The March-April 2020 Program Guide is now available and registration is open.  To view the Program Guide, please click here.

Friendly Visitor Program

The Friendly Visitor program is a collaboration between the Niles Senior  Center and Niles Family Services.  The goal is to support independence and enhance the quality of life for seniors and other individuals who, due to health and mobility restrictions are losing touch with their community.  The Friendly Visitor Program is a volunteer-based program that matches volunteers with homebound residents who are seeking additional companionship.  If you are interested in becoming a Friendly Visitor, or would like to have a Friendly Visitor come to your home, please call 847-588-8420

.

​Thursday Discussion Group - Current Events

Join the Thursday Discussion Group, Issues in the News!
Our Issues in the News discussion group is  looking for some new    voices and faces in 2020. This group of vibrant and intelligent individuals meets every Thursday at 9:30am, and discusses current events and the goings on of the country and world. All are welcome! Please see pages 4 and 26 for our membership options.  

Medicare Resource Center - NEW

Do you need to investigate your health insurance options and gather accurate information concerning Medicare so you can make decisions that can prevent serious, costly problems?  In our new Medicare Resource Center we have several publications to assist you in making informed health insurance decisions.  The information will be available to provide consumers with general information and guidance about insurance coverages and laws.

The Niles Senior Center also has three certified Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) counselors onsite to assist with health insurance counseling for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers

SHIP counselors are trained to:  

• Educate consumers and answer questions about Medicare, Medicare Supplement, long term care insurance, Medicare HMOs, private fee-for-service and other health insurance;  
• Organize and assist in filing Medicare and Medicare Supplement claims; and  
• Analyze Medicare Supplement and long term care policies.

Please call (847)588-8420 to set up an appointment.  

Registration Policy 

Register Early: A lot of planning goes into creating quality programs for our
members and guests.   If you are interested in a program, please sign up early to ensure that your class is not cancelled.  Registration may be made by cash, check, Visa, Mastercard or Discover. Credit card payments can also be made online.  Registration by phone can only be made when an account credit is available to cover the entire cost.

Effective May 1, 2018, all program fees must be paid in full at time of registration. We are no longer able to hold a seat without payment.   Individuals on a waitlist will be called if there is an opening and given 48 hours to provide payment.  Waitlist payments must be made in person.   If payment is not received, the next individual on the list will be contacted.
 

Fight Fraud: Guard Your Medicare Card

If you have Medicare, you can protect your identity and help prevent health care fraud by guarding your Medicare card like you would a credit card.  

Identity theft from stolen Medicare Numbers is becoming more common.  Medicare’s here to help by removing Social Security Numbers from Medicare cards and replacing them with a new, unique number for each person with Medicare.  Medicare will mail new Medicare cards with the new numbers between April 2018 and April 2019. 

Here are some important steps you can take to protect yourself from the identity theft that can lead to health care fraud:

• Don’t share your Medicare Number with anyone who contacts you by telephone, email or in person, unless you’ve given them permission in advance.  Medicare will NEVER contact you (unless you ask us to) for your 
Medicare number or other personal information.
• Don’t ever let anyone borrow or pay to use your Medicare Number.
• Review your Medicare Summary Notice to be sure you and Medicare are only being charged for actual items and services received.

If you’re looking to enroll in a Medicare plan:

• Remember there are no “early bird discounts” or “limited time offers.”  
• Don’t let anyone rush you to enroll by claiming you need to “act now for the best deal.” 
• Be skeptical of free gifts, free medical services, discount packages or any offer that sounds “too good to be true.”

If someone calls you and asks for your Medicare Number or other personal information, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).  To learn more about protecting yourself from identity theft and health care fraud, visit www.Medicare.gov/fraud or contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol (www.smpresource.org). 

This message is brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.