By Sara Duris
Q. I have heard there is help for older adults in weatherizing their home. Does your Agency provide this?
A. Area Agency on Aging does not directly provide weatherization services. The State of Michigan, through Department of Health and Human Services, does provide for some assistance with home weatherization for eligible individuals who meet income and need criteria. The local Weatherization Provider for Berrien, Cass and Van Buren Counties is the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency (SMCAA).
Low income seniors and persons with disability could qualify for free insulation, weather-stripping or caulking of windows, replacement / upgrade of energy-wasting appliances, furnace tune-up or repair, or smoke and CO2 detector installation among other items related to energy efficiency. The program does not include structural repairs, plumbing or electrical work or roof replacement. Individuals need to have lived in the property being weatherized for at least 12 months. The home itself cannot have had weatherization done within the last 15 years.
The approval process begins with eligibility determination and a home energy audit. For more information about applying, contact SMCAA at 269-925-9077 or go www.smcaa.com/wx.
Q. I’m overwhelmed with all the materials we are getting about Medicare plans. How do we sort out the pertinent information we need from all the mailings, ads, and promotions? I don’t want to get taken in by something that isn’t any good.
A. Over-aggressive marketing of Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans has come under scrutiny over the last few years by Congress, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and the Department of Justice. Medicare has rules about how plans can and cannot communicate with you during Open Enrollment to market their insurance products. Knowing how to protect yourself from, detect, and report marketing violations and enrollment fraud will help save both you and Medicare money.
Plans are allowed to send you emails and/or direct mail, but they are not allowed to call you or visit you in person to market their products without your permission. Plans that send emails must provide an opt-out option for people who no longer wish to receive them. Watch out for people who:
- Pressure you to join their plan
- Tell you they represent Medicare or are calling on behalf of Medicare
- Call you or visit your house without your permission to offer services or equipment
- Offer free consultations only to people with Medicare and ask for your Medicare number
- Claim you are missing out on entitled plan benefits
- Inform you that you will lose your Medicare benefits unless you sign up for a certain plan
- Require you to provide contact information at an event for a plan (Note that contact information provided for raffles or drawings may only be used for that purpose.)
Before you enroll in a plan, make sure you understand what the plan covers, how it affects your Medicare benefits and other health benefits (like Medicaid or your retiree/union coverage), and whether it covers the drugs you need.
If you have experienced potential Medicare fraud or marketing violations, contact Michigan’s Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP.) SMP representatives can educate you how to prevent and detect potential Medicare fraud. Call 1-844-677-6424 or email MDHHS-SMP@Michigan.gov.
Remember: Medicare Open Enrollment runs until December 7, 2026. In most cases this is the only time you can pick a new Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes you make during Fall Open Enrollment will take effect January 1, 2027. For assistance, call Area Agency on Aging’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) staff at 269-408-4354 or contact Medicare at 1-800-633-4227, or go to www.Medicare.gov, to review your options.