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CHOICES
PROGRAM
The CHOICES program is a
collaborative progam of the Connecticut
Department of Social Services, State Area
Agencies on Aging, and the Center for Medicare
Advocacy (see Connecticut DSS website at http://www.ct.gov/agingservices/cwp/view.asp?a=2513&q=313032)
or call CHOICES at 1-800-994-9422 to speak with
a counselor in your area.
WHAT IS THE CHOICES
PROGRAM?
CHOICES programs are coordinated
by the Aging Services Division of the
Connecticut Department of Social Services and
operated through Connecticut’s five Area
Agencies on Aging (AAA). They are funded in part
by a grant from the Health Care Financing
Administration (HCFA) and with Older Americans
Act Funds. The acronym "CHOICES" stands for Connecticut’s
programs for Health insurance
assistance, Outreach, Information
and referral, Counseling, and Eligibility
Screening.
- Health Insurance Assistance
– Each Area Agency on Aging is staffed with a
CHOICES counselor who
provides free information and assistance about
current Medicare choices (traditional
fee-for-service and managed care options),
Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap),
Medicaid, Long Term Care Insurance, Medicare
Part D, and other related state and federal
programs.
- Outreach - The AAAs
present information on programs addressing
aging issues to seniors and their families
through community educational seminars, senior
fairs, senior centers and public libraries.
- Information and Referral
– Each Agency on Aging is a centralized
information source for senior services and
referrals. They direct seniors to local
service providers who can address the problems
or concerns that older persons and their
families may be having.
- Counseling – The AAAs
provide assessment of resource options and
counseling to seniors who have concerns about
long term care, health insurance, respite care
and other aging issues.
- Eligibility Screening
– Each AAA offers information and preliminary
eligibility screening for many state and
federal benefits and support programs.
Volunteers are available to assist seniors
with completing the application following the
preliminary screening.
COST
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
- Eligibility screening is
available to persons ages 60 and above and any
person who is on Medicare.
- Eligibility for other CHOICES
programs is based on the need for information
on aging issues.
TO FIND PROVIDERS IN
CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:
Search by program name:
CHOICES
Program
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SOURCE: Connecticut Department of
Social Services website
PREPARED BY: 211/rj
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: January2013
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