Beyond our work during the COVID-19 pandemic, we work every day to increase access to social care services including nutritious Pima Meals on Wheels and Community Lunch programs to increase people’s health outcomes. Access to health care, in large part, depends on the affordability of the care. Most adults over 65 have health coverage through Medicare and/or Medicaid. Despite the high rates of health insurance coverage, 58.8% of people we surveyed had some difficulty affording healthcare, with the highest rates among people in their 50s and 60s who were not yet likely to have Medicare. Though Medicare does cover health insurance costs, it does not waive cost-sharing or premium requirements. These out-of-pocket costs can make it difficult for those living on a fixed income to afford health care. Among the greatest concerns of older adults throughout our Community Needs Assessment process was the lack of available and affordable medical providers, and being forced to use telehealth despite wanting in-person interaction. We continue to work to improve access to health care through our State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). This federally funded program provides training and one-on-one counseling to older adults who want to enroll in or are currently enrolled in Medicare. Through our services, we can help people save thousands of dollars by switching to plans that meet their medical needs with lower deductibles. Our unbiased Medicare counselors work to ensure that people understand their options when both enrolling in and changing their Medicare benefits, and are able to access resources to make the change.
Older Adults Reporting How Often They Have Trouble with Hearing or Vision
Moreover, PCOA is a founder and lead partner in the creation of Southwest Community Care Partners, an independent non-profit community focused on aligning health and social care through better organized service provision from health care and social care providers. We continue to build business relationships and community partnerships that help to meet our community’s health-related social
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needs and increase their health outcomes. We still have work to do in this area. Some of the ways in which we can better improve access to health and social care services in our community include the following: • Supporting continued funding for the non-biased State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides education and assistance for Medicare. • Supporting continued funding and support for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid system. • Supporting increased funding for the Older Americans Act of 1965 for Title III. • Promoting and supporting professional development and training for lower-level medical professionals. • Continuing to support and participate in the development of a community care hub in Pima County. Never Rarely Sometimes Often Hearing Vision
A Report to the Community
Pima Council on Aging
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