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Benefits Assessments & Application Assistance

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Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging

Medicare Open Enrollment

Are you or a loved one 65 or older? Now is the time to take advantage of the annual open enrollment period to find the health insurance plan right for you. Open Enrollment is the time each year when a person can review their current health care plan, make changes to it, or sign up for a new plan if they do not already have coverage through their job, Medicare, Medicaid, or another form of health coverage. 

Different types of coverage - whether under the Affordable Care Act or Medicare - have slightly different deadlines, so be sure to double check the deadline for the coverage you choose. 

Medicare Initial Enrollment Period

The initial enrollment period for Medicare lasts for 7 months, starting the 3 months before your 65th birthday, continuing through the month of your birthday, and ending 3 months following your birthday. This period is the best time to sign up for Medicare. You can avoid late penalties down the road, and not miss a minute of your coverage.

Annual Enrollment Period

The annual enrollment period is a set time where you can reassess your health needs, review your current plan against other plans on offer and potentially change which plan you receive coverage under.

  • Enrollment Period for Medicare: October 15 – December 7
    Visit: Medicaid.gov
  • Enrollment Period for Medicaid: November 1 – January 15
    Visit: HealthCare.gov 

Need help navigating different insurance plans and options? Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging can support your through the process. Our team will explain the fine print and help enroll you in a plan that fits your needs and budget, asses your current plan or help you change to a new one, all free of charge. Call us at 216-791-8000 for more information.

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The Benefits Enrollment Center can see if you qualify for the benefits available from more than 1,300 federal, state and local programs like help with utilities, food, transportation, housing assistance, and more. Our Benefits Enrollment Center has helped thousands of people in Northeast Ohio and beyond get the help they need.

To receive a free benefits checkup screening, email us esopreceptionist@benrose.org or call us today at 216.791.8000 to schedule your FREE benefits checkup.

After your benefits checkup, we can help you:

  • Fill out applications
  • Submit completed applications online or by mail
  • Resolve problems with benefit applications, delays in processing applications, and using benefits 

 

External Request Form

Benefits Assessment Enrollment Form

Complete the form below to request an appointment with an experienced ESOP HUD-Certified Housing Counseling professional who is available to help you achieve and maintain housing stability.

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Cynthia Walker

Medicare and Benefit Enrollment Counselor

Contact: esopreceptionist@benrose.org | (216) 373-1650

Cynthia Walker is a Benefits Specialist at Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP), an agency that helps adults in all stages of life achieve and maintain financial wellness and housing stability. ESOP is a subsidiary of The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Walker has been with the ESOP for 12 years, providing various services such as being a Foreclosure Prevention Advocate, a Financial Literacy Counselor, a Financial Workshop Facilitator including Home Buyers Education classes and Pre-Purchase Counseling.

Cynthia Walker is a Benefits Specialist at Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP), an agency that helps adults in all stages of life achieve and maintain financial wellness and housing stability. ESOP is a subsidiary of The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Walker has been with the ESOP for 12 years, providing various services such as being a Foreclosure Prevention Advocate, a Financial Literacy Counselor, a Financial Workshop Facilitator including Home Buyers Education classes and Pre-Purchase Counseling.

In addition, Walker is a HUD certified counselor as well as serving as certified Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) counselor for the last five years. She is a graduate from Kent State University, with a Bachelor of Business Administration and an Associate Degree in Applied Accounting.