[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 133 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44808-44809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14831]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Announcing the Intent To Award a Single-Source Supplement for the 
National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE)

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the 
intent to award a single-source supplemental to the current cooperative 
agreement held by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) for the National 
Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (NCBOE). The purpose of the 
NCBOE is to provide technical assistance to states, Area Agencies on 
Aging, Aging and Disability Resource Centers and service providers who 
conduct outreach and low-income benefits enrollment assistance, 
particularly to older individuals with greatest economic need for 
federal and state programs. The administrative supplement for FY 2023 
will be for $1,932,521, bringing the total award for FY 2023 to 
$13,432,521.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or comments 
regarding this program supplement, contact Margaret Flowers, U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community 
Living, Center for Innovation and Partnership, Office of Healthcare 
Information and Counseling; telephone (202) 795-7315; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This supplemental funding will expand the 
NCBOE's outreach and education efforts targeting older adults with the 
greatest economic need, especially people from underserved communities. 
The NCBOE will build on current efforts to reach and assist 
beneficiaries, including expanding the work of the Benefits Enrollment 
Centers, making enhancements to the benefits eligibility and screening 
tool, and expanding the capacity of the benefits call center.
    With this supplemental funding, the NCBOE will develop specialized 
training and tools related to retirement security for older adults with 
low and moderate incomes. This work will build on current efforts to 
reach and assist beneficiaries with benefits by expanding on the 
retirement security project begun in 2023. This may include but is not 
limited to activities such as developing materials, providing technical 
assistance, and conducting a pilot with select community-based 
organizations. As part of this work, the NCBOE should reflect on the 
equity assessment conducted in 2021 to identify specific strategies to 
reach and enroll beneficiaries in rural communities, who are under 65, 
with limited English proficiency, from tribal communities, from 
communities of color, and/or from other historically underserved and 
marginalized communities. The NCBOE should collaborate with ACL and the 
administration to coordinate planned and emerging efforts to help older 
adults with low and moderate incomes with retirement planning. The 
NCBOE will continue, expand, and complete the work they are currently 
undertaking with the NCBOE award without disrupting services.
    Program Name: The National Center for Benefits Outreach and 
Enrollment (NCBOE).
    Recipient: National Council on Aging (NCOA).
    Period of Performance: The award will be issued for the current 
project period of September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024.
    Total Award Amount: $13,432,521 in FY 2023.
    Award Type: Cooperative Agreement Supplement.
    Statutory Authority: The statutory authority is contained in the 
2006 Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act and the Medicare 
Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, as amended by the 
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, and reauthorized by 
the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, Protecting Access to Medicare 
Act of 2014, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, and Coronavirus Aid, 
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, and Consolidated 
Appropriations Act of 2021.
    Basis for Award: The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is currently 
funded to carry out the NCBOE Project for the period of September 1, 
2020 through August 31, 2025. Much work has already been completed and 
further tasks are currently being accomplished. It would be 
unnecessarily time-consuming and disruptive to the NCBOE project and 
the beneficiaries being served for ACL to establish a new grantee at 
this time when critical services are presently being provided in an 
efficient manner.
    NCOA is uniquely placed to complete the work under the NCBOE grant. 
Since 2001, NCOA has been the national leader in improving benefits 
access to vulnerable older adults. They have an unparalleled history of 
working with community-based organizations to develop and replicate 
outreach and enrollment solutions while maintaining and enhancing 
technology to make it easier and more efficient to find benefits. NCOA 
through NCBOE accomplishes its mission by developing and sharing tools, 
resources, best practices, and strategies for benefits outreach and 
enrollment via its online clearinghouse, electronic and print 
publications, webinars, and training and technical assistance.
    In addition, NCOA has BenefitsCheckUp which is, by far, the 
nation's most comprehensive and widely-used web-based service that 
screens older and disabled adults with limited incomes and resources 
and informs them about public and private benefits for which they are 
very likely to be eligible. Since the BenefitsCheckUp was launched in 
2001, nearly 9.9 million people have discovered over $42 billion in 
benefits. In addition to the focus on Low-Income Subsidy and Medicare 
Savings Programs, BenefitsCheckUp also includes more than 2,500 
benefits programs from all 50 states and DC, including over 50,000 
local offices for people to apply for benefits; and more than 1,500 
application forms in every language in which they are available. NCOA 
is successfully meeting all programmatic goals under the current NCBOE 
grant.


[[Page 44809]]


    Dated: July 8, 2023.
Alison Barkoff,
Acting Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2023-14831 Filed 7-12-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P