The holiday season is just around the corner! With the holiday season upon us, it brings friends and family together, including people you don't get to see throughout the year. If you have an older family member or friend, check in on them during this time of year. You can use AgeOptions' Home for the Holidays guide for any advice when seeing your older loved ones!

If you know someone who is on or eligible for Medicare, ask if they have checked their prescription drug or health plan for 2020 to make sure they are in the best plan for their needs. Medicare's Annual Open Enrollment Period is over on Saturday, December 7 so make sure you are enrolled in the Medicare plan that best meets your needs for 2020. If you or someone you know needs assistance comparing Medicare plan options, call the Illinois Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) at (800)252-8966.

Last call for Old Medicare Cards!!!

As 2019 comes to an end, there is one huge piece of information for all Medicare beneficiaries to remember! As many of you know, New Medicare Cards (shown to the right) were mailed to all Medicare beneficiaries in 2018 and 2019. These new cards were sent so beneficiaries' Social Security numbers are no longer on their Medicare cards.This means everyone who received a new card received a new Medicare number that includes numbers and letters.

The important date that is upcoming is that starting on  January 1, 2020 your old Medicare card and number  will not be accepted. All providers are aware of this transition and will not accept your old Medicare card or number.

If you have not received your new card, you can call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and request a card to be sent to your home address.

If you have had your Medicare card or number compromised at any time, you can call the Illinois SMP at (800)699-9043, and we can call Medicare together to request a new card.

Click  here to print out our New Medicare Card Tip Sheet.

We are taking a Winter Break from the Fraud Alerts and will return

on January 13, 2020. Thank you for a great year!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Travis Trumitch

travis.trumitch@ageoptions.org

Please share this Fraud Alert with colleagues, consumers, or other professionals in your area. If you would like to sign up to receive the Fraud Alert directly, visit click here.

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MPPG0036, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.

The Illinois SMP at AgeOptions partners with agencies across the state to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education.

Please share this Fraud Alert with colleagues, consumers, or other professionals in your area and visit our website to sign up for our Fraud Alert email list.