Pennsylvania RX Price Finder

PACE has updated their PA Prescription Price Finder brochure. The new booklet will help guide people toward the Price Finder website and inform them of the Price Finder program’s benefits. The brochure also includes examples of prescription price ranges, which can differ depending on the distributing pharmacy. For help with Price Finder, call 1-800-835-4080 or visit the Price Finder website.

Your Resource on the Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

From the Allegheny County Department of Human Services

As we move closer to Election Day, it is important to stay informed of changes to the Pennsylvania Voter ID Law. Recent updates include:

    Pennsylvania care facilities, including long-term care facilities, assisted living residences or personal care homes can create their own photo IDs for residents, as long as the document includes the name of the facility, the name and photo of the voter, and an expiration date.

    Department of State voter cards will be available for registered voters who are not able to provide all of the documents they would normally need to obtain a photo ID from PennDOT, such as a birth certificate. Voters will need to affirm they do not possess any other approved identification for voting and will need to provide two proofs of residence, such as a utility bill, along with their date of birth and Social Security number, if the customer has an assigned number. PennDOT will validate the voter registration status with the Department of State while the voter is in the PennDOT office. Upon confirmation of this information, the voter will be issued the voter card before leaving the PennDOT facility. These cards will be issued by PennDOT up to and through Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012, and thereafter.

    In most cases, those who have a Pennsylvania driver’s license, or a non-driver's license photo ID, will not be required to bring a birth certificate, or any other proof of identification or residence, to request a non-driver photo ID for voting purposes. They will only need to give their name at a PennDOT driver's license center, and once verified as being in the system, PennDOT will provide a non-driver's license photo ID, which can be used for voting purposes. Those with licenses that expired prior to 1990 should call PennDOT’s Customer Care Center (1-800-932-4600) to verify that their information is still in the system.

    For Allegheny County residents who are concerned that their ID may not be valid for the election, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website has an interactive page to check your ID’s status: http://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/voterID/

NO ONE legally entitled to vote will be denied the right to do so. If an individual does not have a photo ID, he or she may cast a provisional ballot, and will have six days to provide a photo ID and/or an affirmation to the local county elections office - in person, by mail, email, or fax - to have his or her ballot count.

To learn more, please visit http://www.votespa.com.

Keeping Seniors Healthy in Soaring Temperatures

In Pittsburgh, the first six months of 2012 were the warmest on record, and July was especially sweltering. While hot weather can be fun for swimming and outdoor activities, it can also be dangerous, particularly for older adults. To protect some of Allegheny County’s most vulnerable individuals, the DHS Area Agency on Aging (AAA) offers a variety of services to ensure that local older adults have opportunities to avoid the heat and stay safe. 

Medicare Scam Alerts from AARP

Don’t Fall for the Utility Bill Scam

Several news outlets have reported on a national scam that has claimed over 500 PA residents to date.  Scammers contact people in a variety of ways-- including door to door—promising that a new program from the Obama administration will pay their utility bills. To enroll in the fake program, victims are asked to provide personal information like social security and bank account numbers. 

Remember:

• Never give personal information to someone goes door to door or calls you unsolicited.
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“New” Medicare Card Scam

Residents all over Pennsylvania have received calls from scammers claiming to be “from Medicare.” The scammer states that Medicare is sending out new cards and instructs the beneficiary to provide a checking account number to receive the new card. In at least two cases, the scammer already had the beneficiary’s address, bank name, and bank routing number.

If you receive a call like this, hang up the phone.

Remember:

Medicare will never call to sell you anything and will never ask for your checking account number.

To report a similar scam or other Medicare Fraud, please contact the

Pennsylvania Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-356-3606.