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From the National Council of Aging, Benefits CheckUp does what the name suggests and helps you find out everything you're entitled to across the board.
Many older people need help paying for prescription drugs, health care, utilities and other basic needs. Ironically, millions of older Americans — especially those with limited incomes — are eligible for but not receiving benefits from existing federal, state and local programs. Ranging from heating and energy assistance to prescription savings programs to income supplements, there are many public programs available to seniors in need if they only knew about them and how to apply for them.
Developed and maintained by The National Council on Aging (NCOA), BenefitsCheckUp is the nation's most comprehensive Web-based service to screen for benefits programs for seniors with limited income and resources.
BenefitsCheckUp includes more than 1,650 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, such as:
- Prescription drugs
- Nutrition (including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)/Food Stamps)
- Energy assistance
- Financial
- Legal
- Health care
- Social Security
- Housing
- In-home services
- Tax relief
- Transportation
- Educational assistance
- Employment
- Volunteer services
Since 2001, millions of people have used BenefitsCheckUp to find benefits programs that help them pay for prescription drugs, health care, rent, utilities, and other needs. For more information on BenefitsCheckUp, contact us at comments@benefitscheckup.org.
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That's a great resource, Kay. I think having to sift through so many different sites and red tape is a tactic to discourage people from applying. That's great to have so much in one place. Thanks!
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That's a great resource, Kay. I think having to sift through so many different sites and red tape is a tactic to discourage people from applying. That's great to have so much in one place. Thanks!
I agree on both counts. I feel it's also a way to delay the application process to prevent claims being too costly. When a task looks gigantic, folks tend to procrastinate and the longer they wait to start their claims, the shorter the period they have to be paid for when approved.
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Excellent finds, Kay and I agree with greenmachine and frazzledmom. Thanks very much. I'll definitely be sharing them around. :)
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I saw the NCOA service mentioned on the Arizona Dept of Economic Security. It takes about 20 minutes to complete it says there. You need to remember to allow yourself that much time to go through the Benefits Checkup screening.
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Nice link Kay. Thanks.
Online calculators and programs are one of the best uses of the Internet that can be utilized IMHO.
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Nice link Kay. Thanks.
Online calculators and programs are one of the best uses of the Internet that can be utilized IMHO.
You're welcome micharch. :) Yes, I agree with you there. We have some excellent ones here and it would be great if we could expand the collection. I've been meaning to suggest that. Thanks for the reminder.
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With the New Year coming up, some will be losing out on their LIS and through that program are finding out if they can keep it. This reminder is from the NCOA news release last month.
During 2009, approximately 9.6 million Medicare recipients with limited income and resources automatically received a Low Income Subsidy (LIS) for prescription drug costs because they were in Medicaid, got Supplemental Social Security income (SSI), and/or were enrolled in one of the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). LIS pays part or all of the monthly premiums most Medicare Part D prescription drug plans charge. It also limits cost-sharing for prescriptions to modest co-payments.
Since September, the federal government has sent notices to older people informing them they will no longer automatically qualify for the benefit in 2010 because they lost eligibility to Medicaid, SSI or MSPs before July 2009. Nevertheless, low-income seniors may still be eligible for prescription drug help, and they can find out quickly and easily by going to BenefitsCheckUp at www.benefitscheckup.org. If eligible for LIS, they can also apply for the benefit online at the same time.
"Trying to keep up with changes to eligibility for prescription drug coverage each year can be daunting, but it's critical," said Stuart Spector, senior vice president at NCOA. "Our goal is to help older people, particularly those with limited income and resources, find out if they're eligible to continue receiving LIS in 2010 and then to sign up right there."
Beyond LIS prescription drug support, BenefitsCheckUp includes 2,000 federal, state, and local benefits programs and can determine an older adult's eligibility for help with utilities, food, housing, and other basic needs. Enrollment forms for these programs are provided as part of BenefitsCheckUp's interactive screening process. Since 2001, more than 2.3 million people have used the service, identifying benefits valued at more than $7.7 billion.
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Thanks for the update, Savannah. When things change in the New Year, most seniors accept it without making a fuss when it's benefits related. It's good to have some place to look out for old folks.
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Thanks for the update, Savannah. When things change in the New Year, most seniors accept it without making a fuss when it's benefits related. It's good to have some place to look out for old folks.
And there's also the eldercare link too in the thread. That will help them find more. We should share that with all the seniors we know.
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Thanks for the update, Savannah. When things change in the New Year, most seniors accept it without making a fuss when it's benefits related. It's good to have some place to look out for old folks.
And there's also the eldercare link too in the thread. That will help them find more. We should share that with all the seniors we know.
Agreed. It makes me mad to see seniors especially having to live in poverty in the final years of their lives. We call ourselves a civilized nation too.
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At least we have the internet to help us find solutions that we'd not have been aware of otherwise. AARP's an excellent site too for seniors.
This is off topic a little. This is an additional resource for older people and carers of them. I think if you're interested in the link above, you'll probably be interested in this one as well. Simply put in your zipcode and go from there.
http://www.eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Home.aspx
The best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his blessings and not his cash. ~Author Unknown