The National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment is soliciting applications for grants from organizations who wish to become Benefits Enrollment Centers (BECs). The grants are for the 19-month period from January 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025. BECs use person-centered strategies in a coordinated, community-wide approach to find and enroll low-income Medicare beneficiaries — both older adults age 65+ and adults with disabilities — into a range of public benefits.

Special consideration will be given to agencies serving areas that are not currently served by a BEC and agencies that are focused on serving people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequity. These groups include people who identify as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and other people of color, as well as members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals; people with disabilities; people who live in rural areas; and people otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality, and those with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Funding Opportunity Description

The primary focus of the grant is to assist low-income Medicare beneficiaries with enrollment into the following five core benefit programs:

• Medicare Part D Extra Help (or Low-Income Subsidy, LIS)
• Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps)
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Medicaid

Organizations eligible to apply for BEC grants include state or community-based nonprofit organizations, state government agencies, tribal entities, and faith-based organizations addressing the needs of older adults and younger adults with disabilities. Grants ranging from $25,000 up to $250,000 each will be awarded to selected organizations.

Organizations must be able to provide application assistance for Medicare beneficiaries for at least one of the five core benefits for which they are eligible during the 19-month period. Grantees are encouraged to assist clients with applications for programs beyond the five core benefits, in keeping with the principles of the person-centered approach.

More information is available in the full RFP here.