Senior Monongalians is fortunate to have Deb Layman, BSW, our Social Services Coordinator, and her assistant Marge Vanmeter who assist seniors and their families. Deb works with clients to understand & enroll in Medicare Part D, finding answers to Social Security questions, directing clients to utility assistance programs, senior housing options, and much more.
Important & Useful Links:
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posted Mar 13, 2013, 12:58 PM by Senior Monongalians
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updated Apr 15, 2013, 9:54 AM
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If you would like to get more information or would like to apply for either Medicaid or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP (food stamps), call Deb to make an appointment.
304-296-9812 |
posted Nov 19, 2012, 10:10 AM by Senior Monongalians
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updated Apr 15, 2013, 9:51 AM
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Nothing is more important than providing food when people
find themselves suddenly, and often critically, in need following a storm,
earthquake, flood or other disaster emergency. USDA makes sure that people have
enough to eat.
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) coordinates with
State, local and voluntary organizations to:
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Provide food for shelters and other mass feeding sites.
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Distribute food packages directly to households in need
in limited situations. |
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Issue emergency SNAP
benefits. | |
As part of the National Response Framework, FNS supplies
food to disaster relief organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation
Army for mass feeding or household distribution. State agencies notify USDA of
the types and quantities of food that relief organizations need for emergency
feeding operations. FNS also authorizes States to operate a Disaster
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).
Infomation on D-SNAP
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posted Jun 15, 2012, 11:38 AM by Senior Monongalians
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updated Apr 15, 2013, 10:09 AM
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The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that the
Affordable Care Act helped 119,437 people
in West Virginia with original Medicare
receive at least one preventive service at no cost to them during the first
five months of 2012. This includes 3,594 who
have taken advantage of the Annual Wellness Visit provided by the Affordable
Care Act.
Nationally,
14,297,266 people in Medicare received at least one free preventive service
during the first five months of this year.
This includes 1,100,592 people who benefited from the Annual Wellness
Visit. In 2011, 32.5 million people in
Medicare received one or more preventive benefits free of charge.
“Thanks
to the health care law, millions of Americans are getting cancer screenings,
mammograms and other preventive services for free,” said CMS Acting
Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. “These
free preventive services are helping people in Medicare stay healthy and lower
their health care costs.”
One
of the major goals of the Affordable Care Act is to help people stay healthy by
giving them the tools they need to take charge of their own health and prevent
health problems before they happen.
Prior
to 2011, people with Medicare faced cost-sharing for many preventive benefits such
as cancer screenings. Under the
Affordable Care Act, preventive benefits are offered free of charge to
beneficiaries, with no deductible or co-pay, so that cost is no longer a
barrier for seniors who want to stay healthy and treat problems early. The law
also added an important new service for people with Medicare — an Annual
Wellness Visit with the doctor of their choice— at no cost to beneficiaries.
For
more information on Medicare-covered preventive services, please visit:
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/65-older/medicare-preventive-services/index.html.
To
learn what screenings, vaccinations and other preventive services doctors
recommend for you and those you care about, please visit the myhealthfinder
tool at www.healthfinder.gov.
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posted Apr 24, 2012, 6:25 AM by Senior Monongalians
People with Medicare are already saving money on durable medical equipment (DME) through the Medicare competitive bidding program, according to a report released today by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
According to the report, the program saved $202 million in its first year in nine metropolitan statistical areas – a reduction of 42 percent in costs and, as the program expands under the Affordable Care Act and earlier law, it could save up to $42.8 billion for taxpayers and beneficiaries over the next 10 years.
“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, we can expand this successful example of health care reform to include more areas and achieve savings on a national level over the next few years. People with Medicare across the country will get the medical equipment they need to live their lives, while saving them and other taxpayers money in the process,” Secretary Sebelius said. “The law is already saving those with Medicare hundreds of dollars on their health care needs-- from medical equipment to prescription drugs—and they will continue to save in the years to come.”
The report also released results that show, after extensive monitoring by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), there have been no negative effects on the health of people on Medicare or their access to needed supplies and services.
“Seniors, and people with disabilities on Medicare, are saving money thanks to our successful competitive bidding program," said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. "By expanding this successful program, we will save tens of billions of dollars for beneficiaries and taxpayers over the next 10 years."
