FEDINFO E-letter from Pueblo, December 22, 2005

Welcome to the December 2005 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent 6-8 times a year with helpful updates, practical information, and special offers to make your life a little easier. You can always find the latest information at our family of websites: Pueblo.gsa.gov, USA.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, and Kids.gov.

This issue includes:

The nights have gotten colder and the days shorter...yes, the holiday season has arrived. Evenings and weekends have been filled with trips to the mall, visiting relatives, and happy children. The holidays are so busy that you may not have time to finish everything you need to do, let alone make time for thoughtful preparation. So we got together back at the FCIC and came up with some tips about holiday safety that we hope you’ll keep in mind so your celebrations will be fun for everyone.

Check out FCIC’s Holiday Safety Consumer Focus to get helpful information on topics such as:

Holiday Fire
Is Meat Supposed to be This Color?
Shop, shop till you drop
And other resources

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally-funded program that helps low-income households pay their home energy bills. Find out who is eligible, types of assistance available, and where and how to apply by visiting the LIHEAP website.

The website also has frequently asked questions about LIHEAP, information on health and safety concerns, and links to additional federal resources on home energy-related topics.

Today’s seniors can expect a longer retirement than their parents. That means that you’ll have more years to do what you want to do. But a longer retirement also means more years of spending. Fiscal Fitness for Older Americans offers solid advice to help you set or adjust your plans for affording retirement, look at some different sources of money, and avoid some potential pitfalls. Click here for this great resource.

If you or a loved one has Medicare, you may have some questions about Medicare’s new prescription drug coverage that begins on January 1, 2006. To help you better understand this coverage and the decisions you need to make, check out The New Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage: What You Need to Know.

Everyone with Medicare, regardless of health or level of income, can get coverage for both their brand-name and generic prescription drugs. There’s even extra help available if you have limited income and resources. However, to begin receiving coverage, you must enroll in one of the Medicare drug plans. Just like other insurance, if you decide not to join when you’re first eligible (before May 15, 2006) and later change your mind, you may have to pay more. Learn more about the plans at www.medicare.gov.

You can choose from a variety of different plans, so the new coverage gives you the ability to find one that meets your needs. When deciding you should keep a few things in mind: What kind of medications do I take now? How expensive is the plan? Do I want to get my prescriptions at a certain pharmacy, or would I like to get my prescriptions through the mail?

Another publication worth reading is Your Pharmacy Benefit: Make It Work for You! This informative publication has a handy worksheet that you can use as a guide when comparing different benefit plans. And it also features tips on what to do if you’re having problems getting your prescriptions filled or your plan won’t cover your medication.

FCIC is the help desk for everyday life--and we’d like to help you get the answers to your questions about Medicare’s new prescription drug coverage. To help you better understand this coverage and the decisions you need to make, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, AARP, the National Pharmaceutical Council, and FCIC have put together an informative, free package, including all the publications listed in the Facts About Medicare’s New Prescription Drug Coverage article above.

Many consumers are now using SPAM-blocking software or junk-mail filters offered by their e-mail providers. These filters may also prevent you from receiving e-letters that you have subscribed to like FEDINFO. If you are using these filters, you may want to consider adding the following e-mail address to your "safe list": cic.info@gsa.gov.

We hope that you have found this e-letter valuable. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please contact us at: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/emailus.htm.