Nebraska Department of Insurance
THE NEBRASKA HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, COUNSELING, AND ASSISTANCE (NICA) PROGRAM
MARCH 2000 NICA NEWS
VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHTS
New Reporting Forms
It's quite a feat to update our reporting forms so that they meet our reporting requirements to keep funding, give us the most valuable information for the new data retrieval system, AND make your life easier too. After working with and receiving feedback from volunteers, modifications to the Reporting Forms (for volunteers) have been made and are now complete. Don't hesitate to provide feedback on the new format.Eastern Region
David Kholl, of Kholl Drug in Omaha, spoke at the monthly Volunteers Intervening for Equity meeting about Durable Medical Equipment and what Medicare and Medicaid will and will not cover. David was recom-mended by the Medical Society in Omaha and spoke for about an hour.Nyla Heese
Nyla Heese, NICA volunteer in the Northeast region, organized 7 educational events/presentations in her area to discuss general information on Medicare. Events were held at the Pilger, Pierce, Randolph, Plainview and Norfolk Senior Citizen Centers, Bank of Norfolk, and AARP in Norfolk. The presentations totaled 13.5 hours and 248 people attended. Bob Haisch, the fiscal intermediary from Mutual of Omaha Part A, and Paula Salsbury, the outreach representative from BC/BS Part B, also presented at these programs. Nyla said "Response was great!"Jean Van Mark
Jean Van Mark, NICA volunteer of the West Central Region, gave a presentation at the Grand Generation Center in Lexington. Over eighty seniors attended.Dual Eligibles Outreach
NICA Regional Representative Sharon Strong, has organized NICA volunteers in 14 counties to complete Dual Eligibles Medicare Outreach for qualified Medicare beneficiaries. The program, developed in cooperation with Health & Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Aging, is intended to reach as many as 10,000 low income individuals in the South Central region who may qualify to get their Part B premium paid, saving them $45.50 per month.NICA Volunteers have contacted all senior centers in the 14 counties to distribute brochures and provide information to best reach the low income individuals who may qualify for the Medicaid "buy-in" program.
If a NICA Volunteer feels that a beneficiary may qualify, he or she provides the beneficiary with a toll-free number, 800-685-5456, where the beneficiary is screened. If the screener feels the beneficiary qualifies, an application is sent to the beneficiary and the NICA Volunteer helps the beneficiary complete the application. The application is then forwarded to the county HHS to make the final determination.
Sharon said this Medicare Outreach program will be completed in the South Central Region by March 31, 2000.
Prizes
It is mid-year in our NICA drawing to increase volunteer reporting. Every time you send in a Record of Counseling Form to your NICA Regional Representative, your name is entered into the drawing. This means the more counseling and forms that you complete, the more chances you will have of getting your name drawn for a prize.Twenty prizes will be drawn in September 2000. This gives you six more months to send in your Reporting Forms. Prizes include hats, shirts, jackets, and small art items.
As of February 24, the following names have been entered for the drawing: Diane White (3), Jean Meyer (30), Jim Barry (3), Lucy Johnson (10), Barbara Mery (11), Judy Lutz (4), Bob Bolles (2), Coni Bratton (1), Gladys Ost (2), Katy Miyamoto (2), Nyla Heese (16), Jill Catlin (7), Barbara Graham (5), Elena Pedroza (6), Bonnie Sanchez (1), Rhonda Godbey (21), Elaine Hink (3), Ruth Kamino (8), Addie Schroeder (9), Gloria Gummere (6), Ann Luther (1), Patty Clough (1), Raymond Wall (12), Jean Van Mark (5), Norma Havranek (6), and Raymond Herbert (4).