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 Open Enrollment Season
We are a few days away from Open Enrollment! Beginning October 15th, Medicare beneficiaries can:
- Join a new Medicare Advantage Plan or stand-alone prescription drug plan (Part D plan)
- Switch between Original Medicare with or without a Part D plan and Medicare Advantage
Below are a few resources to help get you ready for Fall Open Enrollment:
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. Treatment can vary, but early detection has resulted in positive survival outcomes. According to the New York-Presbyterian Department of Surgery, despite significant advances in detection and treatment for breast cancer, the breast cancer mortality rate for Black women remains 40% higher than that for White women. Factors like socioeconomic status, education, or insurance status can contribute to treatment delays.
Medicare beneficiaries can receive chemotherapy treatment under Part A if you are a hospital inpatient, and under Medicare Part B if you are a hospital outpatient or in a doctors office or freestanding clinic. Mammograms are also covered under Medicare Part B in the following instances:
- A baseline mammogram once in your lifetime (if you’re a woman between ages 35-39).
- Screening mammograms once every 12 months (if you’re a woman age 40 or older).
- Diagnostic mammograms more frequently than once a year, if medically necessary. Click here to learn more.
Whether it is the loss of a loved one or a personal experience, breast cancer has impacted the lives of many. Be sure to review some of the resources available to you or a loved one and help spread awareness.
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Medicare Fraud: Shut It Down The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
The best way to stop Medicare fraud? Help prevent it in the first place. Follow these 3 tips to protect yourself from scammers:
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If you get a call, text or email asking for your Medicare Number, don't respond. Don't give your Medicare card or Medicare Number to anyone except your doctor or people you know should have it. Remember, Medicare will never call you unprompted and ask you for your personal information.
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Check your Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) or claims statements carefully. If you see a charge for a service you didn't get or a product you didn't order (like a COVID-19 over-the-counter test), it may be fraud.
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If you suspect fraud, report it at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or call the toll-free Senior Medicare Patrol fraud hotline at
(1-800-938-8885). Visit Medicare.gov, the official source for Medicare information, to learn more about preventing Medicare fraud.
Watch this video to see how you can shut down Medicare fraud and abuse.
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Dear VICAP Team,
Does Medicare cover the new RSV Vaccine?
Dear Medicare Beneficiary,
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) season, which usually starts in the fall and peaks in the winter, can affect people of all ages but is especially serious for infants and older adults. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RSV vaccine can help lower the risks of disease caused by RSV.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends the RSV vaccine for adults over the age of 60. As long as the ACIP recommends it for you, Medicare Part D covers the RSV vaccine at no cost to you. If you have Medicare Part D, and the RSV vaccine is recommended for you, but your doctor or pharmacy tries to charge you, you should call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for help.
While the RSV vaccine is covered by Part D, your flu and COVID-19 vaccines will still be covered under Medicare Part B.
- VICAP Team
 As our team prepares for Medicare's Open Enrollment Season, below you will find a link to access an Open Enrollment Intake form which is a requirement prior to scheduling a one-on-one counseling session with a VICAP Counselor.
By November 8th, please complete and submit the intake form via email to MedicareHelp@arlingtonva.us or via fax to 703-228-1174, ATTN: VICAP.
Click here to complete a form in English
Click here to complete a form in Spanish
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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