85 local organizations now provide service to seniors in 41 states

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Maurisa Potts
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Arlington, VA (November 9, 2021) — The National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person’s right to age well, is expanding its national network of Benefits Enrollment Centers that offer in-person assistance to help eligible older Americans apply for benefits programs to pay for daily expenses. 

NCOA has added six new centers, allowing older adults in 85 communities across 41 states to get personalized help enrolling in programs that can pay for health care, prescriptions, food, utilities, and more. 

“Half of people with Medicare live on incomes of less than $26,200 a year, and many are forced to choose between paying for food or housing each month,” said Ramsey Alwin, NCOA President and CEO.

“Our community partners provide one-on-one assistance that is essential for older adults who are trying to access vital programs that have confusing applications or complicated eligibility requirements.”

In 2020 alone, NCOA’s local partners helped nearly 175,000 individuals enroll in benefits programs that saved them over $500 million. The centers use NCOA’s free online BenefitsCheckUp® tool to screen people for more than 2,500 benefits such as the Medicare Savings Programs, Part D Extra Help, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The centers are funded through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act administered by the U.S. Administration for Community Living. 

The six new Benefits Enrollment Centers are:

• Chicanos Por La Causa Inc., Phoenix, AZ
• League for the Blind & Disabled, Inc., Fort Wayne, IN
• Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging Inc., Ontario, OH
• Riverside County Office on Aging, Riverside, CA
• Southern Maine Agency on Aging, Biddeford, ME
• The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ

Several of the new centers will prioritize outreach to individuals who are historically under-enrolled in benefits or who face unique challenges to accessing services. These include:

• Rural older adults
• Border communities
• African Americans
• Immigrants
• Hispanics/Latinos
• Limited English Proficiency
• Asian Americans
• LGBTQ+
• Veterans
• Minority populations with disabilities (specifically the Navajo Nation, Hispanics/Latinos, and Asian Americans)

“Many of the 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day are not prepared to be economically secure for another 20 or 30 years, and one unexpected expense can send them into crisis,” Alwin said.

“The growth of the Benefits Enrollment Center network will allow NCOA and our partners to quickly provide support, so every person has the resources to age with dignity.”

About NCOA
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person’s right to age well. We believe that how we age should not be determined by gender, color, sexuality, income, or zip code. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, tools, best practices, and advocacy to ensure every person can age with health and financial security. Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. Follow us at @NCOAging.