OPEN Enrollment

Fact: Every month in the state of Alabama alone 10,000 people are turning 65 years old!

Attention all Medicare beneficiaries we are getting ready for Open Enrollment, October 15-December 7, 2011. This Open Enrollment is only catered to those turning 65years old this year. If you are 65 years old or will be 65 years old in 2012 this is the time for you to ask your general detail questions about what Medicare can do for you and be for you. If you are already a Medicare beneficiaries and need to make any changes to your plan January 1-February 14, 2012 is your time of change. Should you need some free information about your Medicare benefits, have any questions, or just need general information; please feel free to contact us by:
E-mail at: oscs.ship@gmail.com
Phone: (205)325-1416 ask for the SHIP Department
In Person: 2601 Highland Avenue South
                 Birmingham, AL 35205

" SHIP Helping you with your Medicare needs for FREE"

Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs

You can help someone you know or love, save big on their Medicare Prescription Drug Plan costs. Medicare beneficiaries can qualify for Extra Help with their Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. To qualify for the Extra Help, a person must be on Medicare, have limited income and resources, and reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia.

The Medicare Prescription Drug Program gives you a choice of prescription plans that offer various types of coverage. The Extra Help program can help pay for the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments related to the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. However, you must be enrolled in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to get this Extra Help.

To qualify for Extra Help:

• Your resources must be limited to $12,640 for an individual or $25,260 for a married couple living together. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks, bonds. Resources do not include your home, car, and any life insurance policy; and
• Your annual income must be limited to $16,335 for an individual or $22,065 for a married couple living together. Even if your annual income is higher, you still may be able to get some help.

Once your application is reviewed, the Social Security Administration will send you a letter to let you know if you qualify for Extra Help. Applying for this help is easy! Contact your local S.H.I.P for applications and application assistance.

Help for Tornado Victims in Jefferson County, AL

Today I am deviating a little from my usual SHIP information to talk a little about the recent disaster which has affected us in Central Alabama and offer some information on available help.

The information I will give below primarily deals with Jefferson County, AL, even though the disaster affected many areas elsewhere in the state and all over the south.

On Wednesday, April 27, 2011, Jefferson County along with many other counties in Alabama was devastated by at least 70 tornadoes. There was a supercell storm which traveled about 450 miles from Mississippi, through Alabama and up the east coast which spawned these violent tornadoes.

The National Weather Service reported that this supercell storm spawned the tornado which was on the ground for 80 miles and at times was 1.5 miles wide and reached an EF-4 intensity (190 mph) and caused so much destruction in Alabama.

Some of the areas in Jefferson County, Alabama, which were affected by this tornado and others were Pleasant Grove, Concord, Pratt City, Moody, Fairfield, Fultondale, Gardendale, Altadena, Cahaba Heights, Pell City along with numerous others.

Houses, churches, and businesses were literally flattened to the ground. High winds caused trees to snap in two or caused them to be uprooted and downed all over Jefferson County and those structures which were spared were left without power.

Worst of all was the loss of life. So many people either died that day or in the days that followed as a result of this natural catastrophe.

Here is some information you can use to find help:

1.  RED CROSS SHELTER in Jefferson County, Alabama:

         The Boutwell Auditorium

         1931 8th Avenue, North
         Birmingham, AL

        Dora First Baptist Church
        1440 Sharon Boulevard
        Dora, AL 35062

        Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church
        1348 Hueytown Road
        Bessemer, AL 35203

2.  POWER and GAS:

• Alabama Power Company - Call 1-800-888-2726 to report power outages or downed power lines.  The power company urges all customers to avoid touching any of those lines or any debris touching them.
• Alagasco - Call 1-800-292-4008 or your local fire department to report any smell of gas (similar to the smell of rotten eggs).  The gas company urges all customers to leave their home immediately and call from your cell phone or from a neighbor's home.

3.  INSURANCE:  These are Claims HOT Lines and web addresses for the biggest insurers in Alabama:

• State Farm:  1-800-732-5246   http://www.statefarm.com/
• ALFA:  1-800-964-2532          http://www.alfains.com/
• AllState:  1-800-255-7828        http://www.allstate.com/ 
• Farmers:  1-899-435-7764        http://www.farmers.com/

4.  Tastee Kitchen, 1324 Pinson Valley Parkway in Tarrant City is offering free food for people affected by the tornado near Tarrant.  You will need to provide ID that shows that you are from one of the areas affected by the tornadoes.

