Problem

Millions of low-income elders are struggling to pay for basic needs such as health care, food, housing and medicine. Much of this suffering could be alleviated if seniors and their families knew about and signed up for existing programs to which they are entitled. One of many examples is that 4 million seniors have not signed up for a new Medicare prescription drug benefit that will pay for 95% to 100% of prescription drug costs.

The Gift

BenefitsCheckUp.org helps seniors & their families learn about and sign up for valuable public and private programs that can pay health care, medicines and other basic needs. These include new Medicare benefits, prescription drug programs, in-home services, financial assistance, legal services, housing assistance, property tax programs, job training, nutrition and education programs and more. BenefitsCheckUp.org is the first of its kind Web-based service designed to help people over 55 determine quickly and easily what benefits they qualify for, and how to claim them. The service is simple, free, and confidential and can be used by seniors, family members or community agencies. It includes information on more than 1300 programs in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Last year alone, more than 360,000 people used BenefitsCheckUp.org. Since the service was launched in June 2001, more than 1.8 million people have been helped.