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Important Information for Medicare Beneficiaries Affected by California Wild Fire Disasters

California Health Advocates > California Health Advocates Press Release > Important Information for Medicare Beneficiaries Affected by California Wild Fire Disasters

Posted by Karen Joy Fletcher on November 14, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 14, 2018

For more information, contact:  Tatiana Fassieux, former Board Chair, 530-521-7502

 

Sacramento, CA — California Health Advocates (CHA) received communication from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that people with Medicare who live in or were evacuated from a FEMA-declared wild fire emergency or disaster area will be eligible for a Special Election Period (SEP) to switch, disenroll from or enroll into a Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plan after Medicare’s official Open Enrollment ends December 7 if they missed the deadline.

 

In addition, this SEP is available to those individuals who don’t live in the affected areas, but rely on help making healthcare decisions from friends or family members who live in the affected areas.

 

The SEP is available from the start of the incident, and for four full calendar months thereafter. Therefore, in this case, it starts in November and runs through March 31, 2018.

 

Medicare beneficiaries or their family caregivers who have any questions about their rights and protections can call their local Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) for free assistance at 1-800-434-0222. For information regarding FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) assistance, call 800-621-3362.

 

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California Health Advocates is an independent non-profit organization that provides quality Medicare and related health care coverage information, education and policy advocacy.  CHA equips community organizations and government agencies with up-to-date information, especially the 24 local HICAPs, which provide benefits counseling and community education directly to those with Medicare and their families.  For more information, visit its website at cahealthadvocates.org.

Filed Under: California Health Advocates Press Release, Professionals

Previous Post: « Protect Yourself from Marketing Misconduct ~ Know What Plans & Agents Cannot Do
Next Post: CMS Provides Additional Protection Measures for California Beneficiaries Affected by Wildfires »

About Karen Joy Fletcher

Our blogger Karen Joy Fletcher is CHA's Communications Director. With a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley, she is the online "public face" of the organization, provides technical expertise, writing and research on Medicare and other health care issues. She is responsible for digital content creation, management of CHA’s editorial calendar, and managing all aspects of CHA’s social media presence. She loves being a "communicator" and enjoys networking and collaborating with the passionate people and agencies in the health advocacy field. See her current articles.

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