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Governor Hochul: Nearly 1 Million New Yorkers Enrolled in Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
HIICAP and aging services partners help drive key enrollment milestone, which was announced at start of Medicare open enrollment period
In October, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that nearly one million New Yorkers are now enrolled in the state-administered Medicare Savings Program (MSP), which can help eligible older adults save an estimated average of $7,400 per year in health care costs.
The announcement also includes breakdowns on MSP enrollments for every region of the state, providing key data on the progress of aging services providers and partners in providing information and assistance to beneficiaries, particularly through the Health Insurance Information, Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP).
The MSP helps Medicare beneficiaries living on limited incomes by paying their Medicare Part B premiums and automatically enrolling them in the federal government’s Extra Help program, which helps with prescription drug costs.
Governor Hochul said, “Our work to expand the Medicare Savings Program is helping ease the burden of healthcare costs for nearly one million New Yorkers and putting thousands of dollars back in their pockets. I encourage older adults in New York to use the Medicare open enrollment period to find out if they are eligible for the program and to learn if other Medicare coverage options can provide additional cost savings.”
Read the full press release here.
See CBS News coverage here.
LIVE with Greg on MSP and Open Enrollment
During a special edition of LIVE with Greg, NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen talked with Heather Leddick, coordinator of HIICAP in New York, and Medicare Rights Center President Fred Riccardi. They discussed upcoming Medicare open enrollment, changes to support beneficiaries in 2025, and the Medicare Savings Program (MSP). Catch an encore of the program on YouTube here.
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In Case You Missed It: "Walk the Walk" to Improve Pedestrian Safety With AARP Walk Audit Initiative
During a recent livestream, NYSOFA joined AARP-NY to talk about its Walk Audit initiative.
This program is enlisting volunteers – including YOU – to flag safety issues in their community. All you need is 10 minutes, a stroll through your community, and AARP-NY's toolkit to get you started. Walk Audits are happening throughout New York State on November 14 to 22.
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NYSOFA Joins ARCHANGELS and The Joint Commission to Recognize and Support Unpaid Caregivers through New Care Badge Initiative
Get badged today, and encourage others to do the same
NYSOFA has joined ARCHANGELS and The Joint Commission on a Care Badge initiative to recognize and support the more than 40% of adults across the country who serve as unpaid caregivers. The Care Badge initiative is a national effort to help create upward mobility for unpaid caregivers by providing them with support and resources to translate their skills into new opportunities.
The Care Badge is a visual mark to recognize and celebrate this caregiving experience that can be used on resumes, professional networking sites like LinkedIn, and more.
Launched in advance of National Family Caregivers Month in November, the Care Badge initiative provides a free way for individuals to receive timely access to resources and networks of support. It also offers an opportunity for organizations and communities to rally around the unpaid caregiver population in ways that provide value for all.
Acknowledging the important role of unpaid caregivers, NYSOFA participated in the Care Badge initiative’s pilot program. During the pilot, NYSOFA encouraged employees to receive their Care Badge.
How it Works
Getting badged takes four minutes (two short videos full of tips and resources — no quiz) and you’re all set to put the badge to work – on your LinkedIn, resume, social media, even printed on your fridge.
Learn more and get your badge today.
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5 Questions with NYS Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Viviana DeCohen
The New York State Department of Veterans Services (NYSDVS) helps Veterans and their families link to economic, employment, rehabilitation, medical, education, and tax exemption resources. In this month's 5 Questions interview, we catch up with Viviana DeCohen, who became the Commissioner of NYSDVS in December 2021. As a Veteran of the U.S. Marines herself, she brings a unique package of experience to the advocacy and support for the nearly 700,000 Veterans living in New York State.
Read this Month's 5 Questions with Viviana DeCohen
Want to hear more from Commissioner DeCohen? She's the guest on the next edition of LIVE with Greg, our monthly livestream conversation with NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen. The program airs November 7 at 1 p.m. on YouTube.
Watch our November 7 livestream here
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Re-Introducing ‘Ask The Experts: Nutrition Edition’
NYSOFA provides SNAP-Ed NY nutrition programs to older adults, including monthly digital programming. We are excited to announce that NYSOFA has relaunched one of those staple offerings, Ask The Experts: Nutrition Edition. Catch the latest episode here and look for new episodes on the second Friday of each month.
Ask The Experts is hosted by NYSOFA Registered Dietitian Lisbeth Irish. Her guest for the October debut is Erin Willis, the Schuyler County SNAP-Ed region’s nutrition educator. They discuss helpful nutrition tips about container gardens and how to budget more fruits and vegetables into your diet.
Please also catch the latest episode of NYSOFA's companion program, What's Cooking with NYSOFA, a cooking demonstration hosted by NYSOFA Registered Dietitian Wendy Beckman. She shows older adults how to prepare healthy, quick, and budget-conscious meals.
This month, Wendy prepares a Brussels sprouts dish, using the natural sweetness of caramelized shallots.
Catch all of our recent SNAP-Ed programming on our website.
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New Report on ElliQ Outcomes: 93% Reduction in Loneliness
NYSOFA and Intuition Robotics have released updated data on our pilot to combat loneliness and social isolation among older adults using ElliQ, an AI companion robot. Among the key findings:
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Participants averaged 28 interactions per day.
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The latest data reveals a sustained 93% reduction in loneliness among participants.
- 96% of participants reported improvement in their overall wellness, 73% reported feeling more connected to the outside world, and 86% of users stated ElliQ improved their quality of life.
