Expanding Access to Benefits that Lower Medicare Costs for Low-Income Older Adults and People with Disabilities - Building on 75 years of service and a decades-long focus on benefits access, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) proposes to continue operating the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE) in partnership with ACL. NCOA’s goal is to dramatically expand access to federal and state benefits for low-income older adults and persons with disabilities, focusing on programs that make Medicare affordable. NCOA will execute five objectives: 1) insight-driven, user-centered enhancements to NCOA’s BenefitsCheckUp® (BCU), the nation’s most comprehensive web-based tool connecting individuals to benefits; 2) multi-channel outreach campaigns, strategic partnerships, and data-driven targeting through the Benefits Participation Map to reach populations with demonstrated enrollment gaps; 3) competitive sub-granting to establish up to 100 Benefits Enrollment Centers (BECs); 4) creation of a unified clearinghouse integrating resources for 12 million website users; and 5) delivery of comprehensive training and technical assistance to benefits professionals through an enhanced Learning Management System (LMS). NCOA’s approach leverages national, data-driven digital outreach with community-based best practices to reach a target population of individuals with greatest economic need and limited English proficiency. Significant partnerships include Urban Institute, AARP Foundation, Alley, ADvancing States, USAging, as well as SHIPs, AAAs, ADRCs, and No Wrong Door systems. Anticipated outcomes include: 75% of grantees implementing new or enhanced outreach/enrollment strategies; 5% year-over-year increases in benefits enrollment and out-of-pocket cost savings among eligible populations; and enhanced beneficiary understanding of the value of preventive services. Products include an expanded multilingual BCU, a comprehensive clearinghouse, training curricula, and a pioneering enrollment rate study. The three-year project leverages NCOA’s 16 years of NCBOE leadership.
