October News & Updates

The Role of Support Coordinator
At times, family memberā€™s may have difficulty distinguishing the roles of all of the service providers. Your Support Coordinator is your point person and guide. The role of Support Coordinator can sometimes be confusing in this very complicated system. The Support Coordinator manages Support Coordination services for each individual by performing the following four general functions: individual discovery, plan development, coordination of services, and monitoring. Monitoring takes place once a year in the individualā€™s home and quarterly where the individual is receiving services. Additional visits occur as the individualā€™s needs may dictate. You may always ask your Support Coordinator of clarification of this role and more information can be found in the: Supports Program Manual
Free Cell Phones:

Assurance WirelessĀ®
Assurance WirelessĀ® is a Lifeline-supported service which is a government benefit
program. It can give you a free cell phone and minutes to use, access to emergency services, and a choice of cell phone plans if you meet the program guidelines. There are no contracts, no hidden fees, and no monthly charges. The cell phone has many of the following services:
voicemail
call waiting
caller ID
The cell phones and minutes are provided by Virgin Wireless. The phone will be mailed to your home address (you cannot have it sent to a P.O. Box).

How do I apply?
To apply, you can fill out a paper application and mail it to Assurance Wireless. You can also call Assurance Wireless to start the application over the phone.

Who should I contact?
Assurance Wireless
P.O. Box 686
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Toll-Free: (888) 898-4888
Fax: (877) 732-3018

SafeLink WirelessĀ®
SafeLink WirelessĀ®
P.O. Box 220009
Milwaukie, OR 97269
Toll-Free: (800) 378-1684 (Customer/Technical Support) or (800) 977-3768 (Apply by Phone)
Fax: (800) 834-7713
Should I have Medicare if I already have Medicaid?

This is a question families often ask. Since there are so many different situations we often seek help from knowledgeable Medicare representatives.

Additionally, families can go directly the community Board of Social Services. There are programs that can help pay premiums.

Medicare Savings Program ā€“ Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB)
This program helps pay for some of your Medicare costs such as:
Medicare Part B Premium: This program will pay your Medicare Part B
premium which is $135.50 a month. Some people will pay less than the full Part
B standard monthly premium amount due to the statutory hold harmless
provision, which limits certain beneficiariesā€™ increase in their Part B premium so
that it cannot be greater than the increase in their Social Security benefits.

Medicare Part B Annual Deductible and Share of Cost: This program will pay your Medicare Part B deductible which is $185 in 2019. It will also pay your share (20%) of the cost of services when you receive services from a Medicare provider.

Medicare Part A Deductibles and Co-payments: This program will pay your
Medicare Part A deductibles and co-payments when you are in the hospital or
living in a skilled nursing facility.
In addition, if you enroll in a Medicare Savings Program (MSP), you will be signed up for the Extra Help program through Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage. This program helps people with limited income and resources pay for their medicines.

How do I apply?
To apply for the program, you can print and fill out the application form and mail it to your local office or submit it as instructed on the form.

Who should I contact?
America the Beautiful ā€“ Access Pass
The Access Pass offers a free lifetime entrance permit to visit national parks,
monuments, and recreation areas which normally charge entrance fees. It also provides a discount on federal use fees for facilities and services such as: camping, swimming, boat launching, and guided tours. For areas that have a per-vehicle fee, you can use the Access Pass for yourself and other passengers in a non-commercial vehicle. For areas that have a per-person fee, you can use the Access Pass for yourself and three additional adults. Children under 16 are free.
The Access Pass can be used at the following five Federal agencies:
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Reclamation
Fish & Wildlife Service
USDA Forest Service
National Park Service
Please note: Each of these agencies have different rules. You must contact the site you plan to visit to find out whether the pass is accepted there and what services and discounts are available.
How do I apply?
You can get the Access Pass from one of the five Federal recreation sites/agencies listed above. You can go in person to get the pass at a federal recreation site, or you can get the pass through the mail. In both cases you will have to provide documents that show your residency status and proof of disability or blindness.
Who should I contact?
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - Access Pass
Note: You may also go to any national park nearest you.
Phone: (888) ASK - USGS or (888) 275-8747
We want to hear from you!!!
Thank you for continuing to use Spectrum CMC as your support coordination agency. We have grown to be one of the largest and most reputable agencies providing support coordination in the state of New Jersey. We value your input about the services you are receiving and continually strive to do our best so that you receive all that you need from our support coordination agency. In the fall we will be starting our family seminars at convenient locations throughout the state so that you have an additional forum to learn about services for you or your loved one. 

If you have not done so already, please be so kind as to complete our client survey:


Sincerely,
Benni Versaci, LCSW
President
Spectrum Care Management and Counseling, LLC
Email Validation:
Many of you have seen email validations emails come across your email. It is important to validate your email account so that the DDD, as well as Spectrum, has the correct contact information to reach you.

ļ»æPlease see below for an example :