Dear Friend,
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family safe and healthy. As your state senator, I’m working hard to increase access to affordable, quality health care, as well as improved services for Michigan’s seniors. In this newsletter, I provide an update on what we’re working on at the state level to make sure all residents can get the care they need and detail resources available to you and your loved ones.
Throughout the past four years, we have done so much good not only for Kent County’s many seniors, but for all the generations who reside in our district. Thanks to your work and support, we’ve been able to provide necessary dollars for so many important programs. It’s been an honor and a privilege to represent you in Lansing.
If I can be of assistance to you at any time, you can always reach me by email at SenWBrinks@senate.michigan.gov or by phone at (517) 373-1801.
Warm regards,
Winnie Brinks
State Senator
29th District
Website: SenatorBrinks.com
Email: SenWBrinks@senate.michigan.gov
Phone: (855) DIST029 or (855) 347-8029
REASONS TO CONTACT MY OFFICE
MICHIGAN SENATE | DISTRICT 29
To Comment on Legislation
Your opinion counts, and I value your input. Contact me if you want to express tour opinion or ask a questions about pending legislation.
If You Need Help
My staff and I are here to help you resolve problems that can be addressed through state government. Please do not hesitate to contact my office, so we can try to assist you.
To Suggest a New Law
If you have any ideas for new laws, or ways to improve or repeal existing ones, share your suggestions with me.
Protect Yourself From Medicare Scams
The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are warning seniors to protect themselves and their personal information from potential scams and high-pressure sales tactics.
Fraudsters posing as Medicare “representatives” are calling unsuspecting consumers about their Medicare coverage and asking for Medicare ID numbers or other personal information, such as a Social Security Number or date of birth. Once the scammers have this information, they can use it to make unauthorized
changes to your Medicare plan.
DIFS and MDHHS have some important tips for protecting yourself:
• Never give your Medicare number or other personal information to an unknown caller. You are always able to get information on Medicare plans without providing an ID number. The only time the Medicare ID number is required is when you are actively enrolling in a plan.
• Do not give out your personal information if someone calls or visits your home and says they’re from Medicare. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will never call or send someone to your home to ask for personal information or check your Medicare number.
• Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers use technology to make it look like they are calling from a legitimate business or government agency.
• Ignore anyone who calls saying you must join their prescription drug plan, or you will lose your Medicare coverage. While it is true that there may be a penalty if you delay enrolling in the Medicare prescription drug plan (also known as Part D), that coverage is voluntary.
• Don’t trust mailers that appear to be government communications but are advertisements for private companies. These mailers will sometimes have a disclaimer, but it is buried in small print.
COVID-19 INFORMATION & RESOURCES
Our health care professionals and public servants have been hard at work since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic making sure that everyone has access to important information and resources. Even as most people are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s important that you continue to do your part to stay safe and help stop the spread of this virus and its variants.
Visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus to find the latest information, a list of Frequently Asked Questions, testing sites, and vaccination locations near you or call the COVID-19 Hotline at (888) 535-6136.
If you’re feeling emotional distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, help is available.
Michigan Stay Well Counseling via the COVID-19 Hotline
Call (888) 535-6136 Press “8” to talk to a Michigan Stay Well counselor Counselors are available 24/7 | Confidential and free
National Disaster Distress Helpline Call (800) 985-5990 | Available 24/7
SENIOR SERVICE NUMBERS TO ASSIST YOU
Affordable Screenings for Better Health
Community Health Centers are incredible resources that help ensure residents stay healthy by providing low- or no-cost health care to residents.
There are a variety of community health centers across Kent County, each of which may have different capacities or services available. For the most accurate information, it is best to visit their website or call to learn more. Federally Qualified Health Centers — or those which are recognized as legitimate by the federal government and receive funding accordingly — in our district include:
Catherine’s Health Center
catherineshc.org | (616) 336-8800
Creston Main Campus:
1211 Lafayette Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
Cherry Street Services
cherryhealth.org | (616) 965-8200
100 Cherry St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
MEALS ON WHEELS
No one should go without access to healthy meals. If you, or a senior you know, are struggling to pay for food, Meals on Wheels can help. This program provides five nutritious meals per week to homebound, older adults. They also offer liquid nutrition for those who are unable to eat solid food and who have a prescription from their physician.
To qualify for Meals on Wheels, an adult must be:
• 60 years of age or older;
• Homebound (e.g. unable to leave home without assistance and unable to drive);
• Unable to cook for themself;
• Have no one willing or available to prepare meals on a regular basis; and,
• Able to feed themself.
For more information or to determine if you are eligible for Meals on Wheels, contact:
Meals on Wheels Western Michigan Website:
MealsOnWheelsWesternMichigan.org
Email: info@mowwm.org | Phone: (616) 459-3111
LEGISLATORS INTRODUCE BILLS TO REVIEW PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
The cost of prescription drugs has been rising for far too long. From 1980 to 2018, prescription drug spending increased more than tenfold, and now, per capita spending has increased to more than $1,000 a year for American families. In fact, Michigan families are vastly overpaying for necessary medications, such as insulin. The cost of insulin has risen to more than $600 per month for some prescriptions, while Canadians are paying just $71 for the same prescription.
It’s clear that something must be done, and we’re working to be part of the solution.
In February, I led on legislation to tackle the rising cost of your medications by creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. The bills would establish a board to directly reduce costs and increase transparency and oversight over what you are charged for your meds. These boards are becoming more and more common across the country, with Maryland providing the outline for a successful affordability board. Medications are critical to the people who need them, but they’re useless if they can’t afford them.
We cannot accept a reality where medication prices are astronomically raised with little-to-no explanation. Consumers must have a process to hold these corporations accountable, and it must start with our legislators in Lansing. While this legislation has not yet been passed, we have provided a blueprint for how Michiganders can find relief for astronomically rising drug prices.
I look forward to continuing work on this legislation and finding a solution that benefits residents of the 29th District.