NYC Department for the Aging has a program called Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program or HIICAP for short. Their helpline phone number is 1-212-333-5511. Their services are entirely free and confidential.

Trained HIICAP volunteers will help you through the "maze of Medicare, Medicaid, HMOs, Medigap insurance coverage, employer benefits, medical bills, insurance claim forms and long-term care". The organization has at least 30 sites located in all the different boroughs of the city available for you to "make an appointment and bring your questions or insurance paperwork to the counseling site nearest you".

You may call and order either one or both of the free booklets they have issued entitled:

"The Complete Guide to Health Care Coverage for Older New Yorkers" or

"Long Term Care: A Guide to Planning Your Future"

HIICAP can also arrange for a speaker for your group on issues related to health care topics.

Trained HIICAP volunteers can help you with any of the following:

• Keep current on the choices and changes that Medicare will be offering
• Obtain information on Medicare Managed Care
• Understand Medicare coverage and forms
• Select Medicare Supplemental policies ("Medigap" insurance)
• Learn about programs for eligible low-income seniors through Medicare and Medicaid (QMB/SLMB) that can pay for health care coverage
• Review doctor and hospital bills
• Follow up and re-submit Medicare claims
• Understand hospital rehabilitation home care and hospice rights
• Learn about long-term care coverage and insurance possibilities
• Understand retiree health plans, veteran's benefits and prescription drug plans like EPIC (See our article on EPIC)
• Detect and report fraud and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Please call 1-212-333-5511 to find the nearest HIICAP Counseling Site.

For information about other services for older New Yorkers contact 1-212-442-1000, or visit the website for the NYC Department for the Aging at http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/aging. The main office is located at 2 Lafayette Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10007.

The information for this article came directly from the brochure the NYC Department for the Aging makes available for free to anyone.

FOR AN INFORMATIVE AND PERSONAL ARTICLE ON PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS WHEN SELECTING A NURSING HOME SEE OUR ARTICLE "How to Select a Nursing Home"

Allan Rubin
April 2, 2000

http://www.therubins.com

To e-mail: rehabstrat1@aol.com or rubin@brainlink.com

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