Medicare Protection effort gets backing of Kaine, McDonnell

Eighty thousand Medicare Protection booklets will be going out to seniors and their caregivers in Virginia, a joint effort of the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging Senior Medicare Patrol Program, the Virginia Department for the Aging and the Virginia Bureau of Insurance.

Gov. Tim Kaine and Attorney General Bob McDonnell announced today that they are in full support of the public-awareness effort, titled Be Smart Virginians! Know Your Medicare Rights.

“I commend the SMP Program and the 25 local Area Agencies on Aging throughout Virginia for their efforts to develop, disseminate and promote this valuable booklet to help Virginians make wise health-care decisions and protect themselves from Medicare and health-care fraud,” Kaine said. “Volunteers and staff throughout Virginia that assist with SMP community-education activities and Virginia Insurance Counseling Assistance Program activities provide a crucial role in educating older Virginians about Medicare and health-insurance plans and the prevention of health-care fraud.”

“These toolkits will teach Virginia senior citizens how to detect and report suspicious activities related to their health care, and empower them to protect themselves by preventing fraud,” McDonnell said.

Each booklet contains …

• Questions for beneficiaries or family members to ask salespeople.

• Facts on health-care benefits options.

• Things to look out for when considering a health-care plan.

• Four steps to safeguard their Medicare.

• A contact list of helpful Virginia health and consumer agencies.

Families and older adults who are interested in receiving a toolkit should contact their local area Agency on Aging. For readers in the Greater Augusta area, you would contact the Valley Program for Aging Services at 540.949.7141.

A complete list of all local Agencies on Aging is available on the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging website at www.vaaaa.org or the Virginia Department for the Aging at www.vda.virginia.gov . For additional information, call the V4A at 800.938.8885 or the Virginia Department for the Aging at 800.552.3402.