January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month.

Medicare covers a glaucoma test once every 12 months for people at high risk for glaucoma. All people with Part B who are at high risk for glaucoma are covered.

Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/glaucoma-tests.html for more information.

January is also Cervical Health Awareness Month.

Medicare covers Pap tests and pelvic exams that can help find cervical and vaginal cancer early and improve recovery and survival rates.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is underway. 

You still have February and March to make a change in your Medicare Advantage Plan. Call VICAP at 703-737-8036, for assistance. You may only make one change during this Open Enrollment Period.

The Medicare General Enrollment Period is January 1-March 31. 

This enrollment period is for people who missed their Initial Enrollment Period and do not have a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in Medicare Part A (if you have to pay for A) and/or Medicare Part B. VICAP can provide information on how to enroll. 

The recent Medicare Data Breach is a reminder to guard your personally Identifiable information (PII) and read your Medicare Summary notices and other mail that you receive.

On December 14, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that an October ransomware attack on a subcontractor may have compromised the personal information of up to 254,000 Medicare enrollees.

CMS is notifying Medicare beneficiaries whose PII and/or PHI may have been put at risk as a result of the breach, that they will receive an updated Medicare card with a new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier, be offered free-of-charge credit monitoring services, and will provide additional information about the incident.  

This breach does not affect all Medicare enrollees—most are not affected. Nor does it mean that those enrollees who are affected will necessarily experience any harm.

For more information:

• visit VICAP Medicare Counseling Program
• call 703-737-8036 
• email VICAP