Medicare made simple—well at least understandable—will be the topic of three presentations at the Senior Center in September and October by Marjori Bottila. These sessions are sponsored by the Senior LinkAge Line®, which is a comprehensive information and assistance service of the Minnesota Board on Aging and Area Agencies on Aging. Sessions will be provided by the Arrowhead Area Agencies on Aging Senior LinkAge Line®. These are neutral, unbiased educational sessions. No prior registration is required for these presentations.
On Monday, September 14 at 10:30 a.m. Ms. Bottila will present Creating a Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership. This presentation is primarily for adults aged 40-70 and will focus on the education and outreach campaign to help Minnesotans understand long-term care insurance and the Long-term Care Partnership in Minnesota. The Long-Term Care Partnership is a public/private arrangement between longterm care insurers and Minnesota’s Medical Assistance program. It enables Minnesota residents who purchase certain long-term care insurance policies to have more of their assets protected if they later need the state to help pay for their long-term care.
Those attending will learn about long-term care costs, how to plan for long-term care, what Medicare will cover and the role of the Minnesota Long-term Care Partnership in helping plan for the future.
At 1:00 p.m. on September 14, Ms. Bottila will present Health Care Fraud – Detect, Protect, and Report. She will include an overview of how to watch for and minimize health care fraud, waste and abuse, protect against identity theft and be aware of and reduce the risk of mail, phone and other scams.
On Monday, October 19, Ms. Bottila will present Medicare Update – 2010, Information about Medicare parts A through D, legislative changes, extra help for prescriptions and other programs. This will be particularly helpful to people, new to Medicare.
Fall colors are the theme of upcoming bus trips. Monday, September 21, we will leave the Senior Center at 12:30 p.m. to ride the gondola and tour the top of Moose Mountain at Lutsen Mountains. The maples should be at the peak of color. The trip will cost $17/person and payment is due September 14.
On Wednesday, September 30, at 10:00 a.m., we will be going on our annual Fall Color Tour on the back roads of Cook and Lake counties. Lunch will be at the Trestle Inn, with BBQ ribs, the promised special. Transportation will be $20/person due on September 23 and lunch will be at your own expense.
The AARP Driver Safety classes are winding down for 2009. There will be a refresher class at the Senior Center noon – 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15 and a beginning class at Birch Grove Tuesday, September 22 and Wednesday, September 23, from 5:30 – 9:30 p.m. each evening. Beginning and refresher classes cost $17 for AARP members and $19 for nonmembers. Call the Senior Center at 387-2660 or Birch Grove at 663-7977 to register.
For more information about these or any other Senior Center activities, call 387-2660.
News from the “Brighter Side” of aging is provided by Pam McDougall, assistant director of the Grand Marais Senior Center. Pam can be reached at (218) 387-2660 or via e-mail at CCCOA@ boreal.org.
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