January 2015 - Township of Schaumburg

SCHAUMBURG TOWNSHIP DISABILITY SERVICES
ABLEGRAM
January—February 2015
GREAT APPRECIATION
Schaumburg Township Disability Services would like to thank
these sponsors for our Holiday party for Disabled children and
families:
 Bolger Commercial Properties
 Village Tavern & Grill
 Schaumburg-Hoffman Lions Club
 Carpenters Union Local 839
 B & A Plumbing, Inc.
Many thanks also to the following area businesses for their generous donations:
Ala Carte Entertainment, Black Steer Charhouse, Culver’s of Schaumburg, El Meson Mexican
Restaurant, Gaylord Fine Indian Cuisine, Hoffman Estates Park District, Improv, JuliAnn’s
Salon & Spa Inc., Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, Lynfred Winery, Maggiano’s, Medieval
Times, Palm Court, Pilot Pete’s, Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel,
Schaumburg Park District, Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts, Seasons 52, Shedd
Aquarium, Westin Chicago Northwest, and Whole Foods.
Our department wishes to thank all the following volunteers for their time and hard
work this year’s children with disabilities holiday party. The party would not have been a
success without your help!
Mary Bell, Gail Edgren, Bill Eliasek, Susan Giannone, Dolores Haase, Ruth Haynie, Yvonne
Holzknecht, Barbara Hook, JR Hutson and Village Tavern employees, Lindsey Kaminsky,
Randy Kotecki, Trustee Nimish Jani, Mona Morrison, Trustee Jeffrey Mytych, Anna Newell,
Caryn Remer, Eileen Rozborski, Pat Ryan, Leo Salais, Tom Sucher, Mary Lou Szigeti, Rose
and Larry Szyszka, Ann Thomas, Trustee Robert W. Vinnedge, Lee and Lucas Vos, and Larry
Weniger.
Thank you, Bobbi Sloan,
for being a Holiday Sponsor
for our Holiday Party for our
seniors & residents with
disabilities!

Special thanks to Fabbrini’s
Flowers & Bob Schmidt for
donating the lovely flowers
for the tables.
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3
Schaumburg Township’s
Disability Services
Department is pleased to
announce Maureen
Centeno as the new
Assistant Director of
Disability Services.
Her phone number is 847-884-0030
ext. 2022. She is a great asset to our
department. Come in and meet her!
Schaumburg Township Offices
will be closed on Monday,
February 16, for the
President’s Day Holiday
Benefit Access Program
The State of Illinois introduced a new
program in 2013 called Benefit Access which
replaced the program previously called
Circuit Breaker. The Benefit Access program
includes a license plate discount and the ride
free transit card and you only have to apply
once every two years. We will begin to accept
appointments to renew your Benefit Access
application in January. If you are unsure of
your application status, please call our
department at 847-884-0030 and we can
check for you. If you are eligible to reapply,
you need to bring in proof of your 2014
income to your appointment.
Eligibility Requirements:
1. Age 65 or over or 16 years of age or older
before January 1, 2015, and permanently
disabled.
2. Must live in Illinois at the time you file
your application.
3. Income Based**:
Household 2013 Yearly Income
1
$ 27,610
2
$36,635
3
$45,657
**Information could change; at print time of
this newsletter, these are the guidelines.**
Social Security 1.7 Percent
Cost-of-Living Adjustment
(COLA) Increase for 2015
Monthly Social Security (SSA) and
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
benefits will increase 1.7 percent in 2015.
The increase for SSI beneficiaries begins in
January 2015 and the increased payments to
Social Security beneficiaries begins on
December 31, 2014.
AARP Tax-Aide Program
Schaumburg Township will sponsor the
AARP Tax-Aide Program in 2015. This is
the nation’s largest volunteer-run assistance
program. All tax-aide volunteers are IRS
certified to prepare tax returns and answer
tax questions at no cost to taxpayers with
low and middle income. Special attention is
given to those ages 60 and older and people
with disabilities. New rules this year:
everyone must present a picture ID and
couples filing jointly must both be
present for their appointment. Please call
senior services at 847-884-0030 to schedule
an appointment the last week in January.
