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's Prescription Drug Benefit
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
The Medicare prescription drug benefit, also known as Part D, provides prescription drug coverage to people with Medicare. This benefit is only available through private insurance companies that contract with Medicare. Part D is offered through private companies either as a stand-alone plan, for those enrolled in Original Medicare, or as a set of benefits included with a Medicare Advantage Plan. Join Arlington's VICAP to learn:
- What is the Part D Benefit?
- What are the eligibility requirements for Medicare Part D?
- What’s the difference between Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans with Part D?
- What are the Enrollment Period(s)?
- Cost sharing subsidies for Part D drugs
- The Inflation Reduction Act
Click here to register or contact our VICAP team via email MedicareHelp@arlingtonva.us or by calling 703-228-1725
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NEW Online Training!
The VICAP Team, in collaboration with Virginia's Senior Medicare Patrol, is excited to announce the launch of our newest online training! The training provides a pre-test to assess your present knowledge on Medicare fraud and abuse and a post-test after you complete the training to see what you have learned. It also provides information on the basics of Medicare. You can take this training at your convenience and go back whenever you want! Click here to access the online training.
In addition, you can find previous presentations on our new webpage, the VICAP Training Academy. Use the link below to access recordings on topics you may have missed, or just as a refresher.
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 Arlington CARES Award
CONGRATULATIONS to Arlington's VICAP team for being awarded Volunteer Arlington's 2024 Racial Equity and Civic Engagement Award! This award is given to an individual or group who builds on representation, diversity, equity and belonging in their work.
THANK YOU, VICAP team for embodying the DHS Vision, Mission and Values to center race and for creating a model program across the state and nation!
Update: Felon Sentenced in DME Kickback Scheme
Virginiasmp | July 12, 2024
In an update to a February 16, 2024, story, Kareem Memon was sentenced to eight years in federal prison. Read a Department of Justice press release.
Kareem Memon admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme after previously pleading guilty to carrying out a COVID-19 fraud scheme and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to documents filed in the health care fraud case and statements made in court, Memon and his conspirators owned and operated marketing call centers and telemedicine companies through which they obtained doctors’ orders for DME for Medicare beneficiaries without regard to medical necessity. They provided doctors’ orders in exchange for bribes from DME companies that provided the braces to Medicare beneficiaries. Read a story from Coral Springs Talk and a Department of Justice press release.
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Dear VICAP Team,
I would like to learn more about Extra Help. Can you explain what the program is and who is eligible?
Dear Medicare Beneficiary,
Extra Help is a federal program that lowers your Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) monthly premium and any deductible, coinsurance, and copayments.
Extra Help will pay the full cost of your Part D premium when you enroll in a Part D plan with a premium at or below the specified benchmark amount for your state. If you choose to enroll in a plan that has a monthly premium above your state's benchmark amount or a plan that offers enhanced coverage (coverage that provides additional benefits not required of Part D plans by law), you will have to pay the difference. To learn more about the benchmark amount in your state, click here.
Eligibility for Extra Help is based on your income and assets. If your monthly income is $1,903 in 2024 ($2,575 for couples) and your assets are below specified limits, you may be eligible (see the Extra Help income and asset limit chart for details). If you are enrolled in Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or a Medicare Savings Program, then you automatically qualify. If you are not enrolled in one of the three programs or your income or assets are above the eligibility limits, you could still qualify for Extra Help.
Remember that Extra Help is not a replacement for Part D or a plan on its own. You must still have a Part D plan to receive Medicare prescription drug coverage and Extra Help assistance. If you do not choose a plan, you will in most cases be automatically enrolled in one. You can apply for Extra Help online through the Social Security Administration or contact a counselor on our VICAP team to check your eligibility and receive help with enrolling.
 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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