Benefits Checkup For Seniors

SOUTHBURY — Brownstein Jewish Family has teamed up with The Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging (WCAAA) and Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) on a unique program: A Benefits Checkup Screening has been scheduled for Wednesday, August 22, with the CT Medicare Bus. Screening are available to anyone on Medicare and will check for benefits that they may be entitled to but do not have at the present time. Many programs do not count a person’s assets (including their home) and are based entirely on their annual income.

The event will be held at the Walzer Family Jewish Community Campus, at 444 Main Street North, from 10 am to 1 pm. This program is open to the public, but reservations are required, as only 24 people can be screened on that day. The modern air-conditioned bus has four computer stations and four trained counselors who will do the private and confidential screening, which takes approximately 30 minutes.

Some of the state and federal benefits for which participants will be screened include: Medicare Savings Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage, Medicare Rx Extra help, State Pharmaceutical Assistance programs (SPAP), Medicaid for Aged, Blind and Disabled; Food Stamps Program, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), State Property Tax Relief/Rebates, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Telephone Assistance (Link-Up and Lifeline).

To quickly find out if they are eligible for any of these programs, participants will have to answer just a few questions. Counselors will tell them if they are eligible for these and other government and state programs that can save money on health care and prescription drugs.

Participants will need the following information about themselves or about the person they are helping (and for any children living in the household): home state and ZIP code; date of birth; type of residence (house, apartment, or mobile home); length of time in current residence; current income and assets from all sources for self, spouse and others in the household; estimates of current expenses (such as mortgage/rent, utilities, out-of-pocket medical bills, expenses for caring for someone at home while the person works or goes to school, etc); and names of prescription medications (it is recommended to have the prescription bottles or information available about the person’s medications from their health professional).

Reservations are required and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. For more information and/or to make a reservation, contact Debby Horowitz, Brownstein Jewish Family service director, at 267-3177, extension 105.