HHS Releases $30 Million to Help Medicare Beneficiaries Access Their Benefits

New Joint Effort to Reach the Most Vulnerable in Communities Across America
WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released $25 million in grants to help
older people, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers apply for
special assistance through Medicare, and an additional $5 million for a national
resource center to support these important efforts.

These grants, made possible by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and
Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), will provide valuable support at the state and
community levels for organizations involved in reaching and providing assistance
to people likely to be eligible for the Low-Income Subsidy program (LIS),
Medicare Savings Program (MSP), the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program
and in helping beneficiaries to apply for benefits. This initiative also
includes special targeting efforts to rural areas of the country and to Native
American elders.

"Medicare is essential to our effort to provide high-quality health care to all
Americans," said Secretary Sebelius. "Many people could be eligible for extra
help through Medicare and not even know it. We know that beneficiaries with the
greatest needs are often the most difficult to reach," said Secretary Sebelius.
"Through these new collaborations at the federal, state and local levels, we
will better be able to target and provide one-on-one assistance to our most
vulnerable citizens."

This MIPPA funding, which is jointly administered by HHS` Administration on
Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is being
awarded to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), State Agencies on
Aging, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers
(ADRCs), Native Americans Tribal Organizations and local communities to help
seniors, caregivers and those with disabilities on Medicare. These organizations
are important members of HHS` national network of state, tribal and
community-based organizations that assist seniors, caregivers and those with
disabilities with health benefits information and information on other services,
and enable them to remain independent and living in their communities as long as
possible.

"HHS is working hard to reach people who are unaware, unsure or unable to apply
for assistance for the benefits they deserve," said Charlene Frizzera, acting
administrator for CMS. "Through this collaboration between AoA and CMS, state
and community-based organizations will be able to work in partnership and make
maximum use of these federal funds to help seniors and those with disabilities
on Medicare." CMS and AoA have worked closely together on this and other
outreach efforts to assist older Americans, those with disabilities and their
families to access important benefits and services.

"MIPPA presents a new opportunity to build on the successful partnership between
AoA and CMS through the Medicare Part D outreach efforts, our Chronic Disease
Self-Management Programs, ADRCs, and the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term
Care Information," said Edwin L. Walker, acting Assistant Secretary for Aging.
"This new effort allows us to team up again so that we can leverage federal,
state and local resources to deliver health and long-term care services and
information to those who need it most."

The National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment, administered by the
National Council on Aging (NCOA), will help inform beneficiaries about benefits
available under federal and state programs, utilize cost-effective strategies to
find older individuals with the greatest economic need, coordinate state and
local efforts by providing a best practice clearinghouse, data collection,
training and technical assistance.

For more information about these grants, please visit
http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/AoA_Programs/Special_Projects/Medicare_Outreach/index.aspx.

National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment:
http://www.centerforbenefits.org/.

To find programs in local communities that can assist beneficiaries and their
caregivers, please visit www.Eldercare.gov and www.SHIPTalk.org.

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

HHS Press Office
202-690-6343

Copyright Business Wire 2009