Fwd: When can I change my Medicare drug coverage (Part D)?

[Guest guest]

Topic of the Month:

New in 2009!

This week, in Marci . . .

Volume 7, Issue 52: Week of December 29, 2008

Dear Marci: When can I change my Medicare

drug coverage (Part D)? Get Resources: Resources for

understanding your Medicare options. Health Tip: Health-conscious resolutions

for the New Year. Survey Says: Slight elevation in body

mass index can lead to heart failure.

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Dear Marci,

I’m confused about the enrollment periods for Medicare prescription

drug coverage. When can I enroll in Medicare drug coverage

(

Part D)?

—Sara (Los Angeles, CA))

Click on the blue, underlined hyperlinks for related

information available through Medicare Interactive!

Dear Sara,

If you are enrolled in Original Medicare Parts A and/or Part B, you can

enroll in the Medicare drug benefit (Part D) when you first become

eligible for Medicare—during your Initial EEnrollment Period

(IEP).

If you did not join a Medicare private drug plan during your

Initial Enrollment Period, you can enroll now, during the

Annual Coordinated Election Period, which runs from November 15

and lasts until December 31, for coverage beginning January 1. You may

have to pay a

premium penalty, unless you have had coverage at least as good as

Part. However, if you qualify for

Extra Help—a federal program that helps with the costs of Part D

coverage—you will pay no premium penalty, and you can change Paart D

plans as often as once a month.

To find out more details about the different times you can

enroll in Part D, visit

Medicare Interactive.

— Marci

Looking for past Dear Marci Answers? Have other Medicare

questions? Find your answers with Medicare Interactive (MI), an

independent, public resource of the Medicare Rights Center. MI offers

expert information and advice on Medicare.

Visit Medicare Interactive today!

Do you need individual counseling? Call the Medicare Rights

Center's consumer hotline at , between 9 a.m. and 5

p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. A Medicare counselor will be

happy to answer your question.

You can also call your

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for personal

counseling on Medicare benefits, rights and options. Call

Social Security () for questions about enrolling

in Medicare or applying for Extra Help!

Feel free to

send comments about Dear Marci or suggestions

about topics you would like Dear Marci to cover.

Health Tip of the Week

According to statistical

research, 40 to 45 percent of Americans make at least one New

Year’s resolution. At the six-month mile marker, less than half are

still sticking to their promises. To help Americans make 2009 a healthier

year, the

American Medical Association has created a list of easy resolutions:

Cut the salt: Did you know that a high-sodium diet can

increase the risk of

cardiovascular disease? Adults over 50 should stick to about half a

teaspoon of salt per day.

Get screened for cancer: Cancer screenings may sound scary and

you might think you don’t need one, but early detection is often the

key to beating cancer. Women over 40 should schedule an annual mammogram

to screen for

breast cancer.

Talk to your doctor: Don’t just see your

doctor when you’re feeling sick. Call your doctor anytime you have

health questions or concerns and ask her/him for tips on sticking to your

health resolutions.

For more easy-to-follow New Year’s resolutions, visit the

American Medical Association. Being healthy is a small part of

staying healthy. To find out which preventive services are covered

by Medicare, visit

Medicare Interactive.

Survey Says . . .

According to a new study in the journal

Circulation, being just seven pounds overweight can greatly

increase the risk for heart problems, including heart disease, stroke,

and heart failure.

The study tracked the weights of 21,094 male doctors for two decades and

found that even those who were only modestly overweight had a higher risk

of suffering heart failure. This risk increased in proportion to the

subject’s weight.

The study determined that for every seven pounds of excess body weight

carried by a 5’ 10†man, the risk of heart failure rose on average by

11 percent over 20 years. The risk increased by 180 percent in men

classed as obese according to their

body mass index (BMI) and by 49 percent in men classed as

overweight.

The study also looked into the effects of exercise and physical activity

on increasing the risk of heart failure and found that slim, overweight

and obese men benefited from increased physical activity. However, the

data also suggested that even with good exercise habits, people with a

higher BMI also have a higher risk of heart failure.

For a summary of the study, visit

The Washington Post.

To find out more about how Medicare covers screening tests for heart

disease, visit

Medicare Interactive. You can also visit Medicare Interactive to find

out when Medicare

will pay for exercise programs.

Read a Special Year-End message from Marci.

* * * * * *

Spotlight on Resources

Find answers to your questions about Medicare health plan options on

Medicare Interactive. For information about services and resources

for older adults and persons with disabilities, visit the

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. For free one-on-one

counseling and assistance on Medicare and related issues, contact your

State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). For help getting

screened for benefit programs available to older adults with limited

incomes, visit

Benefits Check Up.

* * * * * *

MRC's Hotline for Professionals

Do you help people with Medicare? Where do you turn to for help? Call the

Professional Hotline, a national service offered by the Medicare Rights

Center to support people serving the Medicare population. Dial

from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time for accurate, up-to-date

information and ongoing technical support.

* * * * * *

Want to learn about the choices you have when you become eligible for

Medicare?

Check out MRC’s nextFREE educational web seminar, “Medicare

Options†to learn about your Medicare choices.

Register now for this online presentation.

* * * * * *

Newly Updated Medicare Drug Coverage 101

MRC’s Medicare Drug Coverage 101 is an advocate's guide that

tells you everything you need to know about Part D.

Get a

FREE

copy of this great resource.

* * * * * *

Newly Updated Medicare Part D Appeals Help for Advocates

MRC’s

Medicare Part D Appeals: An advocate's manual to navigating the

Medicare private drug plan appeals process offers an

easy-to-understand, comprehensive overview of the entire appeals process,

including real-life case examples.

Get a

FREE

copy of this great resource.

* * * * * *

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Tell your friends, colleagues and clients to

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