Celebrating 11 years as a Medicare Specialist, October 2019
Medicare Made Simple, LLC ™
Theresa Cangemi CSA, CLTC
Office: 315-676-4933 
Fax: 866-476-1211
Hello!

In this newsletter, we talk about social security scams you should know about.

In the health section, I share ideas on how to save money when on a Medicare prescription drug plan.

*The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is October 15th to December 7th*

IF you are making changes to your current Medicare plan for next year (2020) during the Annual Enrollment Period, please call me to schedule a time to meet to consider your other options and complete the necessary paperwork.

Keep reading!

Theresa Cangemi CSA, CLTC
"The Medicare Lady™" 
SOCIAL SECURITY SCAMS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT…
Scam artists go to great lengths to trick you out of your personal information or money.
By educating yourself and knowing how to identify and report scams, you can stay several steps ahead of these thieves.  

3 TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF  
  1. Understand the threats. 
  2. Exercise caution.
  3. Secure your information.
Online Reporting Form for Imposter Scam Calls

Scams—in which fraudulent callers mislead victims into making cash or gift card payments. Scams have skyrocketed over the past year to become the #1 type of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission and the Social Security Administration.

Here is the New Online Reporting Form for Imposter Scam Calls:
HOW TO SAVE MONEY WHEN ON A MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN
There are programs to help those eligible for Medicare save money when on a Medicare prescription plan. Here are the programs and the links to learn more:
EPIC: provides secondary coverage
to Medicare Part D.
EPIC offers help or copay discounts after any Medicare Part D deductible is met.

EPIC also covers some approved Part D-excluded drugs once a member is enrolled in Part D.
Medicare beneficiaries can qualify for Extra Help (aka: LIS), which is an income based program.

The Extra Help is estimated to be worth about $4,900 per year.

To qualify for the Extra Help, a person must be enrolled in a Medicare prescription (Part D) plan and have limited resources and income

The Medicare Savings Program (MSP) is a Medicaid-administered program that can assist people with limited income paying for their Medicare Part B premiums. Depending on your income, the MSP may also pay for other cost-sharing expenses. 

When you qualify to enroll in the MSP program, you will also automatically get the Extra Help program; the federal program that helps pay most of your Medicare prescription drug(Part D) plan costs.
GoodRx.com is a website that helps consumers search for prescription drug information and pricing.

The company's mobile app offers coupons and discounts (of up to 80%) for prescribed medication. 

This website also offers comparisons of which drug stores offer the prescription, pricing per store or retail location, coupons, and more. 

Great website!
Are prescription samples still available and are they a good option to accept and take? 

Accepting a doctors prescription drug sample may help keep you out of the Donut Hole or Gap; such that the medication doesn’t get added into the total prescriptions cost against the Donut Hole.
For 2020, the Donut Hole range is from 4,020 to 6,350.

Read another interesting article related to pharmaceutical samples here.
Most pharmaceutical companies offer “patient assistance programs” that provide free or low-cost medications to those who cannot afford them.

New resources in the US, including NeedyMeds.com and RxAssist.org, have made information about these patient assistance programs more accessible.

Although some patients have found these programs cumbersome, time-consuming, and difficult to navigate, many clinics help patients facilitate their applications.
* This article is for information purposes only. I don’t recommend, support, or diagnose any featured writer or article. I am not a doctor.  
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PO BOX 757
Brewerton, NY, 13029
Office:
315-676-4933