Benefit Counseling
Services Available
The Senior Health Insurance
Program (SHIP) is sponsored by
the Illinois Department on Aging.
Schaumburg Township is a SHIP site
dedicated to providing free one-on-one
insurance counseling. Benefit counseling
services include answering questions about
Medicare, Medicaid, and the prescription
drug assistance program. We can also help
with eligibility, benefit questions, and
enrollment. SHIP is not affiliated with any
insurance company and does not sell or
solicit any type of insurance. Please call the
senior or disability services department at
847-884-0030 to schedule an appointment
or for more information. We look forward
4 to assisting you!
Thank you Home Instead for being a Major Sponsor
for this year’s Holiday party!
5
2015 Medicare Premiums
and Deductibles
Township Bus
Service News
Below is the updated 2015 premium, copay, and deductible information for
Medicare:
 Part A Deductible: $1,260
 Part A Copayment (Days 61-90): $315/
day
 Lifetime Reserve Copayment (Days 91
-150): $630/day
 Skilled Nursing Facility Copayment
(Days 21-100): $157/day
 Part B Annual Deductible: $147
 Part B Monthly Premium*: $104.90
* The 2015 Part B monthly premium will
be higher for individuals with an annual
income higher than $85,000, when filing
taxes individually, and $170,000 when
filing a joint tax return. People who
qualify for Medicare and Medicaid can
have the Part B premium paid by
Medicaid.
(SHIP)
The Schaumburg Township
senior and disabled bus
service will no longer be taking clients to the
Northwest Community Hospital/Arlington
Heights area. Clients who need transportation
to this area need to use the TRIP service. These
changes are occurring due to excessive
demands on our services. We apologize for the
inconvenience. If you have any questions or
concerns, please contact the director of
transportation, Susan Vosmik, at 847-8840030, ext. 2010.
Fuel Filling Service
for Seniors and Disabled
One gas station is leading the
way in helping seniors and
disabled motorists. The Hoffman Estates BP
gas station, located at the intersection of
Barrington Rd and Higgins Rd, is offering
complementary fuel filling service for seniors
and people with disabilities. This service is
only offered on Sundays and Mondays from
9:00 a.m. to noon. An attendant will come out
and refuel your car for you. Please use the gas
pumps located on the west side of the building.
Honk your horn and someone will come out
and assist you.
Diabetes Support Group Resumes
Northwest Community Hospital health
nurse Josie Gould will be resuming the
diabetes support group on Wednesday,
January 14, 2015, in room 102, from 10:30
a.m.—11:30 a.m. The support group will
be meeting on the second Wednesday of
each month from 10:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m.
Please contact Josie at 847-285-4551 or
email her at jgould@nch.org with your
information if you would like to participate
in her diabetes support group.
Anyone who needs support or guidance
can walk in and see Josie anytime on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m.—
1:00 p.m. Josie will be providing health
and wellness services 24 hours a week in
room 102. Josie has been a registered
nurse for over 35 years and will provide a
variety of healthcare needs for the
community.
6
7
Schaumburg Township continued their tradition, hosting two holiday parties for seniors and
people with disabilities. Our annual senior and disability holiday party was held at Chandler’s
Chophouse on Wednesday, December 3. The luncheon was generously sponsored by Home
Instead Senior Care, the Illinois Communications Access Corporation (ITAC) and Ms.
Bobbie Sloan. Due to the generous financial assistance from the three major sponsors, we
were able to invite 250 guests to this year’s party. The party began with guests served a formal
lunch. Shortly after eating, The Notables sang classic holiday tunes. Afterwards, raffle prizes
were given to two winners at each table. One of the raffle prizes were flowers donated by
Fabbrini’s Flowers and Mr. Bob Schmidt. A good time was had by all!
Schaumburg Township was overflowing with holiday cheer at the party for children with
disabilities and their families on December 13th. Fifty children and their families were treated
to a lunch of chicken fingers from Village Tavern and Grill, hot dogs and potato chips and the
very popular Culver’s frozen custard desserts.
