U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Grantville) came. Representatives from Division of Family and Children Services, Partnership for Prescription Assistance, One Roof Ecumenical Alliance Outreach, Social Security and Georgia Cares were set up to help area seniors apply for assistance paying their Medicare and prescriptions.

However, not many seniors showed up for the assistance, at least in the first hour.

That attendance highlighted the very problem the conference was meant to fix: Carroll County seniors eligible for certain Medicare assistance aren’t signing up for it.

The Southern Crescent Area Agency on Aging of Georgia Cares decided to set up in Carroll County because out of all the counties in Georgia, it has the smallest percentage of seniors signed up for Extra Help and Medicare Savings programs, according to representative Belinda Jones.

A study commissioned by the agency found 900 people in Carroll County who qualify for these programs but are not signed up. The agency received a federal grant to organize the help session - which also had representatives who could help people sign up for food stamps and Social Security - and will repeat the session in May, Jones said.

Many senior citizens don’t understand exactly what the programs are, so offering these help sessions can provide them with the knowledge they need to feel comfortable making changes, Jones explained. “They don’t understand the income guidelines and they’re afraid that it might effect their check in some way or they have to pay it back,” she said. “They’re just scared to make any changes.”

The plans, which are totally free and do not have to be repaid, could help people within the income guidelines pay their medicare premiums and even their deductibles, Jones said.

Westmoreland came to the session to promote the Medicare Saving programs and was disappointed with the early turnout.

“We just wanted to make sure that we brought the different government agencies that are involved with this that have some credibility with the seniors to make sure that they all understand what the programs are and what they’re eligible for,” he said.

Ed Woodmansee, who lives in Coweta County, came to the help session at West Central Technical College on Friday at the suggestion of employees at Westmoreland’s office.

“I need to sign up for that Part D the drug plan and it’s so confusing,” Woodmansee said, pulling out a book he received filled with information about the plans. “I got a book that’s got, I don’t know, about a couple hundred plans in there.”

He came to the meeting to talk to the experts so he could make a better decision.

Westmoreland’s office regularly helps seniors with Medicare, Social Security and disability issues. The office has 300 active cases right now, said Kathy Pappas, constituent services representative.

“Social Security is huge in our office,” Pappas said. “Medicare Part D was, but it’s pretty much straightened out thanks to Georgia Cares.”

Westmoreland did three of these help sessions across his district when Medicare Part D was first rolled out to help his constituents understand the plans, he said.

Carmen Vega, representative for Partnership for Prescription Assistance, was on hand to provide information about a national program available to uninsured or under insured people of all ages. The program can help low-income people and families get prescription medicines for little or no cost, she said. Seniors on Medicare can get medications not covered by the insurance through the program, she said.

“We do a lot of outreach to the communities to let them know this program is available to them,” Vega said. “We have actually helped 5 million people with their medication since we launched the program in 2005.”

A couple of people made the trip to the college specifically to see Westmoreland.

Nanette Leone, 65, spoke to Westmoreland about the “donut hole” in Medicare - a gap in coverage after the enrollees reach the spending limit, requiring them to pay thousands of dollars before coverage picks up again.

“I came here not just for myself, but also to ask questions, because I don’t think that this donut hole has is a thing that should be happening for seniors,” Leone said. “There’s a lot of seniors like over in Carrollton here that just don’t understand what impact this is going to have on them until it actually hits them. ... There shouldn’t be a donut hole.”

Bobbye and Regina Capra came to the session over an immigration issue. Regina, 23, is married to Bobbye’s son Joseph and immigrated to the U.S. legally in 2004. Three years after arriving, the mother of two was notified that her application for legal residence has been denied, Bobbye said.

“Something has to be done, because she can’t be productive in any form or fashion,” Bobbye said. “She can’t get a driving license. She can’t get anything.”

Regina has followed all the rules, but has been told to refile everything and start over because of a missing vaccination record, Bobbye said.

“Because somebody lost a piece of paper,” Bobbye said. “She couldn’t have come into this country without the vaccinations.”

Westmoreland helped her re-open the case, and District Director John Stacy phoned the office from the college.

“Our case worker spoke to our federal contact that deals with the federal immigration issues,” Stacy said. “They’ll have some information for her Monday. ...We’ll be back in contact within 24 hours. She’s filed her paperwork. She’s done everything that she needs to do. It’s just fallen through the cracks somewhere.”

EXTRA HELP

“(Extra Help) will pay for all or most of the monthly premiums and annual deductibles and lower the prescription co-payments related to their plan,” a February Social Security Administration publication (http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10506.htm) states. “The extra help could be worth up to $3,600 per year. Many people with limited income and resources qualify for these big savings and don’t even know it.”

Requirements:

Income $15,600 or less if one is single; $21,000 for married couples. Higher incomes may be eligible for some savings if one supports a relative or works.

Assets - bonds, stocks, bank accounts, etc.; not cars or homes - $11,990 or less if one is single; $23,970 for married couples.

MEDICARE SAVINGS

“State medical assistance (Medicaid) offices offer Medicare Savings Programs,” the Social Security publication states. “These Medicare Savings Programs also help people with limited income and resources pay for their Medicare expenses. If you pay a premium for Medicare Part A, the Medicare Savings Programs may pay it for you. The help you get from the Medicare Savings Programs can save you more than $1,100 a year. This assistance is in addition to the extra help.”

OTHER RESOURCES

http://www.medicare.gov/

http://aging.dhr.georgia.gov/

Georgia Cares: 1-800-669-8387

Social Security: 1-800-772-1213

Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE