Guide to Senior Citizen Programs

Medicare

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for

people 65 and older. People younger than 65 with certain

disabilities are eligible, including those with end-stage

renal disease (ESRD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

(ALS). Medicare is run by the Centers for Medicare

and Medicaid Services, although you can apply through

Social Security.

Medicare Part A

Part A helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled

nursing facility after a hospital stay, and for some home

health care and hospice care.

Medicare Part B

Part B offers supplemental medical insurance to pay

part of doctor fees, outpatient hospital services and other

medical items and services not covered by Part A. Part B

insurance is optional. If you are getting Social Security

when you turn 65, you are automatically enrolled in both

Medicare Part A and Part B. If not, you need to apply for

Medicare three months before you turn 65. If you miss

the initial enrollment period, you may apply in January,

February or March of any calendar year, but premiums

will be more expensive than if you applied during the

initial enrollment period. For those who continue to work

and are covered by their employer’s health insurance,

there is a special enrollment period upon retirement.

Medicare Part C – Private plans

Part C or private Medicare Advantage Plans give people

with Parts A and B an option to have all their Medicare-

covered health care under one umbrella. Some plans also

cover prescription drugs.

Medicare Part D

Part D provides prescription drug coverage for everyone

with Medicare. The annual open enrollment period

for these stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) is

Oct. 15 - Dec. 7. Visit www.medicare.gov/ﬁnd-a-plan

for ratings of plans. Enrollment for most beneﬁciaries

is voluntary, although there is a permanent premium

penalty for those who delay enrollment and do not have

drug coverage that is at least comparable to the Part D

standard, called “creditable coverage.” Please note, EPIC,

a prescription program for income-eligible seniors 65

and older, is no longer considered “creditable coverage”

under Medicare Part D. Therefore, you should enroll in a

Medicare Part D plan to avoid penalties.

EPIC continues to help income-eligible members apply

for Medicare’s Extra Help or Low Income Subsidy (LIS)

and Medicare Savings Programs.

Because EPIC is a qualiﬁed State Pharmaceutical

Assistance Program (SPAP), members have a Special

Enrollment Period (SEP) to switch Medicare Part D

plans one time during the year, in addition to the open

enrollment period. Contact the plan in which you want

to enroll and say that you want to use your EPIC SEP to

enroll in that plan. Medicare Advantage (MA) members

should contact their MA plan for guidance. Additional

EPIC information is listed on the inside of this brochure.

Medicaid

Medicaid pays the medical expenses of those 65 or older,

blind or disabled who are eligible for Supplemental

Security Income (SSI) or who have too little income or

resources to meet their medical needs. Medicaid, unlike

Medicare, pays for long-term health care for eligible

individuals. It also may pay the cost of Medicare Part

B and other private health insurance. Unlike Medicare,

Medicaid is a federal/state medical assistance program

administered by New York State counties. Contact

the New York City Department for the Aging for

more information.

Home care

For information on how you can obtain senior services,

including in-home services, also known as the Expanded

In-home Services for the Elderly Program (EISEP) call

the NYC Department for the Aging.

NYC government, including Dept. for

the Aging and Dept. of Finance: 311;

outside of the ﬁve boroughs:

212-New York (639-9675)

Social Security: 800-772-1213;

TTY: 800-325-0778,

www.socialsecurity.gov

Medicare: 800-MEDICARE (633-4227);

TTY: 877-486-2048, www.medicare.gov

For Medicare Part D:

www.medicare.gov, scroll to

Medicare Part D

NYS Ofﬁce for the Aging Senior

Citizens Hotline: 800-342-9871

Referen ces

Updated 3/13

Guide to Senior Citizen Programs

This brochure lists some special services available to senior citizens in New York City.

If you have special questions that are not answered here, contact the federal, state or

local agency administering the program. Also, if you’re not sure which agency to turn

to or if you run into any problems in your search for assistance, please don’t hesitate to

call my ofﬁce.

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY

Guide to Senior Citizen

Programs in New York City

Courtesy of:

Assemblyman

Edward C. Braunstein

Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein

213-33 39th Avenue, Suite 238 • Bayside, NY 11361 • 718-357-3588

Room 557 LOB • Albany, NY 12248 • 518-455-5425

braunsteine@assembly.state.ny.us

Protective services

More and more senior citizens are living independently. Unfortunately, some are frail and in ill health, often needing

assistance. If you are concerned that an elderly friend, relative or neighbor is living at risk alone, contact your

county department of social services; New York City residents should call 311 and ask for the Human Resources

Administration/Department of Social Services for help.

Tax relief

In order to provide tax relief for residents age 65 and

older, New York State has taken action on several fronts.

The three following programs may help ease your tax

burden:

The real property tax exemption

You may be eligible to have your real property tax bill cut

in half. This 50 percent exemption is offered as a local

option to homeowners age 65 and older whose annual

income is within speciﬁed guidelines. To ﬁnd out if

the exemption is in effect in your locality and what the

income levels are, you can call the county, city, town or

village assessor’s ofﬁce. New York City residents should

call the NYC Department of Finance.

The property tax credit

This is a state tax credit or rebate that may be available to

homeowners and renters with a gross annual household

income of $18,000 or less, or who pay $450 or less in

rent. To obtain this tax relief (up to $375 depending on

income), you must submit claim form IT-214 to the New

York State Department of Taxation and Finance. You will

not automatically receive this credit; you must ﬁle for it.

