Press Release

Release Date: March 15, 2005
HRCHC Contact: Communications Department
Telephone: (207) 861-3466
Email: Communications@HealthReach.org

Health Care Forum for Seniors to be Held in Phillips March 23

(WATERVILLE)—Are you wondering if you are eligible for MaineCare or interested in learning more about what the program covers? Confused about how recent changes in prescription drug coverage options and the new Medicare drug card may impact your benefits? Wish to learn more about Dirigo Health? Concerned about whether you will have to “pay back the state” (under Estate Recovery) if you need government help to pay for health care, including prescriptions?

A health forum, “Leading Seniors through the Health Care Maze,” to be held in Phillips March 23rd, will answer many of the frequently asked questions about the changing health care system in Maine. Basic, up-to-date information about estate recovery and related resources will also be addressed. Although the forum is geared toward seniors, all are welcome. Family members who assist loved ones in accessing health care will also find the forum informative.

Co-sponsored by the Phillips Area Senior Citizens, Strong Area Health Center, HealthReach Community Health Centers, the Maine Primary Care Association, and Legal Services for the Elderly, the health forum will take place at Shadagee Senior Housing in Phillips on Wednesday, March 23 from 12:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., following a potluck lunch which will begin at 12:00 noon. Presentations will be given by Mel Martin, Outreach Coordinator at the Maine Primary Care Association, and Pam Studwell, Director of the Legal Access Project, Legal Services for the Elderly. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of Martin and Studwell during the program and following the forum’s conclusion.

For more information about the forum, you may call the Strong Area Health Center at 684-4010.

Strong Area Health Center is part of HealthReach Community Health Centers, a family of eleven federally qualified, community-based health centers located in Central and Western Maine . Dedicated providers deliver high quality, affordable healthcare to 38,000 rural and underserved residents in over 80 communities. A private, non-profit organization with a nearly 30-year history, HRCHC is funded by patient fees, grants and individual donations. For more information, visit www.HealthReachCHC.org.

The Maine Primary Care Association supports the state’s community health centers through advocacy, technical support and a variety of programming. MPCA programs work to increase access to care, improve the quality of care, and develop systems that support and sustain the important work that community health centers do.

The Legal Access Project’s goal is to provide legal counsel and advice to Maine’s low-income seniors (60 years or older) living in rural areas. Legal information on topics of concern to seniors is given in plain language.