Hannon to host Medicare seminar Wednesday

State Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) will host an informational seminar on Medicare & the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Program on Wednesday.

The event will be held at Levittown Hall, 201 Levittown Pkwy., Hicksville, from 7 to 9 p.m. Featured speakers will be Medicare expert Rebecca Masutani and Laura Mulvihill, the state’s EPIC Program coordinator.

Beginning Jan. 1, the EPIC Program will help more than 280,000 income-eligible seniors  65 and older to supplement their out-of-pocket Medicare Part D drug costs. Previous cuts to the EPIC Program eliminated assistance for all seniors except those in the Medicare “doughnut hole,” officials said.

“Working with Governor [Andrew] Cuomo, I was able to restore $30 million to the program and again assist all eligible seniors to cover their prescription costs,” Hannon said in a statement.

In order to receive EPIC benefits, members must be enrolled in a Medicare Part D drug plan. EPIC will provide eligible members with secondary coverage for Medicare Part D covered drugs once the Part D deductible is met, and also will cover many Medicare Part D excluded drugs, officials said.

After members pay a fee or meet their EPIC deductible, they will only be responsible for a co-payment ranging from $3 to $20. EPIC will continue to pay Medicare Part D plan premiums for members with an annual income below $23,000 if single or $29,000 if married, officials said.

For more information, call Hannon’s office at 516-739-1700.