5.  Cedar Grove Baptist Church, 2001 Cedar Grove Road, Leeds, has a soup kitchen open in the evenings for anyone needing dinner.

6.  The Salvation Army is running food vehicles for first responders and tornado victims.  Three are in the Pleasant Grove area and one is in the Pratt City area.  More units are coming from out of town.

7.  Mountaintop Community Church, 225 Centerview Drive in Vestavia Hills, is serving free meals for those without power and victims of the storm beginning at 6 p.m.  The church will also cook any food that might spoil because of lack of power.

8.  United Way of Central Alabama.  Call 211.  United Way will match volunteers with needs once they've assessed the situation.

9.  The Greater Birmingham Humane Society has a lost and found area on its website that might help pet owners find animals lost in the storms.

10.  The Moody Fire Department, 670 Park Avenue, is a command center in Moody.  If citizens in Moody need help clearing debris from their property, they should call city clerk Patsy Beard at 640-0302.

11.  Jackson-Olin High School.  We service the students of Pratt City and McDonald Chapel Areas.  The schools are open to accept donations for the students and their families affected by the tornadoes.  Donations will also be accepted for the remainder of the school year and through the summer.  We are in need of bottled water, gatorade, baby bottles, blankets, pampers, wipes, clothes, personal items, soap, toothpaste, tooth brushes, hand sanitizer, snacks, non-perishable items.

Other area organizations and churches offering aid and support for victims of the tornadoes:

1.  Kuttin' Up Hair Salon in Trussville

2.  Massey, Stotser and Nichols Law Firm at 1780 Gadsden Highway (in Trussville.)

3.  The Christian Service Mission at 3600 3rd Avenue, S in Birmingham

4.  Temple Emanu-El and the Collat Jewish Family Services Center

5.  NorthPark Baptist Church on Deerfoot Parkway in Trussville

6.  East Lake United Methodist Church at 7753 First Avenue, South, Birmingham, AL (East Lake)

7.  Palmerdale Untied Methodist Church at 7776 Highway 75 in Palmerdale, AL

8.  24e Fitness at 1550-B Montgomery Highway in Hoover, AL

9.  Prince of Peace Church at 4600 Preserve Parkway in Hoover, AL

10.  Whole Foods Market in Mountain Brook, AL

11.  The Birmingham Dream Center in Woodlawn

12.  The Church of the Highlands, Grants Mill Campus, 901 Overton Road, Mountain Brook, AL

All of the above organizations or locations are either collecting donations or items to give victims of the tornadoes. 

And, of course, our office - the Office of Senior Citizens' Services in Birmingham, AL (serving all of Jefferson County, Alabama) is open and available for help in locating services and help for many services to the elderly citizens in Jefferson County, AL.  We, unfortunately cannot furnish any money, but we are certainly a clearing house for all sorts of information about available services and phone numbers where you will be able to find help.  Please call us at 205-325-1416 if we can be of any assistance to you or anyone you know who was a victim of these devastating storms.

Until next time...

Ashley

Introductions - Adrienne Jordan

I am Adrienne Jordan.  I am another AmeriCorps volunteer helping out the SHIP program at The Office of Senior Citizens Services in Birmingham, Alabama. Hi, Thanks for visiting us! I’m a five year resident of Birmingham, AL. I was born and raised in the Southeastern Region of this great state in a close-knit family of educators. I am a recent graduate of the University of Alabama in Birmingham with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and am also a volunteer with the Shelby County Chapter of the American Red Cross. I am ardent about servicing the community and devoting time to the needs of others. The experience that comes with being a SHIP counselor is invaluable not only because we help seniors save money by increasing knowledge, we ultimately improve the quality of life for each individual senior we encounter. I enjoy reading and completing research. Hope to hear from you soon!

