VI SHIP, Medicare and You: Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-06-29 15:23:44.013417-04:00
For 40 years, Medicare has been spending most of its funding on paying for the high cost of treating common diseases like heart failure and diabetes, which can often be prevented. As a result, Medicare changed its focus to preventive services and launched its "My Health. My Medicare." campaign on September 13, 2006. According to Medicare, this campaign was designed to help 43 million Americans with Medicare make the most of their benefits, live healthier and spend less on medical care.
Today, the campaign is in full swing. Themed "A Healthier U.S. Starts Here" for spring and summer 2007, Medicare is encouraging persons with Medicare throughout the U.S. mainland and territories/possessions to seek screenings or exams, and pursue early diagnosis to prevent the complications of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other illnesses. Some of the preventive services covered by Medicare include the "Welcome to Medicare Physical Exam" (must be done within the first six months of having Medicare Part B), Mammograms, Bone Mass Measurement, Smoking Cessation Counseling, and Diabetes, Glaucoma, Colorectal Cancer, and Cardiovascular Screenings. The Flu, Hepatitis B, and Pnuemoccocal vaccinations are also covered by Medicare.
In the effort to spread this message, Medicare is working with various partners, including SHIPs (State Health Insurance Assistance Programs). And, the Virgin Islands SHIP (VI SHIP) is now partnering with AARP Virgin Islands to encourage residents with Medicare to take control of their health by eating healthy, exercising, quitting smoking, and seeking preventive services to live a healthier life. Three important steps Virgin Islanders with Medicare can take to improve their health are: 1) Know your history; 2) Talk to your doctor about the Medicare preventive services that are right for you; and 3) Register for MyMedicare.gov on any computer.
MyMedicare.gov is an online tool that can help persons to keep track of preventive services used, remind you about other services that are right for you, keep track of your deductible, and view your claims. For persons who do not use computers, we encourage you to seek the help of a relative, caregiver, or friend to register for MyMedicare.gov.
Look out for upcoming VI SHIP radio and TV ads, and interviews, forums, and other activities on the "My Health. My Medicare." campaign.
For more information, call the VI SHIP offices in St. Thomas at (340) 714-4354 or in St. Croix at (340) 772-7368. Or you may also call 1-800-MEDICARE or go online.
VI SHIP is locally administered by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and federally funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
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