October 5, 2021

Independent Health to award 65 charities a total of $42,000 during Medicare Open Enrollment

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Independent Health seeks submissions for its “Nominate Your Favorite Charity” program, which began Oct. 1 and runs through the completion of the Medicare annual enrollment season, Dec. 7. Every two weeks, Independent Health will randomly select 13 local non-profit organizations to receive $650 each. This amounts to $42,000 for 65 non-profit charitable organizations (#650for65charities).

“This Medicare season, Independent Health wanted to give back to Western New York in a special way,” said Cathy Aquino, director of government sales, Independent Health. “As the only truly local health plan, we remain committed to investing in our community and chose to support the organizations our members and the wider community value most.”

Anyone can nominate a charity of their choice. You do not need to be an Independent Health member or Medicare-eligible to submit a nomination, nor is there an obligation to enroll with Independent Health. Entries are limited to one nomination per person and the non-profit organizations must have 501(c)(3) status and operate within the eight counties of Western New York.

The selected charities will be individually notified if they’ve received an award. A full list of recipients will be posted on independenthealth.com/charity every two weeks.

Individuals who are interested in nominating a charity may do so by:

•  Visiting a Medicare Information Center
• Submitting a form online
• By phone at (716) 635-4900 or 1-800-958-4405 (TTY users call 711)

Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the nomination period

“We’re excited to offer this opportunity to the entire Western New York community, and encourage anyone seeking information about their Medicare Advantage plan options to stop into one of our local sites and learn how to get the most out of your plan benefits,” said Aquino.