Nebraska Department of Insurance
THE NEBRASKA HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, COUNSELING, AND ASSISTANCE (NICA) PROGRAM
DECEMBER 2003 NICA NEWS
GREETINGS
Happy Holidays!
The NICA program will be experiencing first hand the most sweeping changes to Medicare since its creation in 1965, including a new prescription drug benefit for 40 million older and disabled Americans.The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be providing our office with information and training material to give to our volunteers on the Medicare changes and drug coverage options being made available in 2004. In the next few months, NICA Training Specialist Amy Larrick will be contacting you with the training dates that all volunteers will need to attend. We know how important it is for our volunteers to have this information, and we are making this our top priority. With the NICA program's phone number being listed in the Medicare & You 2004 books; many beneficiaries will be calling on us to lead them through the changes and to identify how they will be impacted. We will be contacting you with these requests and asking you to offer them counseling if they reside in your area.
You will be hearing of more changes in the upcoming months. CMS administrator, Tom Scully, resigned in December and a new administrator is yet to be hired at the time of this printing. It is possible Medicare will run campaign ads in 2004 to advise seniors to start thinking about long-term care planning. Our program office will be updating brochures for 2004and creating new ones on the Medicare changes. As time continues to move swiftly, we will keep you apprised on all of these changes.
I have truly enjoyed the relationship we shared this year and our common goal of educating and assisting Nebraska beneficiaries. We have so many people that need our time and wisdom now more than ever before. I know we will rise to this opportunity and give them our ear.
Have a blessed holiday season. We will talk to you again next year!!
Robin Szwanek
Robin Szwanek
NICA Coordinator
Phone: 402-471-4506
Fax: 402-471-6559
E-mail: rszwanek@doi.state.ne.us
Amy Larrick
NICA Training Specialist
Phone: 402-471-3845
Fax: 402-471-6559
E-mail: alarrick@doi.state.ne.us
Sue Kuzelka
NICA Support Staff Specialist
Phone: 402-471-2841
Fax: 402-471-6559
E-mail: skuzelka@doi.state.ne.us
Web site:
http://www.nol.org/home/ndoi/
NICA hotline:
1-800-234-7119
The NICA Program is funded by a grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.