Local area agencies offer health help to seniors
Our forum has recently published the following opinion in the Quad City Times. To read it in the paper online click this link.
Local Area Agencies Offer Health Help to Seniors
Millions of older adults don’t realize financial assistance is available to help with health care and living expenses, so “tens of billions of dollars in benefits are going unused every year,” according to Josh Hodges, Chief Customer Officer at the National Council on Aging.
According to recent government estimates and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), nearly 14 million adults 60 years old or older qualify for food stamps but have not signed up.
Three million adults 65 or older are eligible but not enrolled in Medicare Savings Programs which pay for Medicare premiums and cost sharing.
Thirty to forty-five percent of seniors may be missing out on help from the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy Program which covers plan premiums, cost sharing, and lowers the cost of prescription drugs.
Every community in Iowa and Illinois has an Area Agency on Aging. These organizations are focused on helping seniors. They can help navigate Medicare and Medicaid options and applications. They coordinate and offer services that help older adults remain in their homes aided by services such as Meals-on-Wheels, homemaker assistance, and whatever else it may take to make independent living a viable option.
Check and share the following link to see what agencies serve your area, or call 800-677-1116. https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/About/Aging_Network/AAA.aspx
Frank Samuelson