NCOA Selects 90 Community-Based Organizations to Connect Low-Income Older Adults to Benefits Programs
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Summary
NCOA recently announced the selection of 90 community-based organizations for its national network of Benefits Enrollment Centers (BECs). Over $18.5 million in funding will support the work of local benefits counselors who find and enroll older adults and people with disabilities in programs that make health care, prescriptions, food, and utilities more affordable. In 2024, NCOA’s local partners helped eligible individuals apply for over $825 million in public assistance.
The centers use NCOA’s free online BenefitsCheckUp® tool to screen people for more than 2,000 benefits, including the Medicare Savings Programs, Medicare Part D Extra Help, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Medicaid. The Benefits Enrollment Centers are funded through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, administered by the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL). This funding has had a 17-year record of bipartisan success and was most recently extended through 2027 by the 2026 Omnibus spending package. Nationwide, this program helped connect 4.7 million lower-income adults to benefits in 2023-2024.
The centers use NCOA’s free online BenefitsCheckUp® tool to screen people for more than 2,000 benefits, including the Medicare Savings Programs, Medicare Part D Extra Help, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Medicaid. The Benefits Enrollment Centers are funded through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, administered by the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL). This funding has had a 17-year record of bipartisan success and was most recently extended through 2027 by the 2026 Omnibus spending package. Nationwide, this program helped connect 4.7 million lower-income adults to benefits in 2023-2024.
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