[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 151 (Tuesday, August 6, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63956-63957]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-17321]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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)

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.
SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the 
intent to award a single-source supplement 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 community-based 
organizations 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 2024 will be for $3,207,650, bringing the total award for FY 2024 to 
$14,707,650.

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 focus on retirement security, 
Medicaid and Medicare integration, and streamlining benefits access.
    The NCBOE will expand the pilot work on retirement security for 
older adults with low and moderate incomes. This may include but is not 
limited to activities such as developing materials, providing technical 
assistance and training, and conducting and evaluating a pilot with 
select community-based organizations. The NCBOE should collaborate with 
ACL to coordinate planned and emerging efforts to help older adults 
with low and moderate incomes with retirement planning.
    The NCBOE should also build on the work done to date to educate 
individuals who are dually eligible by maintaining the My Care, My 
Choice decision support tool. The NCBOE should develop plans to support 
the usage of the tool such as counselor training or piloting with local 
community based organizations. Additionally, the NCBOE should build 
leadership among state grantees to educate state Medicaid agencies on 
Medicare to improve the experience of people who are dually eligible 
for Medicaid and Medicare.
    Additionally, the NCBOE should build on work done to date to 
explore the approaches to streamlining benefits applications in 
coordination with federal and state government efforts to modernize 
access to public benefits. This could include research into the 
consumer experience and/or convening key stakeholders to discuss 
opportunities and challenges.
    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, 2024 through August 31, 2025.
    Total Award Amount: $14,707,650 in FY 2024.
    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 most recently 
reauthorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024.
    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. BenefitsCheckUp 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 63957]]


    Dated: August 1, 2024.
Alison Barkoff,
Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration for Community 
Living, performing the delegable duties of the Administrator and the 
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2024-17321 Filed 8-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P