Health Insurance Information Counseling & Assistance Program (HIICAP)

What is HIICAP?

HIICAP is a federally funded program, administered by the New York State Office for the Aging and locally through the Orange County Office for the Aging.
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​HIICAP provides free, accurate and objective information, counseling, assistance and advocacy on Medicare, private health insurance, and related health coverage plans. HIICAP helps people with Medicare, their representatives, or persons soon to be eligible for Medicare.  In person, or over the phone, trained staff and volunteers will answer your questions.

HIICAP Can Help You:

  • Understand the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D) and how to select the best plan
  • Understand low-income subsidy programs, including "Extra Help" and Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs)
  • Find ways to pay for your medications or medical equipment
  • Understand and apply for the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC)
  • Choose between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans including Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), Private Fee for Service (PFFS), and Special Needs Plans (SNPs)
  • Understand Medicare rules and your medical bills
  • Report possible Medicare fraud and abuse
  • Provide information on how to appeal a decision by Medicare, your managed care provider or other health insurance company
  • Discover ways to fill in Medicare gaps
  • Learn how to file a Medicare or Medigap complaint
  • Learn about prevention and screening visits that keep you healthy or helps to find health problems
  • Explore Long Term Care services like paying for nursing home care or understanding long term care insurance                

Medicare Basics Presentation

Whether you are new to Medicare, have been on Medicare for years, or are assisting someone with Medicare, we can all attest to the fact that Medicare is a very complex subject not always easily navigated.  For this reason, Orange County Office for the Aging, with thanks to the New York State Office for the Aging and a grant from the U.S Administration of Community Living (grant #90SAPG0105-01-01), is pleased to share this Medicare Basics presentation.

www.aging.ny.gov/medicare-basics

We encourage you to use this presentation as a tool in gathering basic Medicare information.  To discuss your specific Medicare needs and questions, please contact The Orange County Office for the Aging’s Health Insurance Information Counseling & Assistance Program (HIICAP) to speak with a trained counselor. 

Orange County’s HIICAP can be reached by calling (845) 615-3715

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Helpful Resources: 

                                                                  

​www.medicare.gov  Medicare.gov offers a lot of valuable information, including Medicare Plan Finder tool which allows beneficiaries to enter their prescriptions drugs and generate a plan comparison of plans available within their region.​

http://www.medicareinteractive.org Medicare Interactive provides easy-to-understand answers to the questions posed by Americans with Medicare, their families and caregivers, and the professionals serving them.​​Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)-

The New York Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is part of a nationwide education and assistance program working to empower seniors and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report Medicare fraud and waste. You can report suspected problems to SMP.  You can contact the SMP hotline at 1-877-678-4697.

http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/epic/ EPIC is New York State's pharmaceutical assistance program and provides secondary coverage for Medicare Part D and EPIC-covered drugs purchased after any Medicare Part D deductible is met.    EPIC also covers approved Part D-excluded drugs once a member is enrolled in Part D.​

http://www.ssa.gov/ Social Security Administration -  Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs.

​​http://www.benefitscheckup.org/ ​Personal tool for financial, health, prescription and other savings programs.

 Medicare Saving Program Information (MSP)

  1. 2022 - 2023 Medicare Saving Program Information (PDF)
  2. 2022 - 2023 Medicare Savings Program Information - SPANISH (PDF)

                                                                                                        

EXTRA HELP PROGRAM

Saving Money on Your Prescription Drugs

Extra Help is a federal program that helps pay for some to most of the out-of-pocket costs of Medicare prescription drug coverage. It is also known as the Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS).

If your 2023 gross income is below:

$1,843/month (individual)

$2,485/month (couple)

AND your assets are below:

 $16,660 (individual), $33,240 (couple)

You may qualify for Extra-Help!

                                                                                          If you qualify for Extra-Help, co-pays for medications could be as low as $4.15  (generic)/ $10.35 (brand) for medications covered by your Part D plan.  The program could also pay all, or part of your monthly  Part D premium.

 For additional information on extra-help and other money savings programs, please reach out to The Orange County Office for the Aging’s HIICAP at (845) 615-3715.  To find a HIICAP program outside of Orange County, you may call 877-839-2675.

This project was supported by a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, grant #90SAPG0105-01-01

Become a volunteer for HIICAP!

Volunteers are an integral part of the HIICAP Program. If you can grasp a large body of information, communicate clearly, possess patience and empathy and can offer a few hours a week to counsel Medicare beneficiaries then we can offer free training and mentoring for you to become a HIICAP volunteer!

To learn more about becoming a volunteer with HIICAP, watch this short video.

For more information on becoming a HIICAP volunteer, please call 845-615-3715.