RESOURCE CENTER

RESOURCES

THE RESOURCE CENTER

Resource Center Director: Sue • Assistant Director: Rita • Caregiver Support Coordinator: Emily Specialists: Joyce • Intake Specialist: Nancy For more information, please call 406-259-5212

A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT…

The most loving gift a person can give to one’s family is to have your affairs in order to be prepared for an emergency. Compile the following list of information and documents you should have prepared. Once you have the documents and information assembled, be sure you tell your family where these items can be found.

1. All bank accounts, account numbers, and types of accounts. Also include safety deposit box locations. 2. Insurance Company, policy number, beneficiary as stated on the policies and type of insurance (health, life, long-term care, automobile, etc.) 3. Deed and title to ALL property. 4. Loan/lien information, who holds them and if there are death provisions. 5. Social Security and Medicare numbers. 6. Military history, affiliations, and paper (including discharge papers). 7. Up-to-date will in a safe place (inform family where the will is located). 8. Living Will or other Advance Directives appropriate to your state of residence. 9. Durable Power of Attorney. 10. Instructions for funeral services and burial (if arrangements have been secured and location of funeral home).

PHISHING SCAMS ARE ACTIVE IN MONTANA NOW.

A Montana woman received a call from a number with a local Wolf Point prefix who said they were with the “Medicare Aging Services.” They reportedly said they wanted to talk to her about Medicare. These are two red flags. One, Medicare will never call you unless you called them and are awaiting a callback. Two, Medicare will never ask for personal information over the phone. Caller ID spoofing is how crooks make a phone call or email look legitimate or local when it is not. It can look like any number they want it to, even when they’re calling from outside of the country. Do not answer your phone if you don’t recognize the number. If it’s important, they will leave a message. If it’s not someone you know well, independently look the number up before calling them back, do not call back the number given to you by the caller themselves. Robocalls are created electronically. When you answer you are logged as a “live line” and will stay on their call rotation. Don’t answer, block the calls, and over time you will receive less robocalls. If you have given out personal information over the phone and think you may be victim to identity theft, call your local Office on Aging at 1-800-551-3191.

Remember, Annual Enrollment Period closes Dec 7th!!! 1-800 MEDICARE (1.800.633.4227) 24 hr per day/7 days a week phone counseling

If you know which plan you are enrolling into, you can call that plan’s non-member phone number and they will enroll you over the phone.

CHANGES TO MEDICARE PREMIUMS, DEDUCTIBLES AND COPAYS FOR 2023

When the Medicare and You 2023 was published in October, Medicare was not able to put in the 2023 deductibles and copays when published. They have been released and are as follows:

Medicare Part A Hospital Deductible - $1,600 - a $44 increase from 2022

Medicare Part A Skilled Nursing Facility - Copay for

Days 21-100 - $200 per day - $5.50 per day increase from 2022

Medicare Part B Deductible - $226 - a $7 decrease from 2022

Remember, if you have a Medicare Supplemental plan as well as Medicare, many, if not all, of these deductibles and copays will be paid by the Medicare Supplement plan. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan your copay and deductibles are set by your plan and maybe different than those shown here. Medicare Part B Premium – For most Medicare beneficiaries it will be $164.90 – a decrease of $5.20 from 2022. If your annual income was greater than $97,000 single/$194,000 couple in 2021 you will face additional costs for Medicare Part B and Medicare Part B premiums in 2023. You will receive a letter from Social Security if you will be expected to pay the increase. Medicare may cover anyone diagnosed with EndStage Renal Disease (ESRD), if they meet certain criteria. Medicare enrollees who are 36 months post kidney transplant and therefore are no longer eligible for full Medicare coverage based on ESRD, can elect to continue Part B coverage of immunosuppressive drug by paying a premium. If you qualify for Medicare based on age or disability, you would continue full Medicare. If you do not qualify for full Medicare and have had a kidney transplant under past Medicare you can continue Med B coverage for immunosuppressive drugs for a premium of $97.10 monthly. Medicare B covers insulin taken through an internal pump. Starting 2023 beneficiaries who receive insulin this way will not have to pay the Medicare B deductible for this treatment and their cost share will be capped at $35 for a one-month supply of covered insulin. If you have questions, call the Resource Center at 406259-5212 for more information.