‘Those Funny Little People’ got everyone in the Christmas spirit filling the room with their
holiday songs and children’s laughter, as they gave memorable kisses and hugs to all. Of
course, everyone was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the special guest, Santa Claus. Santa
spoke with each child and gave them a gift especially selected for their ability. Families were
able to take pictures with Santa and raffle prizes were distributed.
The holiday party is a success due to the many volunteers and donors who contribute their,
time, energy and monetary donations so generously. The staff and owners of Village Tavern
and Grill are a fixture at this event, preparing and serving food and making sure the families are
getting the help they need to have a good time. Also helping every year are many dedicated
volunteers who never miss the children's party and help with whatever needs to be done.
This year’s holiday party was made possible through the extreme generosity of Bolger
Commercial Properties, Village Tavern and Grill, the Schaumburg-Hoffman Lions Club,
Carpenters Union Local 839, and B & A Plumbing.
8
Free Amplified
Telephones Available
Monday and Friday Retail
Shopping Trips With
the Township Bus
The Illinois Telecommunications Access
Corporation (ITAC) offers free amplified
telephones for qualified Illinois residents
with a certified hearing loss. Schaumburg
Township Disability Services is a selection
center to test the phones. There are four
phones to choose from. Also, every four
years you are eligible for an additional
free amplified telephone. Please contact
disability services at 847-884-0030 for
more information, to verify if you are
eligible for your second free phone or to
schedule an appointment to test the phones.
Below is the January and February
Monday and Friday Retail Shopping Trip
schedule for the Schaumburg Township Bus.
Reservations are required. Please call the
transportation department at 847-882-1929
for your reservation.
January
Medicare Medicaid
Alignment Initiative
The
Medicare-Medicaid
Alignment
Initiative (MMAI) is for seniors and
persons with disabilities who are enrolled
in both Medicare and Medicaid. The
MMAI program covers all your Medicare
and
Medicaid
benefits,
including
prescription drug benefits/Medicare Part D.
When you enroll, you can choose a primary
care provider (PCP) who will give you
information to help you stay healthy and
make referrals. All plans have a choice of
doctors, specialists and hospitals. One
health plan will cover all your healthcare
needs! Care coordinators will help in
keeping you healthy and assist you in
reaching your health goals. Inquire about
your options in choosing the right plan; if
you do not choose a plan, a plan will be
assigned to you. You may also choose to
opt out completely from the MMAI plan
and stay with your current Medicare/
Medicaid coverage.
To enroll or to learn more about MMAI,
please call 1-877-912-8880 or visit
www.EnrollHFS.Illinois.gov.
Monday - 5th
Friday - 9th
Walmart
Barrington
Monday - 12th
Friday - 16th
Target
Barrington
Monday - 19th
Walmart
Elk Grove
Friday - 23rd
No Shopping
Trip
Monday - 26th
Friday - 30th
Target
Higgins
February
9
Monday - 2nd
Friday - 6th
Walmart
Barrington
Monday - 9th
Friday - 13th
Target
Barrington
Monday - 16th
Closed
Friday - 20th
Walmart
Elk Grove
Monday - 23rd
Friday - 27th
Target
Higgins
Is your bill being estimated?
DIY: Electric and Gas Bill Analysis
Next, determine if your energy usage is
being estimated by looking under the meter
section of your bill. If a company did not
read your meter that month, it should
indicate so on the bill. If a utility estimates
your usage two months in a row, that should
raise a red flag. Call the utility and find out
why. Estimations can be inaccurate, and that
means you could get hit with high make-up
bills later on. (Note: One advantage of
the digital electric meters being installed by
ComEd and Ameren is that the new devices
should do away with estimated readings,
because the meters can be read remotely.)
Have you ever looked at your energy bills
and asked yourself, “Why are they so high?”
You frantically scan them in hopes of
finding the problem but don’t know where to
start. These are three key questions we ask
about any electric or gas bill.
Are you with an alternative supplier?
First, check whether your electricity or gas is
being supplied by an alternative supplier or
the regulated utility. If an unfamiliar name
appears in the supply section of your bill,
then you’re with an alternative supplier. To
determine the best deal, compare its rate to
the rate you would be paying with the
regulated utility. Also, check for monthly
fees that can cause prices to skyrocket. If the
alternative supplier’s price is better, stay
with it but be wary of variable rates which
can change unpredictably from month-tomonth. If the alternative supplier’s price
isn’t better, investigate how to get out of
your contract. (Be careful of cancellation
fees.)
