Police report that scammers have been calling older residents in towns in the region saying they are from Medicare and trying to set up home visits. If you get such a call, try to get a phone number and report it to the Lincoln Police. Medicare does not call beneficiaries to set up home visits.
Learn more about Medicare and supplemental insurance coverage for 2014 at a Council on Aging informational session on October 25 at 10 a.m. in Bemis Hall with Don Milan and Anne Meade, Lincoln’s counselors from the Minuteman Senior Services SHINE health benefits counseling program. This is an especially important time to be sure you understand and are satisfied with your benefits. This year’s Medicare open enrollment period from October 15 to December 7, 2013 is your primary opportunity to change your plans, effective January 1, 2014. Representatives from the major supplemental health insurance plans serving Lincoln (Harvard Pilgrim, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Tufts, Humana, Fallon, and AARP/United Health Care) will give 2014 information. It’s a unique opportunity for you to learn about their products and get answers to questions. Also present will be representatives of Prescription Advantage (the state’s secondary prescription assistance program) and Priscilla Leach (Lincoln’s Veterans Service Officer). This program was very helpful to many Lincoln residents last year.
Seniors should also note that there will be a free flu shot clinic on Saturday, November 2 from 9-11 a.m. at Bemis Hall. In accordance with federal CDC and state Department of Public Health guidelines, this clinic is for those 60 and over. Please wear a short-sleeved shirt. Vaccine supplies may be limited, so come early. A $2 donation to the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging is requested. Those who attend are also invited to bring non-perishable food that is not past its shelf life expiration date for the St. Vincent de Paul Grocery Distribution Program at St. Joseph Church.