Are You Eligible for a Medicare Savings Program or Low-Income Subsidy?
By AMANDA BIGUS for the Senior LinkAge Line and Trellis
Many older Minnesotans qualify for federal or state programs to help pay for their Medicare costs, but many who are eligible do not apply for the benefits. Are you one of these people?
Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
Barbara Brown of Minneapolis received a check from the Social Security Administration because Hennepin County paid her Medicare payment. All she did was fill out an application.
You too may be eligible for help paying your Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) premiums through the Medicare Savings Program. Most people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (called Medical Assistance in Minnesota) will qualify for the program, and because they do, they may not have to pay a Medicare premium. And, the Medicare Savings Program might also pay your deductibles, coinsurance and copayments, so it’s worth your time to apply.
In many cases, to qualify for a Medicare Savings Program, you must have income and resources below a certain limit. These limits go up each year.
Low-Income Subsidy (LIS)
You can apply for a Low-Income Subsidy through the Social Security Administration. Also known as “Extra Help,” it can lower the cost of your Medicare prescription drug co-insurance premiums and annual deductible.… Read the rest “Are You Eligible for a Medicare Savings Program or Low-Income Subsidy?”
Pledge to Vote! Nuts and Bolts
By THE LEAUGE OF WOMEN VOTERS MINNEAPOLIS
Election Day in Minneapolis is November 7, 2023. Let’s make a plan to vote!
Because of the 2022 redistricting process, every Minneapolis City Council member is up for election to a 2-year term. This is your opportunity to select the person who best represents your voice in city government, who carries your concerns to city hall, and who advocates for you when you need assistance.
The best way to make sure your voice is heard is to make a plan to vote with these simple steps:
- Register at your current address. In Minnesota, you can register to vote online, by mail, or in person at your polling site. Pre-registering online and by mail must be done by October 17. Or you can register in person at Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services, 980 E Hennepin Ave (October 18 – November 6), or on Election Day (November 7) at your polling place. If you are registered to vote at your current address, you do not need to show an ID to vote. If not, you can register on Election Day at your polling place site, but you will need an ID or other proof of residence to vote.
Peace House Community: Oct. ’23
Listening First
By MARTI MALTBY
I recently attended a webinar hosted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The discussion focused on how housing advocates can speak about Housing First programs to gain support for those programs from the general public. (For this article, you don’t need to worry about what Housing First is, because that isn’t the point of this column.) As you might guess, a meeting hosted by a group called the National Alliance to End Homelessness, speaking to individuals who advocate for and provide housing to those who are homeless, became pretty self-congratulatory. Everyone assumed that housing was the correct solution, and that anyone who didn’t support it (or in this case, Housing First) was either ignorant or a villain.
I sent in a question through the chat, partly because I had a serious question, and partly because I wanted to play the devil’s advocate. I asked what standards a housing program has to meet to qualify as “Housing First”. The devil’s advocate part of the question was simple: the discussion assumed that Housing First programs are good, but it never asked if the way Housing First programs are run is good.
Housing First advocates can point to many statistics that show that Housing First is the best solution to homelessness, but they usually look at the most successful Housing First programs for their information.… Read the rest “Peace House Community: Oct. ’23”
