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22 North Shore Towers Courier n December 2015 MEDICARE CORNER WAYS TO LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS Avoid Paying a Part D Penalty Even if you don’t take a lot of prescription BY FELICE HANNAH Every Month Should Be Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Five Things YOU Can Do All Year Long! BY SUSAN BARTELSTONE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCACY CONSULTANT AND CRIME PREVENTION SPECIALIST With an estimated four million victims of domestic violence and abuse a year, every single person in the North Shore community has most likely been touched in some way by this “social epidemic.” October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) but EVERY month should be! Let’s commit to ending the violence within our homes, our communities, and where ever else our voices reach. Five things you can do all year long to make a difference: 1. Don’t Mind Your Own Business. Know someone whose relationship concerns you? Let them know you’re there and willing to listen. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline. org) website has guidelines (thehotline. org/help/help-for-friends-andfamily/) to help you express your concerns in the most productive manner. 2. Help Someone Get Help! Help someone who’s considering leaving an abusive relationship by steering them to a Family Justice Center (familyjusticecenter. com) one-stop-shop that houses most of the agencies and services domestic violence victims need to get advice and assistance, all in one location. There are four Family Justice Centers in the New York metro area. To find one near you, check with your local district attorney’s office or the NYC Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (nyc.gov/html/ocdv/html/home/home.shtml). 3. Adopt a Shelter. Shelters are usually short staffed, so they’ll definitely appreciate your time, your help and/or your money. Travel a lot? Collect and donate those mini soaps, shampoo bottles, shower caps and other toiletry items hotels provide their guests. Shelters also need gently used clothing, furniture, toys, books and school supplies. Many shelter residents escape with only the clothes on their backs, so these items will be of tremendous help. Great project for a group or organization! 4. Address Domestic Violence in the Workplace. Does your employer have a policy for workplace safety? Too many lives--and billions of dollars---are lost every year because employers are unprepared. A good resource: Employers Against Domestic Violence (www.employersagainstdomesticviolence. org), which helps large and small businesses and other types of workplaces formulate policies to deal with domestic violence issues. On a related note, urge your industry, corporation, union or service group to donate money directly to local domestic violence service providers. According to a national survey by Jewish Women International, less than 1% of corporations do so! 5. Get Involved. Contact your state and city legislators about restoring funding to NYC domestic violence service providers, some of whom sustained funding cuts up to 40% over the past few years due to sequestration and budget deficits. If you add your voice to the discussion, much can be accomplished! Domestic Violence Advocacy Consultant Susan Bartelstone has been a resident of North Shore Towers for 21 years. In addition to being an active member of the Political Action Committee, she’s also a member of the Women’s Club and University Club. Bartelstone is a nationally-respected Domestic Violence Advocacy Consultant and Crime Prevention Specialist, former host of the award-winning radio show Crime Prevention 101 and former Chairperson of Domestic Violence Initiatives Taskforce for the prestigious New York Women’s Agenda. Her tips and articles have been featured in a long list of media including Yahoo Home Page, MainStreet.com, Time Out New York and the Today Show. For more information, see www.domesticviolence101.info, crimeprevention101.com or email solutions@fightsafe.com. Susan Bartelstone ser- drugs you should consider enrolling in a Medicare Part D plan at the time that you become eligible for Medicare. If you don’t have other creditable Part D Coverage and choose not to enroll, or have a lapse in Part D coverage for a period of 63 days or more, you will be charged a late enrollment penalty. The cost of the penalty will be calculated at 1% per month above the standard base premium from the time of your eligibility to the time that you enroll in a Part D Plan. In most cases you will continue to pay this higher premium for as long as you have Medicare Part D. Coverage Gap Discounts (Donut Hole) The Affordable Health Care Act provides discounts for drugs on formulary when you reach the coverage gap. You enter the coverage gap when your True Out Of Pocket (TROOP) costs reach a certain amount. The amount of the discount for 2016 is 55% for brand name drugs and 42% for generic drugs. If your prescription drug is not on formulary, you or your doctor should contact your prescription drug plan and request an exception. Copayments and Coinsurance The cost-sharing for prescription drugs depends in part on the Tier of the drug. The higher the Tier, the more a drug cost. You or your provider should contact the Prescription Drug Plan to request an exception if the drug is on a higher Tier. Preferred Pharmacy The cost of your prescription drugs may be lower if filled at a pharmacy that participates with your drug plan. These are referred to as “network pharmacies.” Contact your prescription drug plan for the most up to date list of network pharmacies. Some prescription drugs may cost less if filled by mail order. Check with your prescription drug plan. Drug manufactures offer discounts for certain drugs. These discounts may have an income requirement. Check with the Drug Pharmaceutical Company to see if you may be eligible for a discount. Extra Help You may qualify for help in lowering your out of pocket costs for prescription drugs if your income is limited. To find out if you are eligible contact the following: • Social Security 1-800-772-1213 • Your local Medicaid Office to apply for the Medicare Savings Program • NY State EPIC Program 1-800-332-3742


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