GeorgiaCares helps Georgia's Medicare beneficiaries, their families and others understand their rights, benefits and services under the Medicare program and other health insurance options.  The Southern Crescent GeorgiaCares Program serves a ten county area which includes Butts, Carroll, Coweta, Heard, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, Troup and Upson.

GeorgiaCares is a statewide coalition of private and public partners that seek to assist every eligible senior in enrolling in all applicable low-cost prescription savings-programs sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.  The program is sponsored statewide by the Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services and the Area Agencies on Aging.  Partners include pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, physicians, hospitals, state universities and other agencies.

GeorgiaCares is Georgia's SHIP for Medicare beneficiaries.  This program includes the Senior Medicare Patrol which seeks to educate beneficiaries on Medicare fraud, error and abuse.  The program seeks to provide timely and accurate information on Medicare, Medicare Savings Programs, Long Term Care Insurance, Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap), Medicare Advantage and Medicare Approved Drug Discount Programs.

GeorgiaCares hosts a toll-free number:

1-800-669-8387

The toll-free number will automatically route you to your local office in the area from which you are calling.  The Southern Crescent GeorgiaCares program makes every effort to respond to telephone requests for information within 48 hours, however, when the volume of calls is high, we ask callers to be patient, as calls are returned as quickly as possible.

The Southern Crescent GeorgiaCares Coordinator and Volunteers conduct community education and outreach events about Medicare, the low-cost prescription savings programs, and Medicare error, fraud and abuse.  The goal is to educate seniors on being good stewards of the Medicare program and to enroll as many people as possible in Medicare Savings Programs and all low-cost prescription assistance programs.

You can become a GeorgiaCares Volunteer!

The GeorgiaCares Volunteer Application in now available on the web and can be completed online.  Consider becoming a volunteer today.

Training for Volunteers is conducted regionally to provide education for new volunteers.  Volunteer trainings and recognitions have been made possible through grants from Eli Lilly and Company and many other partners.  Continuing education for the Southern Crescent GeorgiaCares Coordinator and/or volunteers on pharmaceutical programs, Medicare, and Medicare fraud, error and abuse is provided at regularly-scheduled quarterly meetings.  Training modules and manuals have been designed to assist local coordinators in training additional volunteers.

Information about the GeorgiaCares partnership with Eli Lilly and Company is featured on the Lilly Answers website at www.lillyanswers.com.

GeorgiaCares has also partnered with WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia.  WSB has printed over 30,000 brochures that have been distributed to 350 AirTran, McDonald's Restaurants, Haverty's Furniture stores and SouthTrust Bank locations.  Public Service Announcements on the GeorgiaCares program have been running since early March, 2004.  Beginning in May 2004, statewide information fairs were held which provided accurate and timely information to older Georgians who have to make critical decisions regarding changes in Medicare.

The Southern Crescent Area Agency on Aging hosted annual events in May 2004 and 2005.  Approximately 800 people participated in each of the Southern Crescent annual events.

Key GeorgiaCares projects and events include: Medicare2Seniors, Planning for Long Term Care, Flu Shot Initiative, AARP/GeorgiaCares Medicare Discount Card Training for Volunteers, Volunteers in Malls, Take Charge of Your Health, GeorgiaCares for Medicare Integrity, Readers Theatre, and the GeorgiaCares and Georgia Peanut Initiative.

GeorgiaCares assists senior adults throughout the state of Georgia.

Contact David Busch at the Southern Crescent Area Agency on Aging for information regarding the GeorgiaCares Program.