Dear Friend:
I hope this newsletter finds you and your families safe and healthy as we progress into 2021. The challenges we faced in 2020 due to COVID-19 were unprecedented in our lifetimes.
Throughout this pandemic, I have remained committed to distributing helpful information to our community members and advocating for COVID-19 relief that would assist seniors, workers, and businesses in combating this virus. As we continue to work toward widespread vaccination, it is critically important that we work together.
Please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing and limit gatherings, and stay home — if you can — to protect yourself, your family, friends, and neighbors. Hope is on the horizon and I believe that we will get through this difficult time.
If I can be of assistance to you, please let me know. You can reach me through email at SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov, by phone at (517) 373-5100, or toll-free at 1-855-347-8020.
I also invite you to sign up for my e-newsletter to stay apprised of current issues in Lansing at SenSeanMcCann.com.
I would love to hear from you!
Sean McCann
State Senator
District 20
Website: SenSeanMcCann.com
Email: SenSMcCann@senate.michigan.gov
Toll-free: (855) DIST020 or (855) 347-8020
STATE SENATOR SEAN MCCANN
Website: SenSeanMcCann.com
Toll-free: (855) DIST020 or (855) 347-8020
Send mail to: Senator Sean McCann PO Box 30036, Lansing, MI 48909
Senior Service Numbers to Assist You
Adult Home Help/Chore Services……………………………………………………………………………….(800) 292-2550
Adult Protective Services, for reports of suspected abuse and neglect …………………………(855) 444-3911
Attorney General – Consumer Protection Division, for cases of identity theft ……………….(877) 765-8388
Attorney General – Office of Elder Abuse …………………………………………………………………..(800) 242-2873 Bridge Card (EBT) – Customer Service ……………………………………………………………………….(888) 678-8914 Disability Ombudsman …………………………………………………………………………………………….(800) 288-5923 Domestic Violence Hotline ……………………………………………………………………………………….(800) 799-7233
Elder Law of Michigan, Inc. ……………………………………………………………………………………..(866) 400-9164 Eldercare services for the elderly, for help with transportation, meals, etc ………………….(800) 677-1116
Energy Assistance ……………………………………………………………………………………………………(844) 211-4994 Food Assistance ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….(855) 275-6424 Fraud Reporting – Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, 24-hour hotline..(800) 222-8558
Home Heating Tax Credit Status ……………………………………………………………………………….(517) 636-4486
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program …………………………………………………………………….(866) 485-9393 Meals on Wheels of Ann Arbor …………………………………………………………………………………(734) 998-6686 Meals on Wheels-Ypsilanti ……………………………………………………………………………………….(734) 487-9669 Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Medicaid Beneficiary Support ……..(800) 642-3195
Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program ……………………………………………………..(800) 803-7174
Michigan Stroke Network …………………………………………………………………………………………(866) 522-8676 Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency …………………………………………………………………………….(800) 642-4838 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) ……………………………………………………………….(734) 994-6611
Nursing Home Complaints ……………………………………………………………………………………….(800) 882-6006
Relay Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing ……………………………………………………………………………..7-1-1
Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention …………………………………………………………………………….(517) 372-6666
Social Security Administration …………………………………………………………………………………(800) 772-1213
State SSI Supplement ……………………………………………………………………………………………….(855) 275-6424 Substance Abuse Hotline ………………………………………………………………………………………….(800) 662-4357
Suicide Prevention Crisis Hotline ……………………………………………………………………………..(800) 273-8255
TAX statements for Adult Home Help ………………………………………………………………………..(800) 292-2550
THAW – The Heat and Warmth Fund ………………………………………………………………………..(800) 552-1183
Volunteers of America ……………………………………………………………………………………………..(248) 945-0101
Vulnerable Adult Helpline ……………………………………………………………………………………….(855) 444-3911
Washtenaw County Community Mental Health ………………………………………………………….(734) 544-3050
Washtenaw County Health Department …………………………………………………………………….(734) 544-6700
Washtenaw County Veterans Affairs …………………………………………………………………………(734) 973-4540
The Cost of Prescription Drugs
For many people who need prescription drugs, the costs can be extreme, leaving patients struggling to make difficult decisions between basic life expenses based on their budget. No one should have to ration insulin or choose which refills to get when they need them. While many of the most impactful legislative changes on controlling the cost of prescription drugs must be addressed at the federal level, as a state we need to develop creative solutions. I am committed to finding ways we can address this growing issue.
Here is some information that you may find useful as you head to the pharmacy:
- Know your rights: Michigan law requires pharmacies to share drug prices with consumers.
