Jan's Plans & Pans - October 22, 2024

With Medicare Open Enrollment now underway, I wanted to share important details with you regarding recent improvements to Medicare that are lowering health care costs. 

In 2022, Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act with Vice President Harris’s tie-breaking vote. This new law gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices – and it reduces costs for seniors in several important ways. 

Medicare has now capped the cost of insulin for seniors with diabetes at $35 a month. Recommended vaccines, like those to treat shingles, are now free for people with Medicare prescription drug coverage. 

And, starting in January, total out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs will be capped at $2,000 a year, no matter how expensive your drugs are. That means that seniors will never pay more than a total of $2,000 per year for prescription drugs covered under Medicare – including expensive drugs that treat cancer and chronic illnesses. 

In addition to these cost-saving benefits, Medicare has negotiated with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices for ten of the most expensive and most frequently used prescription drugs in Medicare. These new, lower prices will go into effect in 2026, and Medicare will continue to negotiate prices for additional drugs each year for the foreseeable future. 

I encourage every senior in our community to take advantage of these new, lower-cost Medicare benefits. It is more important than ever to look at your drug coverage for 2025 during Medicare Open Enrollment and make sure you are enrolled in the Medicare Part D plan that is best for you. 

You can learn more about these benefits and review your options at Medicare.gov. If you need further assistance, please feel free to call my office. Open Enrollment runs through December 7th. 

Take care,

Schakowsky Visits Golden Oaks Farm in Lake County

I visited Golden Oaks Farm, a dairy farm in Lake County! I got to see the milking parlor, many of their cows, and I even had the opportunity to drive a tractor! 

Democrats and Republicans must reach a bipartisan agreement on the Farm Bill. If funding runs out at the end of the year, Golden Oaks, and farms all over the country, will be greatly impacted. Click here to view more footage from my memorable visit!

Schakowsky Meets with Presidents of Glenbrook, Evanston, and Skokie Hospitals

One year ago, Northshore University HealthSystem became Endeavor Health. This week, I had the opportunity to meet with the presidents of Glenbrook, Evanston, and Skokie Hospitals. Fixing our broken health care system is a top priority of mine. My goal is to ensure that every person has access to affordable, quality, and accessible health care. 

Schakowsky Welcomes President of the Chicago School to Skokie Office 

It was a pleasure to meet with Dr. Michele Nealon, the President of the Chicago School. Formerly known as the Chicago School for Professional Psychology, this great institution trains professionals for careers that improve the health of individuals, organizations, and communities. 

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 

Last Chance to 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.

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.