Jan's Plans & Pans - October 10, 2024

One year ago this week, the world saw the worst perpetration of violence inflicted on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. The terrorist organization Hamas took the lives of over 1,200 people in Israel, injured over 3,000 more, and captured over 200 people – including many American citizens.

It has been an unbearable year since these devastating attacks. My heart aches for all those who were killed on October 7th and their loved ones who mourn their loss; for the hostages and their families who have endured an incomprehensible year of suffering, and in some cases, even death; and for the thousands of innocent Palestinian families caught in the ensuing war that have lost those dear to them, fleeing homes and communities turned to rubble, living in fear and struggling to survive.

It is time for the Netanyahu government and Hamas leadership to reach a final deal. Right now, the Middle East is teetering on the brink of a catastrophic regional war that would put millions more in danger. The U.S. and our allies cannot allow this to happen. The human cost of this war is staggering, and it must end now. My top priorities remain bringing the hostages home now, ending the violence once and for all, and bringing long-term peace, justice, and security to Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Be well,

Schakowsky Speaks at the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans Annual Senior Power Celebration

I was honored to speak at the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans Senior Power Celebration. Fighting for quality, affordable health care for all people, especially older Americans, has always been a top priority of mine.

Schakowsky Meets with the Recording Academy

I was so excited to meet with the Recording Academy, known for the GRAMMY Awards, in my Skokie office! They came as part of their Annual Music Advocacy Day and we discussed legislation that impacts performers, songwriters, and studio professionals. 

Schakowsky Celebrates the Grand Opening of the New Evanston Animal Shelter

It was a paw-ty in Evanston! We raised the woof to celebrate the grand opening of the new Evanston Animal Shelter. This state-of-the-art facility will help countless animals in our community find their fur-ever home! The building is also Evanston's first building with zero on-site carbon emissions. The shelter will officially open for adoptions this Saturday, October 12th!

My district office helped a constituent obtain a refund from Medicare:

"I would like to sincerely thank Representative Schakowsky’s office for helping me resolve an issue with a Medicare refund. I worked for over a year to get the refund on my own to no avail. After reaching complete frustration with Medicare, I called Rep. Schakowsky’s office as a last resort. 

I was so pleasantly surprised to reach her office and to be treated with respect and kindness. Her office contacted me when they said they would and listened to my problem and knew exactly what to do. Within one week of contacting her office, I received my refund. I could not believe it! What a relief. Navigating government offices can be difficult and frustrating. It's great to know that Rep. Schakowsky’s office is there to lend a helping hand."

LDM 
IL 09 Constituent 

Register for the 2024 Congressional App Challenge!

The Congressional App Challenge is back! Submissions for the 2024 Congressional App Challenge are due Thursday, October 24th. This competition is open to all students, regardless of coding experience and is intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

To learn more about the competition, register or submit an app please click here.

Medicare Part D Open Enrollment

Medicare Part D open enrollment starts on October 15th and runs through December 7th. New plans will begin on January 1st, 2025 and will be closed to changes until October 2025. I would like to get the message out to as many people as possible that they need to be looking at the Annual Notice of Change packets they just received from their current Medicare Part D plans. These are required to be sent out to all current Medicare Part D plan members and contain all changes to their plans’ premiums, co-pays, and deductibles for the upcoming year.

Why does this matter?
Since the $2,000 cap on out of pocket Medicare prescription drug costs starts in January of 2025, some of the Medicare Part D plans may be increasing their premiums, co-pays, and deductibles to make up this loss of revenue. There may be changes to your 2024 plan next year making it much more expensive in 2025.

If you do not review your current plan during the Medicare Part D Open Enrollment Period (October 15-December 7th) and just allow it to roll over, you may be surprised to see some costly changes. The next time you will be able to fix this will be October of 2025, effective in January of 2026!

You have a chance to address this. You can make an appointment with your local SHIP (Senior Health Insurance Program) counselor and schedule an appointment to review your current plan. SHIP can be reached at (800) 252-8966 or you can find your closest SHIP counselor by visiting the SHIP page on the Illinois Department on Aging website here. 

A few minutes now can save a lot later!

Passport Renewal

Remember to check your passport validity before booking any summer travel plans! Current processing times for passports are: 4-6 weeks for routine and 2-3 weeks for expedited. These times are subject to change and are posted on the Dept. of State Website.  Please apply well in advance of your travel date – if your travel date is sooner than the current processing times, you may not get your passport in time for travel.

Please remember that emergency in-person appointments at the Chicago Passport Agency are intended for emergencies and availability is not guaranteed unless it is a life or death emergency! These appointments are not and have never been intended for routine renewal. If you have upcoming travel you should NOT plan on receiving an appointment at the Chicago Passport Agency. Passport renewals are intended to go through the mail. 

Did you know that many countries require your passport to be valid for several months beyond your date of travel? Depending on your destination, validity requirements can vary from 3 to 6 months beyond the date of travel! You can check the requirements for your destination on the Dept. of State Website under "International Travel" and "Country Information".

If you have planned travel and have a pending application that may not arrive on time, or if you need an emergency appointment at the Chicago Passport Agency, the Constituent Advocates in my District Office are happy to help! Please call the office at 773-506-7100, or you can open a case with my office online.