Jan's Plans & Pans - November 18, 2024

Thank you to the people of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District for once again choosing me to be your voice in Congress. It truly is the honor of a lifetime! The fight for equal rights for all, an economy that works for everyday Americans, not just the rich, reproductive rights, and environmental protections goes on. Keep the faith. Let's get to work.

Just a friendly reminder, if you need advice on navigating the Social Security Administration, help on an immigration case, aid in obtaining a passport, or assistance with the IRS, my staff and I are here to help, no matter your political party or beliefs. We will personally cut through the red-tape for you, and if we are unable, we will connect you with the agency or level of government that best suits your needs. Do not worry, my office can often save you a lot of time and stress. 

If you have not done so already, please be sure to follow me on Instagram, X, and Facebook, where my handle is @JanSchakowsky, to keep up with my latest updates.

Be well,

Schakowsky Meets with U.S. Surgeon General

It was great to join my fellow Gun Violence Prevention Task Force members for a meeting with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. We are facing a gun violence epidemic. The status quo is unacceptable. No one should have to fear losing their life at school, the grocery store, or anywhere in between. The time to act is now.

Schakowsky Sits Down with Politico's Shia Kapos

What a pleasure to sit down for a conversation with Shia Kapos from Politico! I appreciated the opportunity to share how high costs and attacks on our basic freedoms are harming our community. There is no time to waste - we must keep fighting for an agenda that benefits all.

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 

Medicare Part D Open Enrollment

Medicare Part D open enrollment began 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?
Each year, Medicare Part D plans may increase 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.