Key information in the report:
•Seniors, and people with disabilities in Medicare, will directly save a projected $17.1 billion due to lower co-insurance for durable medical equipment and lower premiums for Medicare over the next decade, while taxpayers are projected to save an additional $25.7 billion through the Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund because of reduced prices.
•In the first year of implementation in nine metropolitan statistical areas, through a combination of lower prices and fewer unnecessary services, the competitive bidding program saved Medicare $202 million.
•Medicare beneficiaries in the nine areas had substantial reductions in their co-insurance for DME.
•Last year alone, people with Medicare saved up to $105 on hospital beds, $168 on oxygen concentrators, and $140 on diabetic test strips.
•A real-time claims monitoring system, set up to ensure that access to supplies was not compromised, has found that people on Medicare continue to have access to all necessary and appropriate items.
The Affordable Care Act expands Round 2 of the DME competitive bidding program from 70 to 91 metropolitan statistical areas across the country. CMS is evaluating bids from suppliers for the 91 areas. By 2016, all areas of the country will benefit from either the competitive bidding program or lower rates based on the competitively bid rates.
View the full report here: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/index.html
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posted Mar 26, 2012, 10:39 AM by Senior Monongalians
There have not been reports about this happening in West Virginia yet but we want to alert everyone to this scam warning from CMS.
"The Division of SHIP Relations was notified about a scam which occurs when someone, who claims to be a jury duty coordinator, calls a person to verify they received a summons for jury duty, and that a warrant had been issued for their arrest. If the person states they never received a summons, the scammer asks for their Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. The person’s identity may be compromised by providing this information.
The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , Colorado , and Arizona. This scam is particularly insidious because intimidation is used to obtain information from callers pretending to be with the court system.
The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their websites warning consumers about the fraud.
For additional information, go to http://www.FBI.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm. " |
posted Mar 26, 2012, 10:35 AM by Senior Monongalians
HHS NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, March 19, 2012
Health reform helps more than 5.1 million people with Medicare save over $3.2 billion
Since enactment of the health care law, Medicare beneficiaries received average savings of $635 on prescription drugs
As the second anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, new data shows that more than 5.1 million seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare saved over $3.2 billion on prescription drugs because of the new health care law, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced today while at the St. Louis Community College at Forest Park.
For St. Louis resident Fritzi Lainoff and her husband, the discounts meant $2,500 back in their pockets last year. “It was a blessing,” she said. “The law’s Medicare savings have made an enormous difference.”
Savings for seniors include a one-time $250 rebate check to seniors who hit the “donut hole” coverage gap in 2010 and a 50 percent discount on covered brand-name drugs in the donut hole in 2011.
In addition, data released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) show that through the first two months of 2012, about 103,000 seniors and people with disabilities saved $93 million in the donut hole.
“Without the health care law, more than 5.1 million seniors would have faced $3.2 billion in higher drug costs,” Secretary Sebelius said. “As we move forward, seniors will save even more as the new law completely eliminates the Medicare donut hole, delivering more relief to Americans like the Lainoff’s.”In 2012, Medicare beneficiaries will receive a 50 percent discount from manufacturers on covered brand name drugs and a 14 percent savings on generic drugs in the donut hole. The Affordable Care Act expands these discounts over time until the donut hole is closed in 2020.
“Already this year, tens of thousands of seniors and people with disabilities are starting to see increased savings as they enter the donut hole,” said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. “The Affordable Care Act has made prescription drugs more affordable for Medicare beneficiaries, protecting the health and pocketbooks of millions of America’s seniors.”
For more information on how the Affordable Care Act closes the donut hole over time, please visit: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/65-older/drug-discounts/index.html
For a report on how the Affordable Care Act strengthened Medicare in 2011, please visit: http://www.cms.gov/apps/files/MedicareReport2011.pdf
State-by-State data on 2010 and 2011 beneficiary savings on prescription drugs will be posted at: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/
The most current data on the Part D Coverage Gap Discount Program is available at: https://www.cms.gov/Plan-Payment/
A blog posting on the recent data release by CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner will be available in the Medicare News section at: http://www.medicare.gov |
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