Department of Health and Human Services
Administration on Aging

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Media Advisories

Assistant Secretary for Aging, Josefina G. Carbonell & Medicare Address the Midwest Health & Abilities Expo

For Immediate Release
July 13, 2007

The Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) - Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging, and Mark Gilbert, CMS Regional Administrator - will address the Midwest Health & Abilities Expo attendees to highlight “A Healthier US Starts Here,” a Medicare prevention initiative, which is helping people learn how to prevent disease and live healthier, more active lives.
The 2007 Midwest Health & Abilities Expo is a free public event sponsored by the Independent Living Resource Center that will run July 13-14, 2007. The Expo will feature health and wellness services for both the aged and disabled population.
During the Medicare bus tour visit, as well as throughout the 2-day Expo, Medicare staff will be available to answer questions and provide information on “A Healthier US Starts Here.” Expo attendees can:

• Get a Medicare preventive benefits checklist to take to their doctor
• Learn about MyMedicare.gov – an online tool to track Medicare benefits
• Participate in a seminar on Medicare preventive services
• Learn about available health & ability resources
  
  

BACKGROUND:

Medicare covers many important screenings and other preventive benefits to help people with Medicare live healthier and more active lives. When Medicare beneficiaries do not take advantage of these preventive services, we all pay, both in terms of loss of lives, and hundreds of billions of dollars in hospitalization costs-taxpayer dollars. As part of the Healthier US Starts Here initiative, Medicare and its partners will raise awareness of the importance of preventing chronic disease and illness like heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. The Medicare tour bus will visit each of the 48 continental states over the course of this spring and summer, bringing spokespersons to work with community partners, city and state leaders, and disease prevention advocates involved in these initiatives. People with Medicare will be asked to take action, talk to their health care providers and visit www.mymedicare.gov to learn more about preventive services they are eligible to receive and access tools to help manage their healthcare.

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The AoA is a Federal agency dedicated to policy development, planning and the delivery of supportive home and community-based services to older persons and their caregivers through the national aging network of state and local agencies on aging, tribal organizations, service providers and volunteers.

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