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April Medicare Memo

April is National Stress Awareness Month

National Stress Awareness Month | Office of Human Resources (nih.gov)

April is recognized as National Stress Awareness Month to bring attention to the negative impact of stress. Managing stress is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Knowing how to manage stress can improve mental and physical well-being as well as minimize exacerbation of health-related issues.

Learning what causes or triggers your stress and what coping techniques work for you can help reduce your anxiety and improve your daily life. It may take trial and error to discover what works best for you. Here are some activities you can try when you start to feel overwhelmed:

• Keep a journal.
• Download an app that provides relaxation exercises (such as deep breathing or visualization) or tips for practicing mindfulness, which is a psychological process of actively paying attention to the present moment.
• Exercise, and make sure you are eating healthy, regular meals.
• Stick to a sleep routine, and make sure you are getting enough sleep.
• Avoid drinking excess caffeine such as soft drinks or coffee.
• Identify and challenge your negative and unhelpful thoughts.
• Reach out to your friends or family members who help you cope in a positive way.

Recognize When You Need More Help

If you are struggling to cope, or the symptoms of your stress or anxiety won’t go away, it may be time to talk to a professional. Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) and medication are the two main treatments for anxiety, and many people benefit from a combination of the two.

• If you are in immediate distress or are thinking about hurting yourself, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  at 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Medicare has expanded coverage of Mental Health services

The Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021 went into effect on January 1, 2024. This has resulted in three important updates to Medicare provider policy. 

1. Granting Medicare approval for more mental health care practitioners. More providers should become Medicare-approved.
2. Covering more services to address unmet needs.
3. Recognizing additional care settings and services.

It is important to ask if your provider/therapist is enrolled in Medicare before you schedule your first appointment. You can also use Medicare’s find and compare tool to locate approved providers near you.

Fraud Alert

SSA Scam Alert: Don’t Hand Off Cash to "Agents"

The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has issued this alert in response to increased reports of impersonation scams involving in-person cash hand-offs.

SSA OIG is receiving alarming reports that criminals are impersonating SSA OIG agents and are requesting that their targets meet them in person to hand off cash. SSA OIG agents will never pick up money at your door or in any type of exchange. This is a SCAM! 

NEVER exchange money or funds of any kind with any individual stating that they are an SSA OIG agent. This new scam trend introduces an element of physical danger to scams that never existed before. This recent method of handing cash directly to a phony agent is a dangerous twist on a known scam tactic that pressures individuals to pay in a specific way by using cash or gift cards. SSA OIG and official government agencies do NOT conduct business in this manner. 

“This is the latest example of how scammers are constantly evolving their tactics to intimidate or pressure people into making hasty decisions that usually involve stealing their target’s hard-earned money,” said Inspector General

Gail S. Ennis. “While our agents are out in the field, they will not ask you for money. I urge you not to respond to these kinds of requests.” 

What to do if You have been Scammed

Stop talking to the scammer. Notify financial institutions and safeguard accounts. Call the police and file a police report. File a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Report Social Security-related scams to SSA OIG. Report other scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Keep financial transaction information and records of all communications with the scammer.

 ACL.gov 

Advancing independence, integration, and inclusion throughout life

Your PRCS has numerous programs and activities just for you!

Click on the links below of a facility near you to learn about their programs and to register.  

Visit Loudoun.gov/AAA or call 703-777-0257 for more information.

For the VICAP Help Line, call 703-737-8036.

If you require a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability or need language assistance to participate, please contact adaptrec@loudoun.gov, 703-777-0343, TTY-711. At least three business days of advance notice is requested; some accommodations may require more than three days notice. 

Si usted requiere asistencia para cualquier tipo de discapacidad o asistencia en su idioma para participar, comuníquese con adaptrec@loudoun.gov, 703-777-0343, TTY-711. Haga su solicitud con tres días hábiles de anticipación; algunas solicitudes pueden requerir más de tres días.