Monday, April 14, 2014
Providing Valuable Information to Our Seniors
On Friday, April 11th, I joined with
Representative Mirra at the
Groveland Council-on-Aging for a forum, which Representative Lyons also co-sponsored, to provide seniors with valuable information regarding
the differences between observation and inpatient care at medical
facilities. The confusion between the
two statuses has been particularly problematic for those who receive Medicare
benefits, which can lead to a sizable financial impact, especially for those on
fixed incomes.
To assist us in our effort, Susan Cripps, the S.H.I.N.E.
(Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders Program) Director at the Elder
Services of the Merrimack Valley, Inc., spoke at Friday’s event. Susan was a vital asset to the forum because
of her vast amount of experience and knowledge on the issue. Seniors from Groveland, West Newbury,
Newbury, Georgetown, and Boxford attended this very informative event.
Following Friday’s forum, members of my staff assisted
interested seniors in applying for a “Reduced Fare Charlie Card”. The reduced fare cards allow access to the Greater
Boston Metropolitan Area on the MBTA transportation system at a fraction of the
usual cost.
If you’d like to learn more about the differences between
observation and inpatient status, call the Elder Services of the Merrimack
Valley, Inc. at 1-800-892-0890 to speak with a S.H.I.N.E. counselor. If you are interested in receiving a “Reduced
Fare Charlie Card”, please click here to view the MBTA’s webpage regarding the
program. Posted below are several photos
I was able to capture during Friday’s forum.
