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Medicare Outreach
The Administration on Aging works in close partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide outreach and one-on-one assistance to Medicare Beneficiaries and their caregivers. This includes information about Medicare Parts A, B, C, D, prevention services and assistance programs such as the Low Income Subsidy (LIS) under Part D, and Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). Through the Aging Network, millions of Medicare Beneficiaries are assisted every year.
Resources and Useful Links
National Resources:
On June 1, 2009, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius released $25 million in grants to help older people, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers apply for special assistance through Medicare. These grants, made possible by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), provide valuable support at the state and community levels for organizations involved in reaching and providing assistance to people likely to be eligible for the Low-Income Subsidy program (LIS), Medicare Savings Program (MSP), the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program and in helping beneficiaries to apply for benefits. This initiative also includes special targeting efforts to rural areas of the country and to Native American elders. See all MIPPA Funded States (xls).
AoA coordinates the Medicare outreach between CMS and the Aging Network to ensure Area Agencies on Aging and local service providers and partners have materials and resources available to them as they assist Medicare Beneficiaries and their caregivers. To find resources and materials go to: http://www.cms.gov/Partnerships
Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and resources, and those who are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, may qualify for extra help paying for their Part D premium through the low-income subsidy (LIS), provided by Medicare. The following link includes a LIS Outreach Toolkit providing LIS data in both interactive maps and sortable spreadsheets. The LIS Outreach Toolkit can be accessed at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/limitedincomeandresources/. To assist beneficiaries in applying for LIS online, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/i1020
Partners, beneficiaries and their caregivers can review Medicare prescription drug plan and health plan information online through the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder and Medicare Options Compare at http://www.medicare.gov.
Community Resources:
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP, is a national program that offers free one-on-one counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and their families. To contact a SHIP counselor in your area, please click here:
https://www.shiptalk.org/About/SHIProfileSearchForm.aspx?mf=Display
The Eldercare Locator is the first step to finding resources for older adults in any U.S. community. Just one phone call or Website visit provides an instant connection to resources that enable older persons
to live independently in their communities.
http://eldercare.gov/Eldercare.NET/Public/Index.aspx
| Last Modified: 2/28/2012 11:46:56 AM |
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