APPRISE offers workshops
on new Medicare
drug benefit

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY—Beginning January 1, 2006, Medicare will offer prescription drug coverage to all Medicare recipients. As a result, each beneficiary will need to make a decision as to whether this new benefit is right for him/her.
In an effort to provide Schuylkill County Medicare beneficiaries with information and assistance to sort through the many available options, the Schuylkill County APPRISE Program will hold educational events throughout the next several weeks. These sessions will help recipients understand how the new benefit will affect them as well as available prescription plan options. Assistance to complete enrollment into a plan will also be available.

The following are dates, times
and locations for these meetings:

ORWIGSBURG
Tuesday, Nov.1 at 1:00 p.m.
Orwigsburg Seniors Group
224 E. Market St.; Orwigsburg
(Please call Evelyn Berger at (570) 754-7589 to register)
RINGTOWN
Sunday, Nov. 6 at 3:00 p.m.
Ringtown Valley Senior Citizens
104 W. Main Street; Ringtown
(Please call Brian Irslinger at (570) 889-3778 to register)

POTTSVILLE
Thursday, Nov. 10 at 1:00 p.m.
United Presbyterian Church
214 Mahantongo Street; Pottsville
(Please call Audrey Williams at (570) 622-1760 to register)

ORWIGSBURG
Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 6:00 p.m.
Seton Manor
1000 Seton Drive; Orwigsburg
(Please call Linda Kreiser at (570) 366-0400 to register)

TAMAQUA
Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 6:00 p.m.
St. Peter’s Union Church
St. Peter’s Health Watch; 184 St. Peter’s Road, Tamaqua
(Please call Louise Frantz, R.N. at (570) 386-1107 after 5 p.m. to register)

Unlike Medicare Parts A & B, Medicare Prescription Drug coverage is not provided by the government directly. Instead, private companies have contracted with the government to offer their prescription drug coverage plans to Medicare-eligible persons. Many of these companies will offer several plans from which to choose. Premiums, deductibles and co-payments will vary from plan to plan.

Enrollment into a prescription drug plan begins on Nov. 15 and runs through
May 15, 2006. However, joining a plan by Dec. 31 ensures that prescription drug coverage will begin on Jan. 1, 2006. If enrollment is completed after Jan. 1, 2006, coverage will begin the first day of the month after enrollment.
For a complete listing of educational events scheduled around the state, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s website at www.aging.state.pa.us and under the What’s Going On heading, click on Medicare Drug Benefit - Public Meeting Schedule.
The Schuylkill County APPRISE Program offers free health insurance counseling program for persons with Medicare. The APPRISE Program is managed by Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries under a contract with the Schuylkill County Office of Senior Services. To learn about APPRISE, call 1-800-621-6325.