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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FROM
HIICAP
Denise Passarelli, HIICAP Coordinator
Medicare: Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2025 is the General Enrollment/Medicare Advantage Enrollment Period. During this time, you can switch from Medicare Advantage Plan to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Advantage to Original Medicare with a Supplemental Plan and a stand alone Part D Plan.
Mount Sinai Group: In November, if you are part of the Mt. Sinai Group, you should have received a letter regarding Cigna Medicare Advantage and Humana Medicare Advantage. As of January 1, they are no longer accepting Cigna Medicare Advantage. As of March 1, they are no longer accepting Humana Medicare Advantage. They do accept Original Medicare Advantage and all Supplemental Plans. If this happened to you, do not panic! You get a Special Enrollment Period to change your plan. Contact the HIICAP Helpline at 631-979-9490 x18, and we can mail you out a complete packet of the plans available in Suffolk County.
Volunteer HIICAP Counselors Needed: We are always looking for new volunteers who speak Spanish. If interested, please contact our office today to get started.
Information provided by
HIICAP volunteer & RSVP Board Member, John Sciacchitano.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has reduced the cost of certain prescription medications, and in 2025, has added some new and valuable benefits to Part D Prescription Drug insurance plans (PDP). Previously, the PDP’s worked differently in four stages: Annual Deductible, Initial Coverage, Coverage Gap (Donut Hole), and Catastrophic stage. The dreaded coverage gap has gone away in 2025. For 2025, the total out of pocket cost for Part D is $2,000, the Catastrophic Coverage Stage begins for covered drugs. You will have no out- of- pocket costs for covered drugs for the remainder of the year. The new Medicare Prescription Payment Plan allows you to spread your out-of-pocket prescription drug costs into monthly payments over the calendar year which may help deal with the cost of expensive meds. You may take advantage of the payment option as long as you pay your plan premium and remain in the plan. With Part D Coverage, you may spread high prescription drug out-of-pocket costs into monthly payments over the course of the year. Your plan will bill you each month, and you will pay the insurer rather than the pharmacy. For more information, contact RSVP’s HIICAP Helpline at 631-979-9490 x18 to speak to a counselor.
We are currently booking Workshops for our CDSMP (Chronic Disease Self-Management Program,) DSMP (Diabetes Self-Management Program) and AMOB (A Matter of Balance.) CDSMP/DSMP are 6-week workshops to help you become your own advocate while dealing with a Chronic Disease. RSVP’s A Matter of Balance workshops fill up fast! It is an 8-week workshop that helps you deal with the “fear of falling.” In Sessions 3-8, some light exercise is incorporated. As it has always been said about exercising your muscles, “If you don’t use it, you will lose it!” There is no cost to attend any of these workshops. If interested in attending, please call Program Assistant, Fran Tumsuden, at 631-979-9490 x16 to find a workshop near you. If you would like to volunteer as a Peer Leader/Coach and teach these Evidence-Based workshops, please call us, and we will let you know of any upcoming trainings.
