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Senior & Disabilities Services

SHip Button GraphicSenior Information Office & SHIP (Alaska State Health Insurance Programs) banner gif Click here to go to the National Consumer Protection Technical Resource Center website.

 

Resources for Alaska's Medicare

Counselors

 

ANNUAL MEDICARE TRAINING FOR  ALL VOLUNTEER COUNSELORS WILL BE OCTOBER 14 – 15 – 16 IN ANCHORAGE.

PLEASE SET ASIDE THOSE DATES.

AGENDA: 

  • DAY 1: MEDICARE 101 – Everything you need to know but are afraid to ask
  • DAY 2: Story based Medicare Counseling – problem solving and practice
  • DAY 3: Hands-on computers doing Part D Prescription Drug Comparisons

 

 

Help Yourself Powerpoints on Medicare

 

 

The two programs we counsel Alaskans on are SHIP and SMP.

State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) funds the SHIP project to educate and counsel Alaskans about Medicare so that people make optimal choices in utilizing Medicare health insurance and have access to local counseling.  The two staff and 54 volunteer counselors provide local, objective answers to questions asked by beneficiaries, family members and providers.  We maintain a free helpline and local Anchorage phone and are located on the 3rd floor of the Frontier Building.

 

 

All counselors are encouraged to track all Medicare-related counseling/conversations using the "Client Contact Form."   Then you go right onto www.shiptalk.org and in 30 seconds you can enter the data directly online to record the client contact.  Our funders track our work and appreciate your efforts to stay on top of what you are doing to help recipients with their Medicare questions and puzzles.  Thank you!

 

Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)

The U. S. Administration on Aging (AOA) funds the SMP project which educates and encourages Medicare beneficiaries and others to report suspected Medicare error, fraud, waste and abuse.

This is the SMP resource center website for volunteers to access

 

 

Information on Miller Trusts in Alaska

http://dpaweb.hss.state.ak.us/e-forms/pdf/med23_1208.pd

 

Go to an overview of the Medicare Prescription drug benefits >

Find a Medicare provider >

 

Contact the Alaska SHIP Help Line at (907) 269-3680 or 1-800-478-6065 (toll-free in Alaska only). You can leave a brief message 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Recorded calls will be answered in the order they are received Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; or you can call a trained Medicare Volunteer Counselor in your local community or one near your community. .

You can also write for more information to the Alaska Medicare/Senior Information Office, 3601 C Street, Suite 310, Anchorage, Alaska, 99503-5984.

SHIP Data Entry Using SHIPTalk

List of all Alaska's MEDICARE Counselors

Outreach and Training Tools

Health Fair and Social Security Resources:

Guide to LIS Mailing From CMS and Social Security 2008

Part D 2008 Enrollment Tools:

 

Good news for Alaska MEDICARE Counselors!!

MEDICARE HOTLINE is faster than the regular 1-800-MEDICARE

It is: 888-647-6701

You will be prompted to enter your unique i.d. which starts with AK000

If you don’t have that ID please call Jeanne or Judith to get it for you. We’re at 800-478-6065

Thank you!

Update Training Teleconference Schedule:

Alaska Medicare Volunteer Counselors
"meet me" calls: dial 1-800-315-6338, use code SHIP#

June 17  
July 15  
August 19  
   

 

 

Update Training Minutes

 

Links for Low Income Subsidy "Extra Help":

 

2008 LIS Outreach Toolkit

The new LIS Outreach Toolkit is located at www.cms.hhs.gov/Partnerships/Toolkits/. This toolkit includes important resources and information about the outreach effort, including a new LIS drop-in article that can be used in local publications or print outlets to encourage people with Medicare to apply for Extra Help. This article can also be found on the Portal at https://portal.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt

CMS’ campaign will be conducted from May to July and will coincide with SSA’s Mother’s Day and Father’s Day outreach campaign. Please join CMS in our efforts to reach out to people with Medicare and their family members or caregivers to promote the availability of this extra help and increase the number of LIS applications submitted to SSA for processing.

Additional materials, including talking points, internal Q&As and more are available on the Portal at https://portal.hhs.gov/portal/server.pt

Links for Fraud Prevention:

Outreach - Alaskan Style SHIP/SMP Outreach Photos and Comments:

Judith Bendersky in the Akutan doing outreach at a Health Fair at the school

Judith and Jeanne Larson discussing Medicare issues with Senator Lisa Murkowski

Fraternity Leaders preparing to post “Extra Help” flyers around Anchorage

Alice Bioff, Zoe Ivanoff and Tisha Kingeekuk from Norton Sound sharing outreach experiences

Fort Richardson Retiree Appreciation – Outreach SHIP/SMP by Michelle Mayott

CMS Updates:

 

Publications Volunteers Can Use:

State & Federal Agencies and Miscellaneous Information:

 

Alaska Medicare/Medicare Information Office
3601 C Street, Suite 310
Anchorage, Alaska 99503-5984
Phone: (907) 269-3680
1-800-478-6065 (statewide)
Fax: (907) 269-4973