Misc. Links
Find Skilled Nursing Facilities (nursing homes)
Skilled Nursing Facilities, more commonly known as nursing homes, are a healthcare option for seniors that are in need of constant medical attention. SkilledNursingFacilities.org is a senior care resource that offers a nationwide directory of nursing homes.
Nationwide: http://www.skillednursingfacilities.org
Minnesota: http://www.skillednursingfacilities.org/directory/mn/
Kaiser Family Foundation Health Reform website
Kaiser Family Foundation Health Reform Calculator
http://healthreform.kff.org/SubsidyCalculator.aspx
Minnesota Resources
Long-Term Care Consultation Services of the MN Department of Health Services help people make decisions about long-term care
**The Senior LinkAge™ Line at 1-800-333-2433. Staff is available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Senior LinkAge Line ™ is a free telephone information service of the Minnesota Board of Aging. Staff assists with Medicare Part D enrollment & issues, Medigap policy selection, Social Security, Medicare and helps find a host of other senior services. These include food/meal delivery, transportation, home care and more. Their website is at http://www.mnaging.org/advisor/SLL.htm
Minnesota Board on Aging Twin Cities: 651-431-2500,: 1-800-627-3529, http://www.mnaging.org/
The Minnesota Board on Aging is the gateway to services for seniors and their families. MBA provides information about, and links to, local and regional resources and agencies.
Legal Aid Society Senior Law Project, Twin Cities 612-334-5970,Provide help resolving problems with health care and other issues.
Minnesota Department of Commerce: 800-657-3602; 651-296-2488. If you have a problem with your insurance coverage, the Commerce Department may be able to help you resolve it.
Minnesota Attorney General Hot Line (651) 296-3353 or 1-800-657-3787
Veterans Link” 888-LinkVet or 888-546-5838 staff provides information on veterans’ benefits, healthcare, education, and reintegration.
Disability Linkage Link: 866-333-2466 The Disability Linkage Line (DLL) is a free, statewide information and referral resource that provides Minnesotans with disabilities and chronic illnesses a single access point for all disability related questions.
General Resources
Center for Medicare and Medicaid 800-MEDICARE, 800-633-4227 http://www.medicare.gov. CMS staffs offers assistance in choosing and enrolling in Medicare Plan D and other Medicare programs, resolving claims and other problems and working with their on lined Drug Plan Finder http://www.medicare.gov/. The office can also help you apply for assistance paying for Medicare Plan D.
Social Security Administration 800-772-1213 www.ssa.gov/ SSA provides public information materials about the Social Security Administration and supplemental security programs, as well as information on eligibility for Medicare. Free pamphlets on Social Security disability benefits and supplemental security income are available through this line. The SS office will also help those applying for assistance paying for Medicare Plan D.
Benefits Check Up http://www.benefitscheckup.org Helps determine whether individuals are eligible for help paying for Medicare Plan D and helps connect seniors to private or government programs that help them pay for prescription drugs, health care, utilities, and other needs. Senior Federation counselors can do this for you (see p1.)
Medicare Rights Center (MRC) 212-869-3850 http://www.medicarerights.org Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is the largest independent source of health care information and assistance in the United States for people with Medicare. Founded in 1989, MRC helps older adults and people with disabilities get good, affordable health care.
Center for Medicare http://www.medicareadvocacy.org (860) 456-77907 The Center for Medicare Advocacy, I. is a national non‑profit, non-partisan organization that provides education, advocacy, and legal assistance to help elder/ people obtain Medicare and necessary health care.
NeedyMeds – http://www.needymeds.com/ NeedyMeds is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission of helping people who cannot afford medicine or healthcare costs. The information at NeedyMeds is available anonymously and free of charge. No phone number has been provided for this group.
The Commerce department can indeed help with some insurance coverage, specifically, fully-insured health insurance coverage and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. If a person has HMO fully insured coverage, however, one has to contact the Minnesota Department of Health which regulates HMOs in Minnesota. Neither Commerce nor Health can help folks who have commercial self-insured health care coverage as the federal ERISA law exempts such plans which cover 40%+ of all Minnesota citizens from state regulatory agency oversight. Most Medicare plans are exempted from state regulatory agency oversight as well.
Norm Hanson
[...] (Additional information is available on this website at Healthcare & Medicare Info.) [...]