Arlington County’s Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program
(VICAP) provides free, unbiased, one-on-one insurance counseling to Arlington County Medicare Beneficiaries, their families, friends and caregivers.
Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage
Monday, February 13th | 1:00pm - 2:30pm | Virtual
Original Medicare includes Part A (inpatient/hospital coverage) and Part B (outpatient/medical coverage). Medicare Part C also known as Medicare Advantage covers all the above (Part A and Part B), with most plans including prescription drugs (Part D) and certain benefits that Original Medicare does not cover.
Join Arlington County VICAP to learn:
- The differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- How Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans work
- When to join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage Plan
- What’s New in Medicare for 2023
Meeting details will be sent to participants up to 72 hours before the presentation. Register below to attend this session:
|
Heart Disease in Black Americans
The month of February celebrates Black History Month and observes Heart Health Awareness Month. In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) wrote that heart disease and stroke are among the three leading causes of death in the U.S.
1 in 3 deaths are due to cardiovascular disease, and nearly half of all Black American adults have some form of cardiovascular disease. About 2 out of 5 Black American adults also have high blood pressure, which is a leading cause of stroke and heart attacks.
Medicare beneficiaries can receive cardiovascular blood test screenings once every 5 years under Part B medical insurance. These screenings include blood tests for cholesterol, lipid, and triglyceride levels that help detect conditions that may lead to a heart attack or stroke. Cardiac rehabilitation is also offered to Medicare beneficiaries under Part B, depending on your condition.
Taking the following steps to prevent cardiovascular disease can include:
1. Healthy eating
2. Regular exercise
3. Limiting alcohol consumption
4. Understanding your family history
5. Managing medical conditions
To read more about what you can do to help prevent cardiovascular disease, click here.
|
9 Must-Listen Podcasts About Scams and Con Artists
Virginiasmp | December 14, 2022
These days liars and con artists are popular fodder for documentaries, TV shows, blockbuster movies and best-selling books, but they’re a particularly ripe subject for podcasts, which allow for high-level investigative reporting and in-depth storytelling. Here we highlight 10 must-listen podcasts — including AARP’s The Perfect Scam — that feature shocking stories of truly reprehensible criminals, as well as valuable lessons on how you can lower your risk of becoming a fraud victim. (Read More)
|
Dear VICAP Team,
I missed my Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) and planned to join during my General Enrollment Period (GEP). Has anything changed with the General Enrollment Period this year?
Dear Medicare Beneficiary,
If you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), you have another chance each year during the General Enrollment Period (GEP) which spans between January 1 - March 31. Beneficiaries who enroll during the GEP face a premium penalty and must wait till July 1st for their Medicare Part B to take effect.
Although you will still face a premium penalty, Starting January 1, 2023, beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare during the General Enrollment Period (GEP) will receive Part B coverage the first day of the month after signing up. This means that if you enroll during your GEP in January, you would not have to wait 6 months for your Part B coverage to begin like in previous years. Instead, your coverage will begin the very next month after you enroll.
This is great news for individuals who may have missed their Initial Enrollment Period! To learn more about how this change, click here.
 Contact the Arlington County VICAP team by phone or email:
703-228-1725
MedicareHelp@arlingtonva.us
This project was supported, in part by grant number 90SAPG0064, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy
|
