Press Release

Seniors Get Answers About Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

Teaming up with the Medicare Bus and representatives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congressman Bishop held the first two of eight "Medicare Prescription Drug Information and Sign-up Sessions" Monday at the Albany and Moultrie Technical Colleges.

More than two hundred seniors turned out for the sessions, which those in attendance called "informative" and "helpful."

"I recommend this for every senior citizen," said Lucy Poe of Albany, Georgia.

The events featured presentations by Gaetana Marshall, the Georgia State lead for the CMS and Karla Jones a CMS pharmacist. Following the initial program, seniors were invited to meet with one of seven counselors from CMS and Georgia Cares to learn what plan, if any, would best meet their individual needs.

"If your coverage is as good as Medicare's…you don't need to make a decision. You have something," explained Gaetana Marshall. "But if you don't [have coverage as good as Medicare's] that's when we start to look at people and say  'this is the time frame you have to make a decision.' And there's plenty of time."
The Information and Sign-Up Sessions continue Wednesday in Thomasville and Valdosta. (A complete list of sessions and locations is below.)

Charles Stripling, of Leary, attended Monday's session in Albany after having gone to two previous information sessions put on by the Social Security Administration and the state, said, "I had to attend the third before I ever got clarity on it. This one is the one that helped me the most."

View the Power Point Presentation from the enrollment and sign-up sessions.

The information and sign-up sessions will be held at the following locations:

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Thomasville, Georgia  
Southwest Georgia Technical College, 15689 U.S. HWY 19 North, Building A, Room 132, Thomasville, Georgia

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta State University, Magnolia Room, 1500 North Patterson Street, Valdosta, Georgia

Thursday, December 1, 2005

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Bainbridge, Georgia  
AGRI-Center - Fairgrounds, Chamber #1 Building, 1213 Vada Road, Bainbridge, Georgia

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Cairo, Georgia   
AGRI-Center Farmers Market, 65 11th Ave, Cairo, Georgia

Friday December 2, 2005

9:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Columbus, Georgia
Chattahoochee Valley Regional Public Library - Main Branch, 3000 Macon Road, Columbus, Georgia.

2:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Americus, Georgia  
Georgia Southwestern University, Continuing Education Center, Room 100, 801 Wheatley Street, Americus, Georgia 31709