NCOA

The annual Medicare open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage and Part D plans ends Wednesday, December 7, 2022. To assist individuals who counsel Medicare clients, the National Council on Aging or NCOA developed a “Medicare Open Enrollment Toolkit”. The Toolkit includes many useful resources designed for professionals, advocates, caregivers, and/or older adults, including a fact sheet on changes to Medicare in 2023; information on Medicare Part A and Part B premiums and cost-sharing in 2023; a 2023 Medicare Part D cost-sharing chart; and other helpful information and guidance.

NCOA's free BenefitsCheckUp tool, used to connect aging professionals and their community to benefits programs, has been updated to be more accessible. The new version of the tool includes details on 2,000 benefits in English and Spanish, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicare Savings Programs, Affordable Connectivity Program; free, confidential eligibility checks by program or category; and Personalized support via a call center, chat, email, and connections to local centers.

The Age+Action 2022 Virtual Conference Call for Presentations is now open. This national event brings together hundreds of professionals who are dedicated to ensuring that every person has the resources to age well. The agenda will highlight populations that face barriers to aging well and rally attendees around proven ways to improve the lives of older adults in their communities.

NCOA, in partnership with the Medicare Rights Center, recently expanded the resources in their toolkit that help explain integrated care coverage options for dual eligibles. New items in the toolkit include a video tutorial explaining integrated care, an infographic for counselors, and comparison charts highlighting the differences between Original Medicare, PACE, Duals Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) and integrated D-SNPs.

Through a national survey, focus groups and a series of documentary videos, NCOA has collected data from grandparents providing part-time child care to young grandchildren. This research has helped helped NCOA create a one-of-its-kind Grand Connections workshop series to support grandparent caregivers.

NCOA and the Leading Age LTSS Center at UMass Boston released two issue briefs exploring the effects of pandemic-related food insecurity among older adults. The findings highlight the positive impact of SNAP in reducing food insecurity and call on the need for SNAP benefits provided by the American Rescue Plan to be permanent and consider increased food costs moving forward.

NCOA has partnered with the Medicare Rights Center to develop a toolkit for counselors who work with dual eligibles and beneficiaries themselves. This toolkit was created following interviews and focus groups with counselors and will be updated continually.

NCOA has partnered with the Medicare Rights Center to develop a toolkit for counselors who work with dual eligibles and beneficiaries. The toolkit includes a break down of coverage options in an easy-to-understand format for counselors and consumers. This toolkit was created following interviews and focus groups with counselors, and will be updated and enhanced with additional materials on an ongoing basis.

The Juanita C. Grant Foundation, in partnership with the National Council on Aging, is convening for a virtual Town Hall Meeting to develop strategies and initiate a Call to Action for communities of color to connect at the local level through trusted sources, in preparation for a COVID-19 vaccine prioritizing older adults. This flyer offers helpful resources for advocates in preparing communities of color for the COVID-19 vaccine.

This guide highlights the benefits and opportunities available for CBOs interested in providing services under Medicare FFS. It describes important considerations including billing and filing processes, culture change, and regulatory compliance. The guide also reviews how to enroll as a Medicare provider and outlines which services CBOs can offer.