Medicare and Medicare Advantage may share a name, but they are not the same. So what’s the difference?

Join us for one of our FREE virtual learning events this month and get the answers to these questions:

• What are the pros and cons of each?
• How do they work?
• What should you consider when choosing a plan?
• What if you don’t like the choice you made?

Join us this Saturday, May 18th, at 12pm ET or Tuesday, May 21st, at 7pm ET.

This 30-minute session is being offered twice, so that you can find the day and time that works best with your schedule.

Again, these events are free, but registration is required. Click the button below to sign up.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made a big decision that might help Medicare pay for a drug called Wegovy. This drug can help reduce heart attacks and strokes, and it's also good for losing weight. But there's a catch: Medicare usually doesn't cover drugs just for obesity. However, Medicare does pay for Ozempic, similar to Wegovy, but prescribed to treat diabetes.

Wegovy and Ozempic can be pricey, especially in the U.S. Donna, not her real name, knows this struggle well. She's 38, has diabetes and high blood pressure, and her insurance doesn't want to cover the cost of drugs that could help her lose weight. Sometimes, insurance companies don't want to pay for expensive treatments now because they think patients might switch to different insurance later, meaning the future costs will fall on the new insurance company.

This situation could be better if everyone were covered under the same type of system. Then, there would be less motivation to delay or deny payment for care. Plus, it could make it easier to negotiate drug prices and ensure everyone gets the right treatment when needed.

The Asclepius Initiative is fortunate to work with community partners across Kentucky to help educate Kentuckians about health care coverage — how to get it, how to use it, and how to make the best decisions to meet their needs. Today, we want to spotlight one of our newest partners, RefugeeConnect, which works with refugee communities in Northern Kentucky.

"This partnership with TAI will support the families we serve in the region as they work towards their health goals. Many of the families we support have chronic disease, dental and vision needs, and lack an understanding of the healthcare system. Often, they come from countries where there was a lack of access to healthcare or the healthcare system was structured differently and when they arrive, they often have unmet healthcare needs. Without health insurance, they find themselves in situations where they accumulate medical debt. This project enables our organization to educate this especially vulnerable population on health insurance options and coverage and aligns with our health navigator program."

The Asclepius Initiative is also part of Kroger’s Community Rewards program. Select TAI as the charity of choice and a portion of the receipt will be donated to TAI each time the Kroger Plus Card is used. Signing up is quick and only has to be done once.

1. Go to KrogerCommunityRewards.com

2. Sign into using current login information or the number on the back of the card

3. Select TAI as the organization: search for us by name or by using our code, DG163

Help us to keep important health care coverage information coming.