Real Dollar Value SAOTD Provides for Clients
While the work Senior Advocates does for our clients is completely free of charge, one can put an estimate on the TOTAL DOLLAR VALUE of the services we provide to many clients.
* One of the most transformational services we provide is getting a deserving client signed up for Medi-Cal. This eliminates their need to pay the $185 Part B premium each month. That one benefit alone is worth over $2,200 per year and qualifying for Medi-Cal leads to many other benefits such as:
1) Help with the Medicare Part D prescriptions to minimize co pays. Depending on the number and type of medications one requires, this benefit often exceeds $1,000 annually.
2) Unlimited medical transportation, free incontinence supplies and valuable dental and vision benefits. While not all of our clients utilize all of these benefits, those that do can save $750 or more each year.
3) Access to IHSS (In-Home Senior Services). IHSS pays caregivers to help typically homebound clients with the care they need to perform daily functions including bathing, meal prep, transportation and light household chores.
If a client qualifies for 75 hours of services per month — at $18.50 per hour — the dollar equivalent is nearly $1,400 per month or a $17,000 per year. This program allows many clients to remain in their homes when otherwise they might be forced into nursing homes.
4) Qualifying for Medi-Cal also enables clients to drop their Medicare HMO and revert back to traditional Medicare as their primary with Medi-Cal as their secondary. This allows clients to see primary care physicians and a wide selection of specialists, improving the overall quality of care they receive.
5) Another non Medi-Cal related program for which Senior Advocates helps clients qualify is CalFresh (Food Stamps). CalFresh allows clients an average of $75 per month in food benefits — another $900 value per year.
6) LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) is also avaible to some clients and offers up to $400 per year toward a client’s energy bill.
In summary, for a client that qualifues for all of the above Medi-Cal and non Medi-Cal programs, the savings and/or value of services can exceed $22,000 annually. And that number does not take into account other help we advocate for such as:
7) Veterans Benefits, 8) Subsidized Housing, 9) Emergency Aid and 10) Utility Savings Programs such as the CARE Discount for SCE or IID that can provide a 30% reduction on every monthly bill.
While it would be nearly impossible to total the value of all services and cost savings that SAOTD delivers for each of our clients, it’s not hard to see the massive dollar value and life changing impact our efforts provide. And all at no charge to our clients.