COUNCIL ON AGING OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY INC

RESOURCE COORDINATION MEDICARE/BENEFITS ENROLLMENT CENTER IN 2024, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS PRESENT AND ATTENDED 36 COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS INCLUDING GROUP SEMINARS, HEALTH FAIRS, COMMUNITY PICNICS AND OTHER EVENTS. ATTENDEES INCLUDED TARGET GROUPS SUCH AS LOW INCOME, RURAL, DISABLED, FORMERLY INCARCERATED, AND BLACK AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY 2,700 CONTACTS IN BUNCOMBE AND HENDERSON COUNTIES AND REACHED MORE THAN 1M PEOPLE VIA ONLINE, TELEVISION, AND NEWSPAPER ADS. DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT FROM 10/15/2023-12/07/2023, OVER 550 CLIENTS RECEIVED DIRECT COUNSELING, FOR OVER 1M IN PREMIUM SAVINGS. MEDICARE STAFF PARTNERED WITH THE COABC SENIOR DINING SERVICES MANAGER TO HOST A SHRED-A-THON EVENT IN CONNECTION WITH A SENIOR DINING ANNUAL PICNIC. IN THE TWO-HOUR EVENT, APPROXIMATELY 2,700 POUNDS OF PAPER WAS SHREDDED. OUR BENEFITS ENROLLMENT PROGRAM HELPED SENIORS FIND OTHER SERVICES SUCH AS FOOD (SNAP), MEDICATION, AND OTHER DISCOUNT PROGRAMS. THIS GRANT WAS NOT RENEWED AFTER DECEMBER 31ST, 2023, AS THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING SHIFTED FOCUS TO OTHER AREAS. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS HAVE STEPPED UP TO FILL IN THE INFORMATION GAPS THAT THE BEC PROGRAM WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE PROVIDED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE MEDICARE CENTER WAS CLOSED IN JANUARY 2024. THE LOSS OF THE BEC PROGRAM HOUSED IN THIS FACILITY AND THE OVERALL COST OF OPERATIONS PROVED GREATER THAN FUNDING WOULD SUPPORT. AFFORDABLE CARE ACT COABC CONTINUED ITS SUCCESSFUL REGIONAL LEADERSHIP OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT NAVIGATION PROGRAM. THE COABC TEAM INCLUDED TWO FULL-TIME AND ONE PART-TIME BILINGUAL NAVIGATORS ALONG WITH THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR SERVING NINE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES. THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW, WITH ALMOST 300 MORE CLIENTS HELPED AND 150 MORE APPOINTMENTS OFFERED, REFLECTING A 6% INCREASE IN ENROLLMENTS. AN AVERAGE OF 23% OF ACA CLIENTS ARE FIRST-TIME ENROLLEES. WE INCREASED OUR OUTREACH EVENTS AGAIN THIS PAST YEAR. COABC NAVIGATORS CONTINUE TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MCDOWELL ACCESS TO CARE AND HEALTH (MATCH) AND TOE RIVER PROJECT ACCESS (TRPA) IN AVERY, YANCEY, AND MITCHELL COUNTIES. THESE PROGRAM ARE BOTH PART OF CAREREACH, A PARTNER AND SUBGRANTEE THAT WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH FOR YEARS. IN ADDITION TO ACA NAVIGATION, WE ASSISTED CLIENTS WITH ENROLLING IN PRIMARY CARE, SPECIALTY CARE, AND - WHEN NECESSARY - FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. OUR NAVIGATORS WORKED WITH THE PREMIUM AND COPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (PCAP), A PART OF THE NORTH CAROLINA HIV MEDICATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (HMAP) TO HELP ENROLLEES ACROSS THE STATE FIND THE RIGHT ACA INSURANCE PLAN.

COMMUNITY SERVICES - CARE MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY SERVICES STAFF ASSIST BUNCOMBE COUNTY RESIDENTS WITH UNDERSTANDING AND ACCESSING A VARIETY OF SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. OUR STAFF CONNECT ONLINE, OVER THE PHONE, AND IN-PERSON VIA COABC OFFICES OR OUTREACH EVENTS. WE HELPED CLIENTS ACCESS 97,123 IN CAREGIVER RESPITE FUNDS IN BUNCOMBE AND MADISON COUNTIES, ANSWERED OVER 8,298 INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE CALLS, COMPLETED 32 MINOR HOME REPAIR PROJECTS, AND PROVIDED HEAT RELIEF IN THE FORM OF BOX FANS TO CLIENTS. WE DELIVERED OVER 11,850 POUNDS OF FOOD TO HOMEBOUND CLIENTS AND OUR VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION FOR MORE THAN 120 CLIENT APPOINTMENTS.