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).

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

• No fee

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 Dept. of Social Services website
PREPARED BY: 211/rj
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: January2011