Benefit Counseling: Success Stories

Benefit specialists provide trusted and confidential advice to older adults and people with disabilities about benefits, including health care, disability income, and programs that could save them money.

Success stories

Here are some examples of ways benefit specialists have helped people navigate their benefits:

Medicare

A benefit specialist helped Luka compare plans. With this help, Luka chose the plan that was best for him and ended up saving hundreds of dollars a month.

Linda was told that Medicare would no longer cover her rehab stay while she was getting physical therapy at a skilled nursing facility, even though she still needed therapy. A benefit specialist helped Linda appeal the discharge, and the Medicare Advantage plan agreed to cover the rest of her stay at the facility.

Medicaid

Medicaid wouldn’t pay for Ed’s dentures. A benefit specialist helped Ed appeal the denial, explaining why Ed was eligible for the dentures. Medicaid overturned its denial.

Health insurance

A benefit specialist helped Dimitra get her oxygen machine covered by the insurance plan she purchased on the marketplace.

Social Security disability

A benefit specialist helped Barry overturn his disability claim denial by explaining to Social Security how his physical and mental health conditions affected his ability to work.

Housing

A benefit specialist helped Cynthia understand her rights after she received an eviction notice.

Expenses

A benefit specialist helped Robin get a free cell phone and discounted phone service when he couldn’t afford to buy a new phone.

Debt collection

A benefit specialist helped Larry and Tom prepare for a court hearing when they were sued for $5,000 in credit card debt, without proof of the debt. Larry and Tom won their case.

People who are Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deaf-Blind

A benefit specialist at the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing helped a deaf couple understand letters they received in the mail about renewing their state Medicaid health insurance.

A benefit specialist at the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing helped Joyce, who is Deaf and uses American Sign Language, get a new phone for free.

Program reports

Learn more about the benefit specialist programs: Disability and Elder Benefit Specialist Program Summary Reports, P-00332.