Matching Seniors With Benefit Programs

More than 5 million seniors are currently missing out on hundreds of state and federal benefits programs that could save them thousands of dollars in medical costs. But a new Web site, launched by the National Council on the Aging can help them remain healthy, independent and financially secure.

On Thursday's Early Show, Jim Firman, president of the NCOA, gave advice on navigating the site and zeroing in on eligibility.

On June 5, 2001, The National Council on the Aging (NCOA) launched BenefitsCheckUp.com to help older people and their families learn about and get the benefits they need.

According to the NCOA, the service is:

• Fast. It takes less than 15 minutes to learn what would have previously taken months to find out.
• Confidential. The system does not ask for a name, address, telephone number, social security number or any other personal identifier.
• Comprehensive. The BenefitsCheckUp database includes more than 950 programs and 40,000 local entry points.
• Free. It's a public service of the NCOA with help from foundations and corporations.

The following are some examples of health benefits that seniors may be missing out on.

Home care benefits. Forty states provide in-home services to seniors who need help to remain in their own homes. Many seniors simply aren't aware of these programs or have a hard time finding out whether they qualify for services.

Medicaid. An estimated 3,000,000 seniors are missing out on this program to help pay hospital, doctor, prescription drug and other medical expenses.

Health insurance counseling. All seniors, regardless of income, are eligible for free counseling help to get the most out of Medicare, Medigap and other forms of supplemental insurance.

Pharmacy assistance. Twenty-nine states offer benefits to help seniors pay for prescription drugs. Most programs are greatly underutilized. What's more, many states have expanded recently or are in the process of expanding their pharmacy assistance programs. Some of the states have very generous income limits--as high as $45,000 or $50,000.

Veterans' health benefits. When our soldiers came home from World War II and Korea, the government enacted several new benefits to help them. Fifty years later, many seniors have forgotten that they are eligible for healthcare and in-home services from the Veterans Administration.
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