Remember, it is not necessary to pay state income taxes

in order to receive the credit.

Income tax exemption for retirement income

State tax law exempts qualiﬁed retirement pension and

annuity income up to $20,000 per person per year from

state income taxes for those age 59 1/2 or older.

Rent relief

Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption program

(SCRIE)

This program is available to people age 62 or older who

are heads of the household and live in rent-controlled,

rent-stabilized or Mitchell-Lama apartments or certain

rent-stabilized hotel units. To be eligible, renters must also

pay one-third or more of their income for rent. Your total

income for the previous tax year cannot exceed $29,000,

after taxes. The NYC Department of Finance administers

SCRIE for rent-stabilized and rent-controlled apartments,

and rent-stabilized hotel units. Visit www.nyc.gov/ﬁnance

or call 311 for information. The NYC Department of

Housing Preservation and Development administers

SCRIE for Mitchell-Lama buildings. Call 212-863-8494

for information.

Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE)

Tenants who are disabled may qualify for full or partial

exemption from rent increases. Visit www.nyc.gov/ﬁnance

or call 311 for information.

EPIC

Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage 2013 Program Changes

EPIC essentials for 2013:

1. EPIC members must be enrolled in a Medicare Part D drug plan to receive EPIC beneﬁts; 2. EPIC provides

secondary coverage for Medicare Part D-covered drugs purchased after any Part D deductible is met; 3. EPIC covers

many Medicare Part D-excluded drugs, like prescription vitamins and prescription cold and cough preparations;

4. EPIC co-payments continue to be $3, $7, $15 or $20 based on the cost of the drug; 5. EPIC provides Medicare Part D

drug plan premium assistance for many members; and 6. Fee and Deductible Plans have been restored.

For more information, you can call the toll-free EPIC Hotline at: 800-332-3742; TTY: 800-290-9138 or visit www.

health.ny.gov and scroll to “EPIC for Seniors.”

Other available programs...

Social Security

Social Security is a form of retirement insurance

administered by the federal government. Under this

program, workers who retire at age 62 and older or

who become disabled receive monthly cash beneﬁts

based on previous earnings. These beneﬁts are also

available to their dependents or survivors. For more

information or to apply, visit your local Social Security

ofﬁce.

Food stamps

Under the Food Stamp Program – known federally

as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or

SNAP – recipients receive an electronic beneﬁt card,

similar to a debit or credit card, to use for purchases.

To ﬁnd out how to obtain food stamps, call your local

social services ofﬁce or, in New York City, contact the

Human Resources Administration at 718-557-1399 or

311. Outside of the ﬁve boroughs dial 212-New York.

Nutrition

The statewide Senior Nutrition Program, located in

community centers throughout the state, offers hot

mid-day meals to people 60 years of age and older.

Contributions toward the cost of meals are accepted,

but no one is refused because of inability to pay. If

you can’t get to a nutrition site on your own, ask your

local ofﬁce for the aging about transportation. Home-

delivered meals may also be available under special

circumstances.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Social Security and SSI are not the same. You may

receive both Social Security and SSI beneﬁts if your

Social Security beneﬁts are below a certain level.

You may also be eligible for Social Security Disability

Insurance (SSDI) payable to blind or disabled workers,

widow(er)s, or adults disabled since childhood, who

are otherwise eligible; or you may be eligible for

SSI disability beneﬁts payable to adults or children

who are disabled or blind, have limited income and

resources, meet the living arrangement requirements

and are otherwise eligible. Apply at your local Social

Security ofﬁce.

Home Energy Assistance Program

(HEAP)

New York State’s Home Energy Assistance Program

(HEAP) helps pay heating costs. Eligibility is

determined by your annual income and household size.

For HEAP information, call the NYS State Ofﬁce for

the Aging Senior Citizens Helpline at 800-342-9871,

the NYC Department for the Aging at 311, log on to

www.mybeneﬁts.ny.gov or call 800-692-0557.

Lifeline

Verizon offers Lifeline reduced rate services, if income

eligible. Contact your local Verizon ofﬁce for an

application and more information.

Co-op conversion protection

People and their spouses age 62 and older, living in

New York City and outside of New York City, are

automatically protected against eviction regardless of

income or tenure of residency, where co-op conversion

laws are in place. But to realize this protection, they

are strongly advised to ﬁll out an exemption form

available through the attorney general’s ofﬁce and

submit it to the landlord or sponsor initiating the

conversion within 60 days of receipt of the ﬁnal

offering plan or black book.

Reduced fare transportation

(MetroCards)

If you are 65 or older or have a disability that qualiﬁes,

you are eligible for a Reduced-Fare MetroCard.

Seniors need two IDs, one with a picture. A driver

license, birth certiﬁcate, passport, valid state ID or

Medicare card can be used. Seniors paying in cash

need to show their Medicare card.

Reduced fare use: MTA NYC Transit and MTA Bus,

anytime, except on express buses during weekday

rush hours: Monday-Friday 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.; 3 p.m.

to 7 p.m. MTA Long Island bus, anytime; MTA

Long Island Rail Road and the MTA Metro-North

Railroad anytime, except rush hours to New York City

terminals. For information visit www.mta.info or call

718-330-1234.