HAP's monthly Conference Calls are an opportunity to partner with the SHIP network to improve the capacity of the SHIPs. Through the SHIP Shout Out feature, we answer the questions and comments raised during the SHIP Shout Out section of each month's call. We provide additional resources that we hope are useful in your work with beneficiaries. The SHIP Shout Out also is an opportunity for you, the SHIPs, to use your own expertise to share solutions for other SHIPs.
More Strategies and Tools to Help QMB Clients
What are effective ways to use MIPPA funds to reach those Medicare beneficiaries who are potentially eligible for Medicare Savings Programs?
We regularly hear from SHIPs who are interested in new methods to reach lower income beneficiaries. With additional MIPPA funds to do outreach to this population, SHIPs are in the position to find people who may have slipped through the cracks—a real challenge.
On the conference call, several SHIPs presented the following outreach strategies:
- The San Francisco HICAP is partnering with the public library to host an event called, Are Your Drugs Killing You?” Since the focus is on general medication safety, this event will attract a different crowd than one focused on "low-income" issues.
- Another SHIP uses lists of people approaching 65 and sends them "Happy Birthday" postcards to advertise SHIP services. They find some of these new to Medicare beneficiaries are low-income and eligible for Medicare Savings Programs.
- One SHIP does specific outreach to those who are aging out of the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program and into Medicare. Many times, these individuals are eligible for low-income assistance. This strategy is another take on reaching those new to Medicare.
If you have additional strategies that your SHIP is planning or has implemented, please contact us. HAP would love to share your ideas and solutions with the SHIP network.
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Where can I find the details for 2010 Medicare Advantage and Part D plans?
CMS has released several important tools related to the 2010 plan year. First, the 2010 Landscape of PDP Plans is available to unzip as is the Landscape of MA and SNP plans. Also, CMS has posted a list of National Part D plans (PDPs). Another useful tool is the 2009 Beneficiary Reassignment Estimates. This new tool provides detailed data on reassignment due both to plan termination and to plan premium increases. It provides plan-specific (including contract and plan IDs) and state-specific information for reassignment as well.
[Back to Top | September Conference Call]
