Contact:
Georgiana Bloom
202.609.6935
georgiana.bloom@ncoa.org

Washington, DC – July 25, 2008 – Throughout most of the country, it’s another hot summer and many older people are trying to figure out how to pay for air conditioning, as well as food and medicine.  And when the seasons change, millions of these same seniors will probably need help staying warm, with home heating oil costs expected to reach record highs.

For many older people this can be a life or death issue.  This was tragically revealed during the heat wave of 1995, when 485 people died in a major midwestern city in one week, the vast majority of whom were poor older people who could not afford to pay the utility bills to cool their apartments or were without air conditioning altogether.

BenefitsCheckUp® can help seniors with their energy costs. Developed and maintained by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), BenefitsCheckUp is a free online service that helps older Americans find and enroll in benefits programs that help with vital needs including heating bills, housing, prescription and medical costs, meal programs and tax relief. By simply visiting www.BenefitsCheckUp.org, seniors with limited means can find out if they are eligible for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps people with limited income and resources pay for their utilities, and get help applying for the program.

"Older people are especially vulnerable to extreme temperatures, making both adequate air conditioning and heat critical," said Stuart Spector, NCOA Senior Vice President. "Millions of older Americans on fixed incomes qualify for energy assistance and are not taking advantage of LIHEAP. BenefitsCheckUp can help seniors find out if they’re eligible for this essential help."
 
According to findings of a comprehensive survey in 2005 by the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), 92 percent of the elderly consider LIHEAP very important to helping them meet their energy costs. Today, with costs escalating on all fronts, the urgency for LIHEAP is growing, with members of Congress calling on President Bush to release funds for the program.

BenefitsCheckUp is free and confidential and can be used by seniors, their adult children, caregivers or local organizations to determine their eligibility for LIHEAP and get assistance in applying – all by filling out a simple questionnaire online.  Since its launch in 2001, BenefitsCheckUp has helped more than two million seniors and those who care for them find more than $6 billion in benefits.  The free online service has more than 1,550 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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About NCOA
Founded in 1950, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a non-profit organization with 3,700 members, and a national network of some 14,000 organizations and leaders. Our programs help older people stay healthy and independent, find jobs, access benefits programs, and discover meaningful ways to continue contributing to society.

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Contact:
Georgiana Bloom
202.609.6935
georgiana.bloom@ncoa.org

EyeCare America Contact:
Allison Neves
415.561.8518
aneves@aao.org

Washington, DC – July 21, 2008 – The National Council on Aging (NCOA) and EyeCare America are working together to benefit older Americans with limited means who have vision or other eye problems.  This means seniors can now determine whether they qualify for benefits programs related to eye care by visiting NCOA’s BenefitsCheckUp® Web site.

The process is simple.  A senior or caregiver visits www.BenefitsCheckUp.org and after filling out a questionnaire, receives a report with the programs they qualify for. If eligible for eye care help, they will be connected to EyeCare America, which offers a variety of programs – for glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, cataracts and more, provided by a pool of over 7,000 volunteer eye doctors (ophthalmologists) who provide eye exams and care, often at no out-of-pocket cost to EyeCare America patients.
 
"For years, NCOA has been creating new ways both to help people find out about benefits to which they may be entitled and facilitate enrollment in the benefits programs BenefitsCheckUp identifies," said NCOA Senior Vice President Stuart Spector.  "This new relationship with EyeCare America provides another dimension of benefits that can help improve a critical aspect of older American’s wellbeing – their vision."

 "We find that many people don’t pay attention to their eye health until something goes wrong," said Richard P. Mills, MD, chair of EyeCare America. "A simple painless eye exam can catch eye diseases early and preserve sight."

NCOA sponsors BenefitsCheckUp®, the online service that helps people 55 and older find federal, state and local benefits programs for which they potentially qualify.  EyeCare America, the public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides eye care services to the medically underserved and for those at increased risk for eye disease through its corps of 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists dedicated to serving their communities.

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About NCOA
Founded in 1950, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a non-profit organization with 3,700 members, and a national network of some 14,000 organizations and leaders. Our programs help older people stay healthy and independent, find jobs, access benefits programs, and discover meaningful ways to continue contributing to society.

About BenefitsCheckUp®
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. It includes more than 1,550 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since 2001, more than two million people have used the service with a value of more than $6 billion.

About EyeCare America
Established in 1985, EyeCare America, the public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is committed to the preservation of sight, accomplishing its mission through public service and education.  EyeCare America provides eye care services to the medically underserved and for those at increased risk for eye disease through its corps of 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists. More than 90 percent of the care made available is provided at no out-of-pocket cost to the patients.  EyeCare America includes programs for seniors, glaucoma, diabetes, AMD and children, and is the largest program of its kind in American medicine.  Since its inception, EyeCare America has helped more than one million people.  EyeCare America is a non-profit program whose success is made possible through charitable contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations.  More information can be found at: www.eyecareamerica.org.

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Millions of low-income seniors haven’t filed

WASHINGTON, DC – July 1, 2008 – In response to the recent IRS announcement that millions of older Americans had not yet filed for their economic stimulus payments, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is urging seniors to use its Stimulus Payment Tool at www.BenefitsCheckUp.org.

"BenefitsCheckUp® makes it easy for seniors to determine their eligibility for the stimulus payment – even if they haven’t had to file taxes in years," says Stuart Spector, NCOA Senior Vice President.  "All you have to do is go to www.BenefitsCheckUp.org, fill out a simple form and you’re on your way. And, people have until October 15."

"Since individuals who file receive $300 and couples $600," Spector explained, "it can mean a lot to someone on a fixed income, especially with rising gas, food, and health care costs."

According to the IRS, for those with limited incomes who have been reluctant to file thinking the check will affect their benefits programs, the stimulus payment check does not count toward other benefit programs (such as food stamps, Medicaid, or Section 8 housing) as long as someone spends the money within two months after receiving it, or the payment does not raise savings above the limit allowed by the benefit programs.

NCOA, a national leader in finding and enrolling older Americans in benefits programs, has urged the IRS to immediately intensify their efforts to reach the 5.2 million people eligible for economic stimulus payments but who have not yet filed.

NCOA and AARP Tax-Aide vigorously helped in this effort upon IRS’ announcement of the Economic Stimulus program in March, including launching the tool on www.BenefitsCheckUp.org that helps people file for the stimulus payment.  To learn more about BenefitsCheckUp, watch the video or listen to the podcast on the Web site.

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About Benefits CheckUp
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. It includes more than 1,550 public and private benefits programs from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since 2001, more than two million people have used the service with a value of more than $6 billion.

About NCOA
Founded in 1950, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a non-profit organization with 3,700 members, and a national network of some 14,000 organizations and leaders. Our programs help older people stay healthy and independent, find jobs, access benefits programs, and discover meaningful ways to continue contributing to society.

Media Contact:
Georgiana Bloom
202.609.6935
Georgiana.Bloom@ncoa.org

Filed under: News by Michael ONeil
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