’s a group of con artists identifying themselves as Medicare employees. They contact seniors and offer them a Part D drug plan for $299. They explain this is a one-time fee that covers several years or even a lifetime of premiums, making it sound very attractive. In many cases, they know the senior’s physician, adding credibility to their pitch. The con artists goal is to convince seniors to give them their checking account, credit card and social security numbers. Do not hesitate to report scams and suspicious activity to the Department of Health and Human Services Fraud Hotline at 1-800-447-8477.

The Pennsylvania Property tax and Rent Rebate Program benefits people age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The new income limits are: $35,000 for homeowners and $15,000 for renters. Applicants can exclude one half of their social security income, so people who make more than $35,000 may still qualify for a rebate. The maximum rebate is $650. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2008. You can call the Center for more information.

Do you know??

The Cerebral Palsy Association of Chester County is an independent non-profit agency serving the public of Chester County and Pottstown area. The agency offers a Computer Telecommunications Project to assist people with physical disabilities to get a basic introduction to the use of a computer, send and receive e-mail, compose letters, and participate in newsgroups and on-line services. The Agency supplies, as needed, free of charge, computers and training in the client’s home. The agency has a trainer to work with clients in their homes to teach the basics of writing, reading and sending messages via the internet. For more information call Carmen at 610-444-4819.

Carmen Cruz-Rivera, Member Services Coordinator

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