Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) today introduced the Senior Savings Protection Act, which will reauthorize Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) funding for beneficiary outreach and assistance for 5 years.
This bill would ensure MIPPA grants remain available to support education and application assistance for those eligible for, but not currently receiving, valuable services that will lower their health care costs. Through this funding, states offer in-person and face-to-face counseling and education, eligibility screening, benefit explanation, application and enrollment assistance, application submission and promotion of preventive services. MIPPA programs have been critical in helping low-income older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers save money and get the care they need.
“Areas with a high concentration of low-income Medicare beneficiaries are often overlooked and under-resourced,” said Senator Blunt Rochester, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. “Amid increasing insurance options and administrative requirements, consumer access to information about Medicare through targeted outreach is more important than ever. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation protects meaningful investments that help seniors make informed decisions about their health. I’m excited to continue working with Senator Blackburn and all my colleagues on this effort.”
“Seniors shouldn’t have to struggle to navigate the Medicare system and miss out on benefits they need,” said Senator Blackburn, a member of the Senate Finance Committee. “Our bipartisan Senior Savings Protection Act would help ensure lower-income seniors, people with disabilities, and caregivers can access personalized guidance to lower their healthcare costs and get the care they deserve.”
Since 2008, states and tribes have provided outreach and education to more than one million low-income Medicare beneficiaries through funding from the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). Many seniors, people with disabilities, families and caregivers need help navigating the Medicare programs and services they are entitled to. This is especially true for lower-income seniors, those in rural areas, and those with limited English proficiency trying to access complex special assistance programs.
Programs like the Low-Income Subsidy (Extra Help) and the Medicare Savings Programs can help seniors lower their health care costs, but complex application and enrollment procedures prevent many people from successfully receiving the benefits. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) administers MIPPA grants through three programs to grantees in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the District of Columbia: State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP), area agencies on aging (AAA), and Aging and Disability Resource Centers/No Wrong Door Systems (ADRC/NWD). They also provide grants to tribes and tribal organizations.
This legislation is endorsed by the National Council on Aging.
To read the full text of the bill, click here.
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Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester represents Delaware in the United States Senate where she serves on the Committees on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Environment and Public Works; and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.