• Compare prices: The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services maintains MichiganDrugPrices.com, which allows you to compare and save money without ever stepping foot in a pharmacy. - Prescription discount cards: The MiRx (My Prescription) Card is a prescription drug discount program for Michigan residents who do not have prescription drug coverage. The MiRx Card program is free; there is no cost for the card or to enroll in the program. MiRx card holders can take their prescription and their MiRx card to their local participating pharmacy, where the pharmacist will fill the prescription and charge the MiRx discounted price. The discount covers any medicine the pharmacist stocks and that your doctor prescribes, except for over-the-counter drugs. For more information, please visit MIHealth.org/MiRx.
Pharmacies often also offer free discount cards to consumers who do not have insurance or who have very high co-pays. While these discount cards can offer significant savings, it is important to be aware that companies will sometimes use these cards as a scam to require you to pay more in the long run.
No one should have to ration insulin or choose which refills to get when they need them.
-Sen. McCann
Home Heating Help
In the dead of winter, heating bills can become a burden that cause many to struggle just to keep their house warm, but fortunately, The Heat and Warmth (THAW) Fund can help.
THAW has multiple utility assistance programs available, including affordable payment plans for customers of Consumers Energy Consumers Affordable Resource for Energy (CARE) plan and
DTE’s Low Income Self-Sufficiency Plan (LSP). They also offer resources for utility payment assistance and/or state emergency relief.
See which you may qualify for at THAWFund.org/Programs or call (800) 866-THAW (8429).
In addition, here are some helpful phone numbers if you have questions about your heating bill:
- Consumers Energy: 1-800-477-5050
• DTE Energy: 1-800-477-4747
• Michigan Gas Utilities: 1-800-401-6402
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: Protect Against Elder Abuse and Fraud
More than 73,000 older adults in Michigan are victims of elder abuse each year. Seniors are vulnerable to abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and much of it is unreported or underreported.
- Abuse is harm or threatened harm to an adult’s health or welfare caused by another person.
- Neglect is the inability or failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care, etc.
- Exploitation is the misuse of an adult’s funds, property, or personal dignity (e.g., humiliation, objectification, degradation, dehumanization) by another person. Elder abuse can take the form of physical or emotional abuse, neglect or abandonment, and even financial exploitation. To combat this problem, our state’s attorney general has created the Michigan Elder Abuse Task Force to implement various initiatives to streamline reporting and reduce the risk of elder abuse.
Elder Abuse:
SEE IT, DOCUMENT IT, REPORT IT
If you suspect elder or vulnerable adult abuse, please report it. The attorney general’s office has created a hotline and a website for Michigan residents to send in anonymous tips to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Adult Protective Services Division.
Call 1-800-24-ABUSE (800-242-2873) or go online to Michigan.gov/ElderAbuse.
COVID-19 Information and Resources
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. Do your part to stay safe and stop the spread of this virus by wearing
a mask when you go out, staying at least six feet apart from others, avoiding crowded indoor spaces, and washing your hands often.
Visit Michigan.gov/Coronavirus to find the latest information, a list of Frequently Asked Questions, and testing sites near you, or call the COVID-19 Hotline at (888) 535-6136.
For more information specific to Kalamazoo County, contact the Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services Department at (269) 373-5200 or visit kalcounty.com/hcs/covid19.php.
Download the MI COVID Alert app
As part of the state’s continued efforts to slow the increasing spread of COVID-19, the free and voluntary MI COVID Alert app can let you know whether you’ve been recently exposed to COVID-19. The app works in conjunction with traditional contact tracing, mask-wearing, hand washing, and social distancing, but is not a replacement for these precautions or participation in contact tracing.
When a person tests positive for COVID-19, they receive a randomly generated PIN from the local health department or State of Michigan that allows them to anonymously share their test results on the app. A notification from the app means you were possibly within six feet of the positive person for at least 15 minutes.
Every Michigander is encouraged to download MI COVID Alert, which is available in the Apple and Google app stores.
‘Be Kind to Your Mind’ and seek help
This year has been a difficult year for many Michiganders, which is why the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is encouraging people to Be Kind to Your Mind. Confidential counseling is available 24/7 by calling 888-535-6136 and pressing “8”, or residents can visit Michigan.gov/StayWell for more information and resources.
COVID Vaccines
On Dec. 11, 2020, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced a vaccine distribution plan that follows recommendations set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and established a goal of vaccinating 70% of Michiganders by the end of 2021. Health officials estimate that by late Spring, enough COVID-19 doses will be available for everyone who is recommended to receive it.
Distribution of the vaccine will be in a phased approach — with an emphasis on both ensuring the continued functioning of the health care system and essential services in the community, and protecting people at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
Michiganders should continue to wear masks, social distance from those not in their household, and wash their hands often, even after receiving the vaccine.
For more information, visit Michigan.gov/COVIDvaccine.