Nebraska Department of Insurance
THE NEBRASKA HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, COUNSELING, AND ASSISTANCE (NICA) PROGRAM
MARCH 2003 NICA NEWS
Trainer Notes
Happy Spring!!
I hope with this newsletter arrives the warm weather we've all been waiting for. The arrival of spring also means it is time again to talk of an Update training for all our dedicated NICA volunteers. For those of you who have been around a while, the Update training this year is going to be a little different than previous years. The NICA program will be having a joint meeting with the state's Long Term Care Ombudsmen and ECHO programs, whose volunteers deal with Nursing Homes and Medicare Fraud and Abuse. Instead of two one-day updates in the spring and in the fall, we will be having a two-day conference in Lincoln on June 17-18, 2003. This will offer a unique opportunity to bring together NICA volunteers, Ombudsmen, and ECHO volunteers from across the state --to learn with, and from, others on common Medicare situations we all encounter through our work. (And of course, there are always those not-so-common situations that are good to share, as well!) There will be sessions on changes in Medicare benefits, Medicare fraud and abuse, long-term care insurance, and a variety of other valuable topics. Please plan on attending the 2003 NICA Update training, as it should be a very worthwhile experience. After the conference we want to hear your opinions - NICA is a program for the volunteers, we want to make you happy! Tell us what you think! But first, watch your mailboxes for more information coming soon, and mark your calendars for June 17-18! Please feel free to call me if you have any questions.The new volunteer Initial Training dates & locations have also been set for this spring. Initial Trainings will be held in Kearney on April 22-23, Omaha on April 29-30, North Platte on May 13-14, and Hastings on May 20-21. If you know of anyone who would be interested in attending an Initial Training to become a NICA volunteer, please let your regional representative or me know! We would love to have them!
Finally, please note the item on page 3 of this newsletter that discusses NICA presentation materials. There are many topics in this newsletter that beneficiaries need to know about! A variety of presentation materials have already been developed, along with many new and updated brochures that are available for NICA Volunteer use. Let people know what their Medicare benefits are, and how NICA is here to help!
Enjoy the sunshine, and I hope to see you in June!
Amy Larrick
NICA Training Specialist
402-471-3845