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.
Medicare Preventive Services
Tuesday June 20, 2023, | 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Preventive care is care you receive to prevent illness, detect medical conditions, and keep you healthy. Medicare Part B covers many preventive services, such as screenings, vaccines, and counseling. If you meet the eligibility requirements and guidelines for a preventive service, you must be allowed to receive the service. This is true for Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans. However, your plan’s coverage rules may apply.
Join Arlington County VICAP for a virtual presentation to learn:
- Tips to remain healthy, live longer and delay or prevent diseases;
- Medicare’s Preventive Services (e.g., diabetes related services, mental health services, and tests and screenings);
- How to read Medicare Summary Notices, Explanation of Benefits and more!
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June is Cataract Awareness Month!
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 20.5 million (17.2%) Americans Age 40 and older have cataracts in one, or both eyes.
Cataracts are the clouding of the lens of your eye and usually develop slowly over the course of time. The risk factors for eye diseases like cataracts include race/ethnicity, age, sex, and certain chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The U.S Census writes that Black and Hispanics continue to be over-represented in the population in poverty, meaning that they are likely to face a higher risk of eye disease due to social factors like income, education, access to care, and neighborhood safety.
It is important for individuals at higher risk of eye disease to recognize the signs and symptoms of cataracts and for Medicare beneficiaries to review their benefits in relation to eye care. While Medicare does not generally cover vision care, Original Medicare Part B will cover medically necessary services, such as cataract surgery. Medicare Advantage plans must cover the same services as Original Medicare, but may have different costs or conditions. Click here to learn more about Medicare and Vision coverage.
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Medical Equipment CEO Sentenced
Virginia SMP | April 10, 2023
Tanya Grant will serve 80 months in prison for a health care fraud scheme in which she purchased lists of Medicare patient names from companies overseas. She then billed Medicare for purportedly supplying these patients with durable medical equipment. In many cases, Medicare was billed even though no equipment was shipped. Grant forged physician orders if no such order existed in her files to support her billings. Read a story from WRAL and a Department of Justice press release.
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Dear VICAP Team,
I usually get nervous before my doctor’s visits and feel overwhelmed. Since I forget to ask the questions I want to ask, how should I prepare for appointments and make the most of my doctor's visits?
Dear Medicare Beneficiary,
It is understandable to be nervous or overwhelmed at medical appointments. The following tips can help you make the most of your appointments:
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Be Prepared. Leading up to your appointment think about what you would like to talk with your doctor about. Make a list of this information and any questions you may have. You can also consider whether you want to bring another person to your appointment like a family member, friend or caregiver. Pack your bag with all of your insurance cards and any relevant documents or health history and something to take notes.
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Share Information. Talk with your doctor about any current symptoms or concerns during your visit. If there are several, consider ranking them in order of how much they are impacting you. Tell your doctor if you are having trouble with activities of daily living such as bathing or dressing and inform him or her about other health care providers you've seen and any treatments they prescribed or recommended.
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Ask Questions. If there is something you don't understand, ask questions to obtain an explanation. If further clarification is needed but more time is needed, consider scheduling a phone conversation with your doctor.
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Request Information In Writing. Ask your doctor to write down any information you should pay attention to between the current and follow-up appointment. This may include instructions for how to take medication, scheduling appointments with specialists or making any lifestyle modifications.
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Finally - if there are concerns after your appointment or if any symptoms get worse, call your doctor's office to schedule a follow-up appointment.
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
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