Bills will tell you if your meter reading for the past
two months was “estimated” or “actual.” If you see
two estimated readings in a row, contact the
utility. ComEd’s bill is shown here.
Look at the supply portion of your bill to see if
you are with an alternative supplier. This is
where you’ll find it on a ComEd bill.
Is your energy usage unusually high?
Finally, evaluate your energy usage to see if
there’s been an unusual spike. If it seems
unusually high, compared with past bills, that
could mean there’s a problem with the meter.
Call your utility for a free meter check. Bigscreen TVs, multiple refrigerators and the
size of your house also can explain high
usage, so ask yourself if any of these apply to
you. By signing up for energy efficiency
programs, like Peak Time Savings and CUB
Energy Saver, you can learn how to cut your
utility bills even more. If you’ve read over
your bills and still have questions, please
don’t hesitate to call CUB’s Consumer
Hotline, at 1-800-669-5556.
(DIY: Electric and Gas Bill Analysis continues
next column)
(DIY:Electric and Gas Bill Analysis by Samantha
Vercellino)
10
Township Officials
Mary Wroblewski—Supervisor
Timothy M. Heneghan—Clerk
Diane Dunham—Trustee
W. Robert Vinnedge—Trustee
Jeffrey Mytych—Trustee
Nimish Jani—Trustee
John Lawson, CIAO—Assessor
Scott M. Kegarise—Highway
Commissioner
One Illinois Blvd.
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
847-884-0030 (V)
224-520-9763 (VP)
847-884-1560 (TTY)
847-884-0039 (FAX)
The Ablegram, Deaf Line and Town Crier
Newsletters are available on our website at:
www.schaumburgtownship.org
REPRINT REMINDER
Disability Staff Email:
gbartnicke@schaumburgtownship.org
sphadke@schaumburgtownship.org
mcenteno@schaumburgtownship.org
lperschon@schaumburgtownship.org
lkaminsky@schaumburgtownship.org
We thank other newsletters, which have
been reprinting our articles with proper
credit!
Any organization may reprint
articles from either of our newsletters if
credit is given by name of newsletter and
date. Any questions? Call 847-884-0030
(V), 224-520-9763 (VP) or 847-884-1560
(TTY).
Disability & Deaf Services847-884-0030 (V)
Gerry Bartnicke—Director—Ext. 2020
Sarita Phadke—Deaf Services Coord.
224-520-9763 (VP)
847-884-1560 (TTY)
Maureen Centeno— Asst. Director—2022
Lauren Perschon—PR &Event Coord.—2025
Lindsey Kaminsky—Benefits Specialist—
2024
ABLEGRAM AND DEAF LINE
The Ablegram and Deaf Line Newsletters
are available to Schaumburg Township
residents at the disability services office or
by calling 847-884-0030 (V), 224-520-9763
(VP) or 847-884-1560 (TTY). They include
articles of interest to people who are
disabled, deaf or hard of hearing or agencies
working with them. The Ablegram is bimonthly and Deaf Line is monthly and
includes a calendar. Agencies should call
847-884-0030 (V), 224-520-9763 (VP) or
847-884-1560 (TTY) to request either
newsletter.
11
Schaumburg Township Disability Services
One Illinois Blvd.
Hoffman Estates, IL 60169
January 2015
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Tuesday, January 13 – CFDC Meeting – 6:45 p.m.
Thursday, January 22 – Ups For Downs Support Group – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 27 – Fibromyalgia Support Group – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 28 – Epilepsy Support Group – 7:00 p.m.
February 2015
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Thursday, February 5 – Alzheimer’s Support Group – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 10 – CFDC Meeting – 6:45 p.m.
Monday, February 16 – President’s Day Holiday Township Closed
Tuesday, February 24 – Fibromyalgia Support Group – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 25 – Epilepsy Support Group – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, February 26 – Ups For Downs Support Group – 7:00 p.m.