KDPS director addresses Rotarians
Bill Johnson, director of Kinston Department of Public Safety, was born and reared in Lenoir County and worked at DuPont for seven and a half years before moving to California.
In 1986, he moved back to Kinston to work at the Fire Department. In 2010, he moved into his current position, which oversees the fire and police departments.
At a recent Evening Rotary Club meeting, Johnson reported that there were 10 murders in Kinston during 2011 and that was the reason for starting “Operation CounterPunch” in collaboration with state and federal law enforcement agencies. So far, 15 federal prisoners have been sentenced to prison as a result. Lately, the department has been focusing on trying to guide young people to a better, law-abiding way of life. Johnson encourages anyone witnessing or suspecting an unlawful act to immediately call the police department.
Evening Rotary meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays at the House of Wang.
SHIIP clinics set to interpret new Medicare statement
As of April 1, the Medicare Summary Notice — the statement that informs Medicare beneficiaries about their claims for Medicare services and benefits — has a new design. The MSN generally sets out what Medicare has or hasn’t covered, provides information about a beneficiary’s payment responsibilities, and lays out the process for initiating an administrative appeal when a beneficiary questions a denial of coverage.
New features on the revised MSN include: a clear notice on how to check the form for important facts and potential fraud; an easy-to-understand snapshot of the beneficiary’s deductible status, a list of providers they saw, and whether their claims for Medicare services were approved; clearer language, including consumer-friendly descriptions for medical procedures; definitions of all terms used in the form; larger fonts throughout to make it easier to read; and information on preventive services available to Medicare beneficiaries.
Volunteers with Lenoir County’s Seniors’ Health Insurance Information Program will hold informational clinics on how to read the revised MSN from 4 to 5 p.m. April 17 at the Pink Hill Wellness Center; and from 1 to 2 p.m. May 24 at the Skinner Senior Center, 112 E. Blount St., Kinston.
For more SHIIP or Medicare information, call Trudy Pickett, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Education agent, at 252-527-2191.