2008 Conference Calls

November 19, 2008: Setting Sail in the AEP
On this call we discussed significant drug pricing structure changes and additional Plan Finder updates. We were especially interested to hear how the MIPPA changes to marketing have impacted agent and plan behavior as well as how enrollment is going in your state or local SHIP.

October 15, 2008: SHIP to SHIP: Preparing for New Challenges: 2009 Plan Finder and Plan Landscapes
On this conference call we reviewed the most recent revisions and added features on the Plan Finder. Many people shared how their SHIPs are training both new and experienced counselors on the newest version of these tools. In addition, we reviewed some notable changes in the Landscapes of Local Plans.

September 17, 2008: Exploring the New Medicare Law: MIPPA
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), signed into law on July 15, 2008, encompasses significant changes and opportunities for Medicare beneficiaries, particularly those who are low-income. The Act also addresses concerns with Medicare Advantage plans, including Special Needs Plans and Private Fee-for-Service Plans, and their marketing rules. SHIPs will also see an increase in their funding for Fiscal Year 2009 as a result of the Act. This call discussed these changes and the imapact they will have on your SHIP activities.

July 23, 2008: SHIP to SHIP: Prepare for Long-term Care
As many of you know, the annual SHIP grant requires SHIPs to provide counseling and education on long-term care and long-term care insurance. This conference call will provide a forum for the SHIP community to discuss activities on long-term care, long-term care insurance, and the Partnership for Long-Term Care. Please join the call to share counseling, training, and outreach activities on long-term care, including your successes, challenges, lessons-learned, and new ideas.

June 18, 2008: SHIP to SHIP: New Funding, New LIS Outreach Opportunities
The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) provided an extra $15 million to SHIPs for Fiscal Year 2008. Since half of each state's MMSEA funding must be used to support the SHIP's LIS outreach and application efforts, this call focused on states' past, current, and future LIS outreach initiatives. On this call we shared successes and struggles with past and current LIS experiences and learned from the approaches your colleagues from the network have tried.

May 21, 2008: An Ounce of Prevention: Strategies for Outreach
This call provided an opportunity for SHIPs to share stories and discuss solutions to the following issues:

How much do you know about Medicare-covered preventive services?
When do you talk to clients about these services?
What do you think is the role of SHIPs in educating beneficiaries about these services?
What prevents you from talking about prevention?
What potential opportunities can you identify to incorporate this message into your current work?

April 16, 2008: Let's Talk Disenrollment: Resolving Enrollment Issues
This call provided an opportunity for SHIPs to share stories and discuss solutions to the following issues:

What does the disenrollment process look like on paper and in the field?
What methods of disenrollment are being used? What works? What does not work?
When is a request for retroactive disenrollment appropriate?
What is the SHIP role for retroactive disenrollments?

March 19, 2008: Everyday Communications Strategies
During this conference call, we focused on some basic communications planning concepts—

Understanding why marketing and communications are important,
Defining a realistic goal that can be achieved through communications, and
Sharing some everyday communications tactics to help you achieve your programs' goals.

February 20, 2008: SHIP to SHIP: "Activating" Your Volunteers
Across the country SHIPs depend on volunteers to perform many duties from counseling to administrative tasks. By expanding the roles volunteers can have in SHIPs, more people can be reached, more beneficiaries can be served, and more assistance can be provided. The objective of this conference call is to gain an understanding about how differing roles of volunteers can change a SHIP's needs with regard to training and reporting.

January 16, 2008: MA Open Enrollment Period: Tools, Tactics, Troubleshooting
Join others from the SHIP network to share your experiences during the fall AEP and the current MA OEP. We will discuss tools and tactics to assist beneficiaries with MA plan selection in addition to troubleshooting specific issues-- from plans' transition policies to the pharmacy POS system and from discrepancies in the plan finder to inaccuracies in enrollment data. Come prepared to share your tools, tactics, and troubleshooting experiences.