Wealth ... Senior Living
Article provided by
Dale Carter, founder
Transition Aging Parents
REVIEW OF “BENEFITS CHECK-UP” TOOL
In these tough economic times, you will likely meet or talk with someone who is struggling financially. Here’s an overview of a helpful tool provided by the NCOA (National Council on Aging). The tool identifies federal, state, local and private programs that will help pay for prescription drugs, utility bills, meals, and health care.
The website shows that “As of Sunday, April 19, 2009 we have helped 2,271,236 people find over $7.1 billion worth of the annual benefits they deserve.”
How does “Benefits Checkup” tool work?
- Go to this website: http://www.benefitscheckup.org
- Click on "Get Started" under “Find Benefits Program"
- You can select from several different options for particular areas of need. But, I assumed I’d be seeking help for someone who had never needed it before. So I clicked on “Go” under “Comprehensive”
- There is a Help option that tells you what information you’ll need to have on hand in order to answer the questions
- Once you gather that information, you then complete an “interview” form online that determines "potential eligibility" for benefits programs
The result:
- A personalized report (based on zip code, date of birth, income/expenses, prescriptions) of all the benefit programs the person appears to be eligible for, titled “Your Benefits Checkup Report”.
- For each potentially eligible program, the following information is included:
– A description of the program
– How to request assistance from the program (phone number, address, website)
– Supporting documentation you need to provide in order to get the assistance
The online "interview" form is easy to follow and complete. And, I was very impressed with the personalized report (in pdf format) that resulted. I think this is a very helpful, comprehensive tool for the elderly who are seeking assistance.
© 2009 Transition Aging Parents. All Rights Reserved.
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Dale Carter, founder of Transition Aging Parents, is dedicated to providing insight and information to adult children of aging parents so their parents may "thrive and find joy" in every stage of life. To get your F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and receive her bi-weekly articles on resources, options, and new innovations for aging parents, visit http://transitionagingparents.com