Notice2022-10094
Announcing the Intent To Award a Single-Source Supplement for the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment
Primary source
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Published
May 11, 2022
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCommunity Living Administration
Abstract
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the intent to award a single-source supplemental to the current cooperative agreement held by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) for the National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE). The purpose of the NCBOE is to provide technical assistance to states, Area Agencies on Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers and service providers who conduct outreach and low-income benefits enrollment assistance, particularly to older individuals with greatest economic need for federal and state programs. The administrative supplement for FY 2022 will be for $2,931,502, bringing the total award for FY 2022 to $14,431,502.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 91 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 91 (Wednesday, May 11, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Page 28833]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-10094]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Community Living
Announcing the Intent To Award a Single-Source Supplement for the
National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the
intent to award a single-source supplemental to the current cooperative
agreement held by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) for the National
Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE). The purpose of the
NCBOE is to provide technical assistance to states, Area Agencies on
Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers and service providers who
conduct outreach and low-income benefits enrollment assistance,
particularly to older individuals with greatest economic need for
federal and state programs. The administrative supplement for FY 2022
will be for $2,931,502, bringing the total award for FY 2022 to
$14,431,502.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or comments
regarding this program supplement, contact Margaret Flowers, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community
Living, Center for Integrated Programs, Office of Healthcare
Information and Counseling; telephone (202) 795-7315; email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d499b5a6b3b5a6b1a0fab2b8bba3b1a6a794b5b7b8fabcbca7fab3bba2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1558746772746770613b73797a62706766557476793b7d7d663b727a63">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This supplemental funding will expand the
NCBOE's outreach and education efforts targeting older adults with the
greatest economic need, especially people from underserved communities.
The NCBOE will build on current efforts to reach and assist
beneficiaries, including expanding the work of the Benefits Enrollment
Centers, making enhancements to the benefits eligibility and screening
tool, and expanding the capacity of the benefits call center. As part
of this work, the NCBOE should reflect on the equity assessment
conducted in 2021 to identify specific strategies to reach and enroll
beneficiaries in rural communities, who are under 65, with limited
English proficiency, from tribal communities, from communities of
color, and/or from other historically underserved and marginalized
communities. Additionally, the NCBOE should explore ways to educate
counselors and low-income beneficiaries about possible Medicare
Advantage supplemental benefits.
The NCBOE maintains an information clearinghouse on best practices
and cost-effective methods for finding and enrolling older individuals
and people with disabilities with greatest economic need. This
clearinghouse includes research that could help inform and support the
work done by the network. The NCBOE should consider new research
topics, such as exploring the impact COVID-19 had on their health and
finances or predictors of Medicaid utilization, to help agencies better
understand the populations served. The NCBOE should also build on the
work done to date to educate individuals who are dually eligible by
conducting an evaluation of the My Care, My Choice decision support
tool and its usage by beneficiaries and/or counselors.
Program Name: The National Center for Benefits Outreach and
Enrollment (NCBOE).
Recipient: National Council on Aging (NCOA).
Period of Performance: The award will be issued for the current
project period of September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2023.
Total Award Amount: $14,431,502 in FY 2022.
Award Type: Cooperative Agreement Supplement.
Statutory Authority: The statutory authority is contained in the
2006 Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act and the Medicare
Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, as amended by the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, and reauthorized by
the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, Protecting Access to Medicare
Act of 2014, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, and Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, and Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2021.
Basis for Award: The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is currently
funded to carry out the NCBOE Project for the period of September 1,
2020 through August 31, 2025. Much work has already been completed and
further tasks are currently being accomplished. It would be
unnecessarily time consuming and disruptive to the NCBOE project and
the beneficiaries being served for the ACL to establish a new grantee
at this time when critical services are presently being provided in an
efficient manner.
NCOA is uniquely placed to complete the work under the NCBOE grant.
Since 2001, NCOA has been the national leader in improving benefits
access to vulnerable older adults. They have an unparalleled history of
working with community-based organizations to develop and replicate
outreach and enrollment solutions, while maintaining and enhancing
technology to make it easier and more efficient to find benefits. NCOA
through NCBOE accomplishes its mission by developing and sharing tools,
resources, best practices, and strategies for benefits outreach and
enrollment via its online clearinghouse, electronic and print
publications, webinars, and training and technical assistance.
In addition, NCOA has BenefitsCheckUp which is, by far, the
nation's most comprehensive and widely-used web-based service that
screens older and disabled adults with limited incomes and resources
and informs them about public and private benefits for which they are
very likely to be eligible. Since the BenefitsCheckUp was launched in
2001, nearly 9.9 million people have discovered $42.7 billion in
benefits. In addition to the focus on Low-Income Subsidy and Medicare
Savings Programs, BenefitsCheckUp also includes more than 2,500
benefits programs from all 50 states and DC, including over 50,000
local offices for people to apply for benefits; and more than 1,500
application forms in every language in which they are available.
NCOA is successfully meeting all programmatic goals under the
current NCBOE grant.
Dated: May 6, 2022.
Alison Barkoff,
Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-10094 Filed 5-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P
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