Team Ursa Major, a high school robotics team with students from Hammond, Centennial, and Wilde Lake High Schools, is pleased to offer leaf-raking for the community. Three or four students will rake your yard for a two-hour block period on Saturday, November 15 or Sunday, November 16. The team will only rake leaves in acceptable weather conditions.

The Team is glad to provide this service for free, though donations are greatly appreciated. This activity is a key fundraiser, as robotics is a very expensive activity. To schedule an appointment by email, please contact [email protected]. 

The Howard County Department of Citizen Services is warning both Medicare recipients and residents who qualify for health coverage through Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care exchanges of misleading and sometimes illegal offers of help that may crop up during open enrollment seasons. Open enrollment for Medicare is from October 15 to December 7, 2014. The ACA health exchange enrollment period is from November 15, 2014 to February 15, 2015.

"Con artists saw last year's open enrollment periods as opportunities to take advantage of people who were unfamiliar or confused by the new health exchanges and changes to Medicare," said Lois Mikkila, Director of the Department of Citizen Services. "Crooks exploit this vulnerability to sell non-existent or unneeded products. Sadly, many people weren't aware of the free and reliable assistance that is available through state and local agencies and often became the targets of unethical or illegal offers."

Last year, the Department's Office on Aging was alerted to insurance representatives who made illegal door-to-door "cold calls" to Medicare recipients, pitching supplemental insurance that did not meet their needs. Meanwhile, the Office of Consumer Affairs learned that misleading information about the ACA enrollment period and the penalties for failing to enroll were used to create a sense of urgency so that consumers would make hasty and costly decisions. Many other types of scams were reported in other areas of Maryland and around the United States.

This year, the Office on Aging and the Office of Consumer Affairs have joined forces to help consumers identify and avoid health insurance scams. "Avoiding Medicare and Health Insurance Scams during Open Enrollment" provides guidance on what to look out for and how to stay safe from the most common scams. 

Consumers looking for free, confidential and unbiased Medicare information can contact the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 410-313-7392 or by e-mail.        

Consumers who receive suspicious offers of help to enroll in the exchanges can contact the Office of Consumer Affairs at 410-313-6420 or by e-mail.