THE NEBRASKA HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, COUNSELING,
AND ASSISTANCE (NICA) PROGRAM
MARCH 2004 NICA NEWS
GOLD RECORDS
Morris Gotschall
A SHIIP Volunteer out of the VIE office in Omaha made a real difference in one beneficiary's life. Morris made a house call to visit a client that had recently been diagnosed with a disease that can cause complete loss of eyesight within six months. The client had questions about her long-term care policy and what types of services would be covered if she were to lose her eyesight. Morris reviewed her policy and made several calls to collect all the important information the client needed, and also made appropriate referrals to additional agencies who would be able to assist.
Jodi Mackin
Jodi Mackin potentially saved a beneficiary in her community more than $57,000 over the next four years in insurance and prescription drug costs. Jodi, a SHIIP Volunteer from Ayr, helped a beneficiary who had questions about enrolling in Medicare upon her upcoming 65th birthday. The beneficiary is planning on continuing to work for a few more years, and did not realize that she and her husband could both remain on her employer's group health insurance plan. Jodi educated the beneficiary on her options, which include delaying enrollment in Medicare Part B and enrolling at a later time - with no penalty - during her Special Enrollment Period. The beneficiary and her husband opted to stay on the group plan, which is less expensive than paying for Medicare Part B and a Medicare Supplement policy, and also covers prescription drugs that a Medsupp policy will not. Delaying Part B and enrolling in a Special Enrollment Period later will allow the couple to save both the Part B premium and their Open Enrollment Period for a Medicare Supplement Policy.
Dorothy Williamson
A SHIIP Volunteer who works in the Senior Center in Red Cloud, Dorothy Williamson worked with a beneficiary in her community, saving the woman money and a lot of heartache. The Medicare beneficiary contacted the SHIIP hotline requesting assistance with a provider billing issue. The SHIIP regional representative referred the call to Dorothy, who agreed to meet with the client. Dorothy worked with the woman for two hours, sorting through and explaining her provider bills and Medicare Summary Notices. Dorothy worked with the provider office to establish a payment system that is acceptable to both the office and to the client, and even got the provider to waive the late fee charges. Dorothy also identified that the client may be eligible for assistance to help pay her Part B premium or other health insurance costs from the state Medicaid program, and referred the client to the local Health & Human Services office for more information.
