November & December 2019 Program Guide

 
The November-December 2019 Program Guide is now available.  Registration opens on Tuesday, October 8 for members and Tuesday, October 15 for non-members.  Please note that all Community Events are open for registration on October 8.
To view the Program Guide, please click here.

Holiday Decorating Committee

Volunteers are needed for a holiday decorating committee.  We are looking to transform the large party room into an amazing space.
F, Oct 18 | 11:30am 
F, Nov 8  | 1:30pm
F, Nov 22  | 1:30pm

Craft Fair & Vendor Fair

Niles Senior Center is looking for vendors to host a craft fair & vendor fair.  *If you are interested in reserving a table as a vendor, please call Chrisann at 847-588-8436 as soon as possible.  A $5.00 donation per table is required at the time of reservation.  All donations will go to a family in need during the Holiday Season.  Table reservations are on a first come, first serve basis.    
Saturday, Nov 16 • 9:00am-2:00pm

Medicare Open Enrollment - What is Open Enrollment?

The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is an annual period of time (Oct 15-Dec 7) when current Medicare users can choose to re-evaluate part of their Medicare coverage (their Medicare Advantage and/or Part D plan) and compare it against all the other plans on the market. After re-evaluating, if you find a plan that is a better fit for your needs, you can then switch to, drop or add a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Medicare Advantage is also known as a “Part C” plan.

For more information, or assistance with reviewing your current plan, please contact the Senior Center.  

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.