Return to Community Program Expands to Help Seniors Move Home

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The Senior LinkAge Line® Return to Community initiative has helped more than 5,000 people move from a nursing facility back into the community. Senior LinkAge Line® community living specialists work closely with the resident, their families and nursing facility staff to help with discharge and make sure supports are in place for the return home. Return to Community is expanding beyond nursing homes to help even more seniors in 2018. They include:

  • People within a certain socioeconomic set who have discharged from a hospital
  • Those whose doctor has ordered them to stay more than 90 days in a nursing home
  • Individuals in a nursing home on a respite stay
  • Those who have decided not to move to an assisted living facility after discussing their options with the Senior LinkAge Line®
  • People who have reached the end of Medicare-certified home care.

This past fall, MNRAAA held local community provider meetings in Mankato, Willmar, Montevideo, Marshall and Hutchinson to share information about the Return to Community expansion and how it will benefit area residents. These meetings were well received. Organizations interested in learning more about this expansion can contact the Senior LinkAge Line®® to request a presentation or meeting with a staff person serving their area.

The Senior LinkAge Line® is a free statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging. Specialists provide one-to-one assistance with helping older adults age well and live well. The Senior LinkAge Line® is Minnesota’s federally-designated State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and is the place to call for help with Medicare and health insurance. For more information, call 1-800-333-2433 or go to www.MinnesotaHelp.info® to chat live with a Senior LinkAge Line® specialist during business hours.

Read a PDF of 2017 MNRAAA Annual Report.

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2018 Health Care Choices Available for Minnesota Medicare Recipients

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The Minnesota Board on Aging’s 2018 edition of the Minnesota Health Care Choices publication is now available online and in print to provide information for Minnesota Medicare recipients.

2018 Health Care Choices coverThe annual guide is the only comprehensive, objective statewide publication with information about all Medicare plan options available on the open market for Minnesotans.

“Minnesotans are very fortunate to have this annual publication available which provides information to help consumers understand and explore Medicare options,” stated Linda Giersdorf, Executive Director of the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging.

Health Care Choices is available online at www.mnhealthcarechoices.com.

The publication includes information on Medicare supplements, Medicare savings programs, Medicare Advantage plans and other Medicare health plans and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. Minnesotans are reminded that Medicare Part D open enrollment began October 15 and ends December 7.

If you have questions or need further information, contact the Senior LinkAge Line® at 1-800-333-2433. The Senior LinkAge Line® is a free statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging. The Senior LinkAge Line® is the federally-designated State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for Minnesota and is the place to call for Medicare and health insurance issues. Call 1-800-333-2433 for assistance or go to www.MinnesotaHelp.info® to chat live with a Senior LinkAge Line® specialist.

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Medicare Open Enrollment: October 15 – December 7

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October 15th thru December 7th is the 2018 Medicare Open Enrollment period. Robin Thompson, Information and Assistance Director with the Senior LinkAge Line®, reminds us that, “This is the time of year that people on Medicare should be evaluating their coverage for 2018.” She goes on to say, “There are only a few special circumstances when a person can make a plan change beyond these dates, so it is important to use this time to make the best decision possible for you.”

Every year after open enrollment ends, the Senior LinkAge Line® receives calls from people who failed to open their mail and read about their current drug plan changes for the coming year. It isn’t until the first bill for the new year is received, or the beneficiary, is charged more at the pharmacy, that they realize their plan has changed. For most of these beneficiaries it is too late to make a change for that year. Since there are so many changes every year, the Senior LinkAge Line® recommends that each person review their options for the next year and open and read every piece of mail received from their plan.

A few reasons to consider a “re-evaluation” of your Part D plan:

  • Monthly premiums for each plan will most likely change
  • Your medication list may have changed in the last year
  • Plan formularies (the list of drugs covered by the plan) may change and the cost-sharing may change (amount you pay for the drug under a plan)
  • You may be eligible for the “extra help” offered to pay premiums and reduce co-pay amounts (applications are accepted at any time of the year)

Using the official Medicare.gov prescription plan comparison tool, which can be found at www.medicare.gov , allows beneficiaries to view a clear comparison of their current plan with other plans available in 2018. The plan comparison tool will present the cost of the individual’s medications in each plan offered in Minnesota. With this knowledge, a person can make a sound decision on a drug plan and prepare for the coming year with confidence and peace of mind.

If you or someone you know needs help evaluating their coverage, contact the Senior LinkAge Line® at 1-800-333-2433. The Senior LinkAge Line® is a free statewide service of the Minnesota Board on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging. Specialists provide one-to-one assistance with helping older adults age well and live well. The Senior LinkAge Line® is the federally-designated State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for Minnesota and is the place to call for Medicare and health insurance issues. Call 1-800-333-2433 for assistance Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm.

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State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Funding at Risk

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As the director of the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging, I want to raise awareness to the risk to State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) funding, greatly impacting Medicare services provided to Minnesota seniors and disabled Minnesotans under age 65 who receive Medicare benefits.

The Minnesota Board on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging provide the statewide Senior LinkAge Line® service, which is Minnesota’s federally designated SHIP.  Our role as SHIP is to provide individualized, objective Medicare counseling to help Minnesota Medicare beneficiaries decide what is best for them.

The President’s proposed budget does not provide funding for SHIP.  In addition, due to Congressional budget issues, we only received four months of current SHIP funding, instead of the full grant award.  This seriously threatens the Senior LinkAge Line’s® ability to serve Minnesota’s nearly 956,000 Medicare beneficiaries, a rapidly growing sector of the population. Without SHIP funding, Medicare counseling efforts will dramatically change.

Also of concern is that Medicare Cost plans are scheduled to end December 2018, forcing 386,000 Minnesotans to make major decisions about their Medicare coverage.  Unless Congress acts, these decisions will have to be made without the assistance of SHIP (the Senior LinkAge Line®).  Medicare Cost plans are the most popular plan option in Minnesota.  They offer consumers the option of using Original Medicare benefits for services outside their plan network.

As Medicare becomes increasingly more complex, consumers must bear the burden of fully understanding all of their options and making good choices for themselves.  If beneficiaries do not choose the plan that is the best fit for them, they could enroll in a plan that does not cover their provider or prescription drugs, and they may have to pay a higher premium. If they miss their enrollment window, they may have to pay premium penalties for the rest of their lives.

Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers across the state increasingly have come to depend upon SHIP services.  The Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging is very concerned with any loss of SHIP funding.  We ask for your support to ensure that Congress fully funds SHIP and resolves the budgetary issues that threaten the funding of this critical program.

Thank you for your assistance with this important issue.

Sincerely,

Linda Giersdorf, Executive Director

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