Medicare Log

Clip 01PA
SOT: Christine McBennett /Apprise program director at the Mayors commission on
services to the aging
Q: mission of Apprise?
12:44:42
The apprise program exists to help Medicare beneficiaries understand their
Medicare benefits and maximize their coverage while saving them as much money
as possible.
Q: Why is this program needed?
12:44:53
This program is important because there is so many different Medicare options that
people have a difficult time determining which options are best for them. And we
can sit down with people and help them understand what options are available to
them and what may serve them best.
Q: important for people with limited income?
12:45:15
For people who are on a limited income there is a variety of cost savings programs
and each program has its own qualifications guidelines. And so what we do at the
apprise program is we screen all of our clients to make that uh, if they are eligible
for these they apply and get enrolled and save as much money as they possibly
can.
Q: explain how complicated?
12:45:43
Sure ok so Medicare is not so much complicated um as it is full of choice. And so
when you understand what your different options are, and what the implications of
those options are, it makes it easier to decide. You do have to weed through dozens
and dozens of options and figure out which ones for you.
Q: what happens to the seniors who do nothing?
12:46:17
For seniors and Medicare beneficiaries who do nothing, their plans typically remain
the same from year to year. And while that may not be a problem for many people,
many of the plans formularies change from year to year.
12:46:XX
Many of the premiums and co-pays can change from year to year and so people can
really be doing themselves a dis-service uh by not investigating because their cost
can go up significantly from one year to the next if they do nothing.
Q: Feedback from one-on-ones?
12:47:07
After we meet with individuals one on one the feedback is typically very positive. I
mean I get everything from hugs to thank you notes, um but the most important

thing is that people walk away feeling very confident about the decisions they make
about their health insurance for the year to come.
Q: control of life:
12:47:36
Yes being an informed consumer makes people feel very good about the options
they have. And a lot of times we end up um working with people who dont make
any changes but it is important for them to know that they still are in the plan that
is the best plan thats the best fit for them.
Q: how to contact Apprise?
12:48:10 (scrambled sentences)
In Philadelphia... no theres two and we split the city and so maybe I should have
them call PCA
12:48:28
Yeah its kind of because we do the like, Einstein does north, west philly, north
east philly and then we handle like the bottom half of the city so theres like two
different programs that serve the city.
Q: Anything else about Apprise?
12:48:49
Um at the apprise program we work with care givers as well. We are happy to work
with adult children with Medicare beneficiaries. Um theres a lot of families that um
all collaborate together to make sure their parents are getting the best care and
making the best choices and we are happy to work with family members as well.
Q: are you bi-lingual?
12:49:05
... We have a language line. The apprise program has a language line and we can
access interpreter services for over you know 30 different languages so if someone
does not speak English or English is not their primary language, we are happy to
dial into the language line and help non- English speakers as well.

Clip 02SH
SOT: Patricia Buck/ Service Coordinator at read street Presbyterian Apartments.
Q: What does presentation do for residents?
13:00:40
It gives them valuable information. We always refer to Apprise about, theres so
many questions and issue about the medical coverage and it makes a difference
about what your problems are, which coverage you should be in.
13:01:XX
what, how often you go to the doctors and Christine has just been a valuable
resource as far as dealing with people one-on-one and giving them suggestions and
we really, I refer people to her all the time.

13:01:09
One of the problems we are having now is the co-pays are outrageous. People who
have physical therapy have to pay, has to pay 50 dollars. For each co-pay and on a,
people on, anybody thats an issue for but especially people on limited incomes.
Q: how important is service for residents
13:01:30
Oh it, its incredibly important. The system, the Medicare system is so complicated
that we all need help and Im one of those people on Medicare and I need help to
understand it and I feel like Ive been a professional in the area and if I need help
what it must be like for other people who dont have the familiarity like I do.

Clip 48PK
SOT: Elizabeth West / Resident at read street Presbyterian Apartments.
Q: important meeting with Christine?
13:44:21
Ive been having some problems with my coverage and um when pat the social
worker told me Christine was coming today, I wanted to come out and down to find
out more about it. It was very informative and very helpful.
Q: address problems?
13:44:45
She was able to help with some of the problems Im having?
Q: important for all residents?
13:44:54
Its very important because as a senior citizen we dont get told a lot of things and
um we dont want to seem like were ignorant or we dont know its just that we
dont have, nobody has exposed us to what we should know.
Q: feel like youre getting info you need?
13:45:11
Im definitely getting the information I need.

Clip 5QAI
SOT: Mildred Thomas / Live at read street Presbyterian Apartments.
Q: How did Christine help you?
13:50:01

Well I think she was very helpful. She brought up things that we didnt quite
understand and then we were able to ask her questions about the question and we
learned a lot. And now we can do a one-on-0ne with her and um learn more.
Q: how important is it for seniors to get help?
13:50:28
Its very important because Medicare is complicated and we need someone to help
us untangle it.
Q: True for everybody?
13:50:38
Of course yes it is and sometimes when they send you things you dont quite
understand it. You dont understand the small print. What is it exactly saying? You
need someone to help you unravel that.
Q: can save you money financially?
13:51:02
Yes and that is I think um that main purpose of her being here thats how it helped
us, to save us that money because that is very important because a lot of us, most
of us or should I say all of us, we are on a fixed income. We dont have much, and
the more they take, the less we have. Yes more money in our pocket.

Clip 523L
SOT: Lawrence Moore/ resident at read street Presbyterian Apartments.
Q: what do you need to know?
13:55:08
Just, certain things like, cuz I got to go to the dentist and I want to make sure, that
they cover it. Medicade, Medicare
Q: looked at forms? Complicated?
13:55:20
Yeah, some of them. Yeah really. (13:55:26) yes they are. The forms are
complicated.
Q: how valuable is the counseling?
13:55:35
That way I can figure out what is going on with the forms and how to deal with
them.
Q: Save money and time? Benefit?
13:55:48
The benefit for me is to get things done.
Q: come to you?
13:56:02
That would be real good yes It would