“Historically, relatively small percentages of eligible seniors and people with disabilities have enrolled in many needs-based government benefit programs, even after many years of effort.”
-- Pathways to Success
About Us
At the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment, we seek to increase access to benefits for seniors and younger adults with disabilities.
Issue: Finding and enrolling seniors and younger adults with disabilities with limited means into the benefits for which they may be eligible represents an enormous challenge to the organizations and networks that serve them. As the table below shows, even after decades of outreach efforts, large percentages of low-income seniors eligible for important public benefits are not receiving them.
Many people are not aware of these programs, do not believe they qualify for these programs, do not understand the value of the benefits and/or need one-on-one assistance with filling out the application forms. Because there are limited resources available to find and enroll people with limited means into Federal and State benefits, it is critical that organizations use proven efficient and cost-effective methods to do this important work.
Benefits Programs: Along with its partners, the Center works to maximize enrollment in a variety of public and private benefits. Our main programs of interest are the Medicare Part D Extra Help/Low-Income Subsidy (LIS), the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as Food Stamps), Medicaid, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (where they exist), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Audience: We serve local, state and national organizations that want to help find and enroll seniors and younger adults with disabilities in need-based benefits programs. We also serve policy makers, government agencies, corporations and private foundations by helping them identify and invest in cost-effective strategies for increasing the enrollment of seniors in important programs.
Vision: All seniors and younger adults with disabilities who need, want and are eligible for public benefits will receive them.
Mission: At the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment, we seek to increase access to benefits for seniors and younger adults with disabilities by:
Providing tools and resources that help organizations to find, counsel and assist seniors and younger adults with disabilities to apply for and enroll in the benefits for which they may be eligible;
generating and disseminating knowledge about best practices and cost-effective strategies for benefits outreach and enrollment.
Functions: Through the financial support of the Administration on Aging, the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment:
maintains and updates web-based decision support tools, and person-centered systems, designed to provide assistance with enrollment in Federal and State benefits programs;
provides training and technical assistance on effective outreach, screening, enrollment, and follow-up strategies;
promotes the use of cost-effective strategies to find seniors and younger adults with disabilities with greatest economic need, and help them enroll in the programs for which they are eligible;
creates and supports efforts by qualified, experienced public and private community-based organizations to develop and operate Benefits Enrollment Centers;
develops and maintains an information and research clearinghouse on best practices and cost-effective methods for finding and enrolling those with greatest economic need in the programs for which they are eligible;
encourages public and private investment in cost-effective strategies for maximizing enrollment.
