ARLINGTON, Va., March 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The National Council on Aging (NCOA), the national voice for every person’s right to age well, today named 90 new grantees for its national network of Benefits Enrollment Centers, whicßh connect eligible low-income older Americans and individuals with disabilities to benefits programs that help them pay for daily expenses.
NCOA will provide over $18.5 million in funding to 90 community-based organizations across 40 states and territories. The funding will support the work of local benefits counselors who find and enroll older adults and individuals with disabilities into programs that make health care, prescriptions, food, and utilities more affordable.
“Helping older adults enroll in these programs is lifesaving,” said Jessica Johnston, Senior Director of NCOA’s Center for Economic Well-Being. “NCOA’s research shows that people age 60 and over who make $20,000 a year or less die 9 years younger than those who make $120,000 a year or more. These benefits help bridge that income gap.”
Poverty continued to increase among older adults—from 10.7% in 2021 to 15% in 2024, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. Meanwhile, millions of older adults are eligible for benefits programs but not enrolled—often because they don’t know about them or how to apply.
In 2024, NCOA’s local partners helped eligible individuals apply for over $825 million in public assistance. The centers use NCOA’s free online BenefitsCheckUp® tool to screen people for more than 2,000 benefits such as the Medicare Savings Programs, Medicare Part D Extra Help, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Medicaid.
The Benefits Enrollment Centers are funded through the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act administered by the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL). This funding has had a 17-year record of bipartisan success and was most recently extended through 2027 by the 2026 Omnibus spending package. Nationwide, this program helped connect 4.7 million lower-income adults to benefits in 2023-2024.
“Connecting eligible individuals to benefits is essential to ensuring that every American can age with the health, financial security, and dignity they deserve,” Johnston said.
A complete list of Benefits Enrollment Centers by state and territory is available online.
This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $13,504,196.00 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government.
About NCOA
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person’s right to age well. Working with thousands of national and local partners, we provide resources, best practices, and advocacy to create the conditions for everyone to age with health and financial security. Founded in 1950, we are the oldest national organization focused on older adults. Learn more at www.ncoa.org and @NCOAging.
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SOURCE National Council on Aging
