Date: March 12, 2004
Contact: Angela Johnson
Phone: 340-773-6449
angelaborchert@yahoo.com
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR VARGRAVE RICHARDS ENCOURAGES ELIGIBLE SENIORS TO
ENROLL IN MEDICARE
Lieutenant Governor Vargrave Richards, who oversees the VI SHIP (Virgin
Islands State Health Insurance Program)/Medicare Office, encourages
all Medicare-eligible individuals who are 65 years and older to visit
their local Social Security Administration office as soon as possible
and enroll in the Medicare program. The Social Security Administration
is conducting an open enrollment period that ends Wednesday, March 31,
2004, and will provide details of all Medicare benefits available.
"VI SHIP is sending out a call to all eligible individuals to
sign up for Medicare if they have not done so already," the Lieutenant
Governor said. "During this open enrollment period, our seniors
can save money by avoiding penalties that accrue by not enrolling in
the Medicare program at age 65."
Once an individual is duly enrolled and becomes a card-carrying Medicare
beneficiary, the VI SHIP/Medicare Office provides counseling on the
use of Medicare as insurance for hospitalization and medical consultations.
Local Social Security offices are located in Nisky Center, St. Thomas,
and in Sunny Isle, St. Croix. For an appointment, call 774-5247 on St.
Thomas, or 778-5946 on St. Croix. For additional information, call the
VI SHIP/Medicare Office at 714-4354 or the Social Security Administration
at 1-800-772-1213.
