January eNewsletter Now Available
The latest issue of our monthly eNewsletter has been posted. January's edition is loaded with Medicare news, information, and tips that are helpful to counselors and beneficiaries alike. Through this eNewsletter you can get Online Certification help by downloading our latest HAPSaver, read a case study about a beneficiary who was financially affected by the QMB and Medicare Cost-sharing issue, and learn how SHIPs can apply for their grant money from CMS for FY2010.
 
HAP's OEP Toolkit Updated for 2010
Check out HAP's Open Enrollment Period (OEP) Toolkit, which has been updated for 2010. The toolkit is a one-stop shop for charts, tools, and references to help you counsel and assist clients during the current OEP, which runs from January 1 through March 31. Included is recent information on the new LI NET program, changes to Medicare effective January 1 due to MIPPA, and much more. Need technical assistance? E-mail us at SHIPhelp@hapnetwork.org.

 

Updated SHIP Resource Guides now available
HAP's SHIP Resource Guides are updated for 2010 and ready to use in training programs and in your work with beneficiaries. The three guides are Medicare Basics, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D, and they serve as both training manuals and reference works for SHIP counselors. The updates include 2010 cost-sharing amounts, new material on Medicare Savings Program eligibility, changes in the model law for Medigap insurance standardization, Special Needs Plans, and the new LI NET program.

 

The Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill (H.R. 3293) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 19, and provides $45 million in funding for SHIPs in federal fiscal 2010. The same amount was provided for SHIP funding in FY 2009. This money will be distributed in the form of grants to the 54 State SHIP Programs by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) beginning in April 2010. For more on HAP's efforts to increase federal funding for SHIPs, please visit the Funding SHIPs section of our Web site.