This holiday season, Generations is sponsoring its 11th annual Build*A*Basket project to help provide for the basic needs of Generations’ clients while bringing them some holiday cheer.

Generations serves older adults in Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Knox, Martin and Pike counties. These older adults are on fixed incomes and often cannot afford the everyday necessities that many of us take for granted.

If you would like to donate a filled basket, please register your basket by clicking here, or you may call the office to register a basket at 1-800-742-9002.  Thank you for continuing to make this program a success year after year.  We could not do it without your help!

For more information, or questions, please contact Alma Kramer at 812-888-4527 or by e-mail at akramer@vinu.edu.

Ask SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program)

 Q: I received a piece of mail that says it is from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. How do I know if it is important or if it is even real?

A: Around this time each year, CMS and Social Security begin sending out important notices. Many of them require action from you. Some of them will be printed on a specific color paper according to the information being sent. Below is an explanation of some of these mailings.

• Gray Notice The Loss of Deemed Status will be sent to anyone who no longer automatically qualifies for Extra Help in 2020. If you have limited income and resources, you may still qualify for Extra Help, but you will need to apply to find out. The notice will explain why you no longer automatically qualify and encourage you to complete an enclosed application for Extra Help. You can expect this gray notice some time in September.
• Orange Notice If you have Extra Help and still automatically qualify, you should receive a Change in Extra Help Co- Payment Notice if your copays will change for 2020. You can expect this orange notice around October.
• Blue Notices If your Medicare drug plan is leaving the Medicare Program, you will receive a Reassignment Notice – Plan Termination. This means you will be reassigned to a new Medicare drug plan in 2020 unless you choose a new plan in early December. If you receive a blue Reassignment Notice – Premium Increase, you are being notified that your Medicare drug plan premium is increasing above the regional LIS premium subsidy amount. You will be reassigned to a new Medicare drug plan in 2020 if you don’t join a new plan. If you receive a blue MA Reassignment Notice, your current Medicare Advantage plan is leaving the Medicare Program, and you will be reassigned to a new Medicare Advantage plan in 2020 unless you choose a new plan in early December. You can expect any of these blue notices in late October to November.
• Tan Notices In November, you might want to be on the lookout for the LIS Choosers Notice. This notice is sent to people who have Extra Help and chose a Medicare drug plan on their own. If you receive this notice, it means your plan’s premium is changing, and you will have to pay a portion of the premium in 2020 unless you join a new $0 premium plan.

If you have any questions related to Medicare, contact SHIP at 1-800-452-4800, 1-866-846-0139 TDD or online at www.medicare.in.gov.  You may also contact Generations, your local Area Agency on Aging & Disability at 1-800-742-9002.

SHIP is a free, unbiased counseling program provided by the Indiana State Department of Insurance.