Seniors losing critical help
On March 1, nearly 400 older people and some disabled adults in Aroostook County lost important help they were receiving to pay for medical care, according to officials with the Aroostook Agency on Aging.
“There was a lot of confusion with people receiving multiple letters from the state in January and February and we know that some people could not understand the letters and did not know what was happening,” said Tammy DeLong, AAA’s Medicare specialist. “Our big concern is that those who lost what is called the QMB level of benefit under the Medicare Buy-in lost their coverage of Medicare deductibles and co-insurance.
“They have a 90-day period that started March 1 to secure alternate coverage to replace what they lost,” she said. “If they fail to take action within the 90 days, they may not be able to replace the coverage they lost and will face huge medical bills if they require medical care.”
The termination of the Medicare Savings Program benefits, also called the Medicare Buy-in, is a result of a reduction in income eligibility enacted by the Maine Legislature in 2012. These benefits are designed to help lower income seniors and disabled people who qualify for Medicare with the cost of medical care and prescription drugs. The benefit makes a difference of $300 per month and more for some in out-of-pocket income.
“For those that lost what is called the QI level of benefit, they will see their Social Security check decreased by $104.50 each month and this is retroactive to March 1,” said DeLong. “This means they will come up $200-$300 short in their Social Security in April or May. They also will lose the help they have been getting for prescription drugs, but that won’t happen until Dec. 31, 2013.”
The AAA staff have been very busy assisting people in finding alternate medical coverage and helping them understand what has happened and how they are affected.
Brenda Barker, director of community service at the agency, has been working with 60 people who lost medical coverage.
“They are telling me they can’t afford insurance coverage, are canceling medical appointments and needed medical procedures,” Barker said. “We can steer them to the lowest cost insurance policies with the best coverage and help them understand alternatives like Medicare Advantage plans, but there are some who feel they can’t afford the alternatives.”
“This problem may get much worse. The biennial budget, now under consideration by the Maine Legislature, slashes income eligibility far more than the March 1 change. Nearly 40,000 low-income Maine seniors and people with disabilities will lose the help they currently get through the Medicare Buy-in. The Agency on Aging believes this includes about 6,800 Aroostook County seniors,” said Steve Farnham, AAA executive director. “On top of this, approximately 80,000 low-income seniors over the age of 62 and people with disabilities will lose the help they need to afford their prescription drugs because the Low Cost Drugs for the Elderly program is slated for elimination. If the Legislature goes along with these cuts, it will happen July 1.”
The Agency on Aging is holding informational and assistance sessions to help affected seniors understand what happened and help them find alternatives to medical coverage they may have lost March 1. They will be joined by staff from AARP-Maine in presenting details on the proposed new cuts to the Medicare Buy-in, Low Cost Drugs for the Elderly and other harmful proposals that impact seniors.
The public is welcome and the sessions are set for Thursday, March 21 at 10:30 a.m. at the Fort Kent Senior Center on Pine Street; Friday, March 22 at 10:30 a.m. at the Van Buren Senior Center on Champlain Street; Tuesday, March 26 at 10:30 a.m. at The Gathering Place Senior Center at 33 Davis St. in Presque Isle; Wednesday, March 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Walter Hansen Public Library in Mars Hill; and Friday, March 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Community Education Center at Houlton Regional Hospital.
