NCOA’s Center for Benefits Access has awarded grants to 13 additional organizations to become part of our growing Benefits Enrollment Center (BEC) network. Since 2009, BECs have provided person-centered assistance to low-income seniors and younger adults with disabilities to enroll them in all of the benefits they may be eligible for but missing out on.
The new grantees join 44 other BECs to serve low-income Medicare beneficiaries in 31 states. The latest cohort of BECs include:
- The Arc of Prince Georges County, MD, will focus on reaching persons with disabilities aged 18-64, particularly those intellectual and developmental disabilities
- Area Agency of Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast Inc., an aging and disability resource center serving Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach and St. Lucie Counties, FL
- Asian Pacific Community in Action, assisting Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI), Black, Hispanic, and refugee groups in Maricopa County, AZ
- Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, PA, specializing in providing innovative bilingual programs and services for Cambodian refugees and immigrants from Vietnam, China, and Laos
- Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada will partner with two other agencies to conduct benefits outreach and enrollment in eight largely rural counties covering most of the state of Nevada
- Feeding the Gulf Coast will lead an effort with two other agencies to establish Benefits Enrollment Call Center that will serve all of Alabama and Mississippi
- Felton Institute/Family Service Agency, a nonprofit social service provider in San Francisco, CA
- First in Families of North Carolina is a grassroots family support initiative that will serve adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury
- Missouri Alliance of Area Agencies on Aging, an existing BEC, will partner with seven of the state’s Area Agencies on Aging to expand its BEC services
- Pima Council on Aging, the designated Area Agency on Aging in Pima County, AZ, will focus on assisting hard-to-reach rural residents and those with limited English proficiency
- United Cambodian Community, serving Cambodian immigrants and other limited English proficient populations in the Los Angeles, CA area
- Volunteers of America of Northern Louisiana, whose work targets veterans, people of color, rural residents, and people with chronic mental illness in Northern/Central Louisiana
- West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, together with four partners, will create a regional BEC network to serve the entire state of West Virginia
In 2016 alone, the network of BECs has helped over 69,719 individuals apply for over $219,589,111 in benefits that save money on prescriptions, food, utilities, and more.