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.
Ways to Reduce AI, Imposter
and Romance Scams
Monday, March 31, 2025 | 10:30am to 12:00pm
Location: Hybrid (Microsoft Teams) &
Walter Reed Community center
2909 16th Street South, Arlington VA 22204
Join representatives from Arlington County’s Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP), Virginia’s Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to discuss ways beneficiaries can protect themselves against Artificial Intelligence, Imposter Scams, and Romance Scams.
Agenda:
- What is the psychology of a scam?
- How are scammers using Artificial Intelligence to trap older adults?
- What are the 5 most common imposter scams impacting older adults?
- Learn about resources that help reduce / prevent scams
Register by calling VICAP’s hotline at 703-228-1725, emailing , or click here to complete an online registration form.
|
Stay Scam Free,
No Matter How Far Away You Roam
Virginia SMP | February 19,2025
Planning to travel this holiday season? No matter where you’re going (over the river and through the woods), how you’re getting there (planes, trains, and automobiles), or where you’re staying (home for the holidays), here are the scams to avoid along the way.
Just in time for a holiday vacation, you might think you’ve won a vacation. Except the organizer says to pay a fee to get your prize. And just like that, you spotted the scam, because real prizes are free. Anyone asking you to pay for a prize is a scammer. (Read More)
|
Dear VICAP Team,
I did not enroll in Medicare during my Initial Enrollment period because I am actively employed with group health coverage. Will I face a late enrollment penalty?
Dear Medicare Beneficiary,
Individuals who are still employed and have active medical coverage by an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, can enroll in Medicare Part B without a penalty using a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). The Special Enrollment Period allows you to sign up for Medicare Part B anytime while you still have employer-based health coverage or within 8 months after your employer-based health coverage has ended. Below is some information about how late enrollment penalties work.
The Part B late enrollment penalty (LEP)
You may owe a Part B LEP if you delay enrolling in Medicare after you are first eligible. You will owe a 10% Part B premium penalty for each 12-month period that you delay enrollment. You should not owe a Part B LEP if:
- You have insurance from your or your spouse's current employer and have continued receiving that employer-based coverage since becoming eligible for Medicare.
- You are eligible for a Medicare Savings Program.
- You qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) because of an exceptional circumstance.
The Part D late enrollment penalty (LEP)
You may owe a Part D LEP if you delay enrollment after you first become eligible. You will owe a 1% penalty of the Part D monthly premium for each month that you delay enrollment. You should not owe a Part D LEP if:
- You had creditable drug coverage during the time you delayed enrollment in Part D.
- You qualify for Extra Help.
- You can prove that you received inaccurate information about whether your drug coverage was creditable.
To learn more about Late Enrollment Penalties, visit the medicare.gov website.
 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
|