Unitl next time....
Ashley

Introductions - Nett Dailey

Greetings!
I am DeAngdranette Dailey. Please call me Nette. I am currently serving my second term as an AmeriCorps SHIP/SMP counselor for Jefferson County Office of Senior Citizens Services through the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS). I have an innate desire to help others resolve health care issues with patience and integrity. Prior to my AmeriCorps service, I had the opportunity to work with health care organizations such as the Jefferson County Department of Health, Princeton Baptist Medical Center, UAB Hospital, and Laboratory Corporation of America (Lab Corp). As a result of that experience, I was led to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Administration to complement my Associate of Science degree in Biology. Therefore, I am not only here to serve as your Medicare counselor, but also as your advocate, educator, and referral resource for health insurance problem resolutions. No problem is too big, and no question is too small. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Now I will introduce you to Adrienne.

Introductions - Andrea Wright

Hi,
I am Andrea Carter Wright. I am the virtuous wife of Tobias Wright and the proud parent of my lovely daughter, M’Kiyah. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work (BSW) at Miles College in Fairfield, AL and most delighted to serve as a SHIP Assistant at the Jefferson County Office of Senior Citizens Services. I am responsible for providing a wide range of organizational and administrative duties for SHIP such as scheduling appointments, arranging presentation information, and referring clients to SHIP counselors. Primarily, I conduct intake for SHIP. As a result, I take pride in serving as your first line of contact for screening and evaluating your Medicare needs. Working with Medicare beneficiaries holds a special place in my heart. Therefore, I am glad to assist you, in any way possible, in considering SHIP as your primary resource for Medicare answers. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

In a couple of days, you will be introduced to the two AmeriCorps Members that are serving with SHIP.

Until next Time...
Ashley

Introductions - Ashley Lemsky

Hi everyone,

In the last post I talked about the Older American's Act and SHIP. For the next several posts, I want to introduce myself and my staff.

As I have mentioned before, I have been serving as the State of Alabama SHIP Coordinator for Jefferson County, Alabama, since 2008. I am a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. Previously, I was employed by the Jefferson County Council on Aging as the Outreach Coordinator for the SenioRx Prescription Assistance Program. I really enjoy the work that I do and I love working with senior adults. I have been blessed with the expertise that I have acquired over the years about Medicare and joy fills my heart when I know I have helped a senior in need.

Next time, I will introduce you to Andrea Wright, SHIP's Administrative Assistant.

Until next time,
Ashley

Welcome to the Help With Medicare Blog

Hi Everyone,

This is a new blog to give you free information about your Medicare Insurance and to introduce you to the State of Alabama SHIP services. I am Ashley Lemsky and I am the State of Alabama Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Coordinator assisting residents of Jefferson County.

I want to give you a little history of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and SHIP:

In 1965, Congress enacted the Older Americans Act (OAA), which established the Administration on Aging (AoA) and state agencies on aging to address the social service needs of older people. The Act is considered the major vehicle for promoting the delivery of social services to the aging population. Its mission is broad: to help older people maintain maximum independence in their homes and communities and to promote a continuum of care for the vulnerable elderly. In successive amendments, Congress authorized targeted programs to respond to specific needs.

One of the services mandated by the OAA is SHIP. SHIP is referred to as the State Health Insurance Assistance Program. Through SHIP, certified counselors and volunteers are committed to helping Medicare beneficiaries make informed choices regarding health benefits. Counselors and volunteers are not affiliated with any insurance company and will not attempt to sell Medicare beneficiaries insurance.

SHIP is funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and is administered through the Alabama Department of Senior Services (ADSS) and the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) at the Jefferson County Office of Senior Citizens Services (OSCS) in Jefferson County, Alabama.

As the SHIP Coordinator, I am employed by Jefferson County, Alabama, Office of Senior Citizens Services (OSCS). Our office only assists residents of Jefferson County, Alabama. If you live in a county other than Jefferson in the State of Alabama, and would like to inquire about SHIP services, call 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-243-5643) from your land line phone and you will be connected to your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA).

However, if you are visiting this website from another state and would like to learn more about SHIP, contact your state's Department of Insurance.

If you would like to take advantage of SHIP services and are a resident of Jefferson County, Alabama, please call our office at (205) 325-1416 and we will be happy to set up an appointment with you to come into our office at 2601 Highland Avenue, South, Birmingham, Alabama,  or set up an over-the-phone appointment to help you with your Medicare needs.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time...

Ashley