Dec. 5, 2012

Webinar: Looking back, looking ahead

Supreme Court upholds the Affordable Care Act. States make progress on demonstration projects for dual eligibles. Older Americans Act programs threatened by fiscal cliff. 2012 was filled with headlines about policy and programmatic activities that affect low-income seniors. Join us for our December webinar as we examine some of the key events of 2012, and what the forecast looks like for 2013.
Register for the Dec. 19 webinar

What did SNAP benefits look like last year?

A new report from the USDA provides data on the demographic and economic circumstances of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households in the past year. Among the findings are that the national average benefit for a senior living alone was $122/month. The report also includes state-level data.
Download the report | Find SNAP in your state

Social Security and same-sex marriages

What options exist for legally married same-sex couples to receive spousal Social Security benefits? A recent report from GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders) outlines the current policy and what couples can do to preserve their rights. On Dec. 12, the National Senior Citizens’ Law Center (NSCLC) will host a webinar on this topic.
Read the report | Register for the NSCLC webinar

What does the public think about Medicare cuts?

The Leadership Coalition of Aging Organizations has compiled a fact sheet of key consumer surveys that indicate that the majority of Americans are opposed to proposals that would decrease spending on Medicare in order to reduce the federal deficit.
View the fact sheet

End of open enrollment nears; 5-star SEP begins soon

Another open enrollment period comes to a close in a few days (Dec. 7). We applaud you for all your hard work! You may still have a few clients who need help after this date to find and enroll in a plan. Remember to consider the new 5-star Special Enrollment Period (SEP), which starts each year on Dec. 8, along with the low-performing SEP, extension for those affected by Hurricane Sandy, and a host of other SEPs that can get your clients into a plan that best meets their needs.
Learn more about star-quality rating SEPs | Explore Part D SEPs | See common Medicare Advantage SEPs | Learn about the Hurricane Sandy extension

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• The New Aging Marketplace and Its Impact on Older Americans, Dec. 13 at 1:30 pm ET—Register for this webinar from NCOA and IlluminAge.

Did you miss this?

• Medicare Parts A & B Cost Sharing Amounts in 2013—Learn what your clients will pay next year in our handy chart.
• Enhanced Pension Benefits—See more in this video from the Veterans Administration.
• I changed plans for 2013. Do I need to notify my 2012 plan? Get the answer in the December My Medicare Matters question of the month.
• LIS Resource Amounts for 2013—Find the new resource amounts for the Part D Low-Income Subsidy/Extra Help program.
• Protect Your Pocketbook: Tips to Avoid Financial Exploitation—Download the consumer guide from n4a.
• National Summary of State Medicaid Managed Care Programs—Get the latest info from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Benefits Alert is published by the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment and National Council on Aging. Your contributions and comments are welcome and should be sent to centerforbenefits@ncoa.org.

The National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment helps organizations enroll seniors and younger adults with disabilities with limited means into the benefits programs for which they are eligible so that they can remain healthy and improve the quality of their lives. For more information, visit www.centerforbenefits.org.