Read the 2024 report to find more data on loneliness reduction, enhanced features, and usage insights.
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Meet Lauri: One of Over 500,000 Older Adults Benefiting from NY's Partnership with the Online Community GetSetUp
Lauri, who lives on the New York-Vermont border, discovered GetSetUp a few months ago through her news feed on Facebook. She remembers seeing it and thinking, “Oh, that looks interesting.”
What started as curiosity soon turned into an essential part of her daily life. Thanks to a partnership with NYSOFA, Lauri has been able to access a variety of classes that are helping her recover from a stroke and cope with depression.
Lauri has already completed about 50 classes, finding joy in many areas. She’s learned practical skills like how to be safer online, which she finds particularly important at her age, as well as art classes and programs offering crucial information about health issues, like sepsis prevention.
“I really love the whole program; there is so much to choose from,” she said.
Read and share Lauri's story today.
Find and share the latest GetSetUp courses.
GetSetUp Anywhere
Area Agencies on Aging and community partners are encouraged to consider GetSetUp Anywhere, a way of seamlessly integrating GetSetUp's catalog of peer-to-peer classes with your branding in a dedicated section on your organization’s website – at no cost.
Download the flyer to learn more and get started.
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Join Beta Test of New App to Help Older Adults with Daily Routines, Managing Health Tasks, and More
NYSOFA is partnering with the makers of Remember2, a new app designed to help individuals stay on top of their daily routines, manage their health tasks, and stay connected with loved ones. As part of this partnership, NYSOFA is inviting people to beta test the platform.
Remember2 is designed to make life simpler, more organized and provide peace of mind, including assistance with tracking medications, scheduling appointments, or helping family members manage their care.
As a beta tester, you’ll be one of the first to experience the app, offering feedback to help improve it before the official launch and make sure that Remember2 works smoothly and meets the needs of real users.
Learn more about the beta test here.
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FREE Digital Resources to Support Older Adults, Caregivers
Each month, on social media and at events, NYSOFA shares important resources about digital innovations to help older adults. Are you sharing too? These resources are free of charge — and they're making a difference.
Caregiver Resources
Do you perform housework for someone, help them shop for food, pick up their medication? You are a caregiver. Help is available.
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Regular HEAP Benefit to Open Nov. 1
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) benefit application opens on November 1, 2024 to help income-eligible individuals pay for heating their home.
HEAP Emergency Benefit
Applicants may also be eligible for emergency HEAP benefits if they are in danger of running out of fuel or having their utility service shut off. The HEAP emergency benefit is scheduled to open on January 2, 2025.
Efficiency and Repairs or Replacement
Applications are also open for the HEAP Clean and Tune Benefit as well as the Heating Equipment Repair or Replacement Benefit.
Clean and Tune helps people pay for energy efficiency services, such as the cleaning of primary heating equipment. The benefit may also include chimney cleaning, minor repairs and installation of carbon monoxide detectors or programmable thermostats, if needed, to allow for the safe, proper and efficient operation of the heating equipment.
For eligible homeowners, the Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement benefit can help repair or replace a furnace, boiler and other direct heating equipment necessary to keep a home's primary heating source working.
Questions regarding the HEAP program should be directed to your HEAP Local District Contact.
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Save the Date: National Lifespan Respite Conference on April 1-3
The ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center, in collaboration with the Alabama Lifespan Respite Network, will host the 2025 National Lifespan Respite Conference in Huntsville, AL, on April 1-3, 2025. The conference will be preceded by the Lifespan Respite Grantee and Partner Learning Symposium (by invitation only) on April 1, 2025.
The theme for the conference is RAISE and Engage – Launch Respite Now, offering a call to action. In 2022, the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers was released by the U.S. Administration for Community Living. The report includes nearly 500 actions that can be adopted at every level of government and across the public and private sectors, including actions that each of us can take, to advance supports to strengthen the nation’s more than 53 million family caregivers.
Learn more on the conference website.
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LIVE with Greg: Upcoming Livestreams
NYSOFA has a solid lineup of upcoming livestreams with NYSOFA Director Greg Olsen. More are in the pipeline. Follow us on social media for the latest. Here's what we have in store – so far – for LIVE with Greg in November.
Celebrate Veterans Day and Discover Resources
November 7 at 1 p.m.
Streaming on YouTube here
Commissioner of the NY State Department of Veterans’ Services (NYSDVS) Viviana DeCohen joins us to celebrate Veterans Day a few days in advance! A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Commissioner DeCohen currently deploys her experience to advocate for New York’s veterans and their families. NYSDVS helps ensure our veterans receive benefits granted to them by law for their service in the United States military.
Food Insecurity, How YOU Can Help!
November 20 at 1 p.m.
Streaming on YouTube here
The holiday season brings many of us together to celebrate. Many families prepare meals with loved ones, but some folks are not so fortunate. NYSOFA Nutrition Consultant Jen O’Keefe will join the show to talk about solutions and resources for combatting hunger in New York State. YOU can help raise awareness about food insecurity: find out how.
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About Inside NYS Aging
Inside NYS Aging is a publication of the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA). It provides news and resources for aging services providers and their partners in their efforts to promote services and supports for older adults. Please share this newsletter widely with any organizations or professionals that reach older adults. Read past issues in the newsroom on NYSOFA's website.
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Thanks for sticking it out until the end! If you found this content valuable, please share with your coworkers and colleagues in the aging services network!
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