Spread across dozens of agencies and programs, Government benefits and eligibility for seniors can be quite confusing. Below are the few key places to start or further your understanding of government assistance programs for Americans at or nearing retirement.

 

Benefits.gov – https://www.benefits.gov/

The Benefits Finder at Benefits.gov is the best place to start your investigation into federal benefits. Benefits.gov is a collaboration of 17 Federal agencies and their mission is to increase citizen access to benefit information.

 

Social Security Administration – https://www.ssa.gov/

The Social Security Administration handles benefits for Retirement, Disability, Medicare, Survivors and Supplemental Security Income.  We highly recommend you sign up for an SSA account even if you are not ready to receive benefits.  This will enable you to review your earnings history for accuracy to make sure you receive appropriate benefits.

 

Medicare – https://www.medicare.gov

Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older. This is one of the most important federal retirement benefits you may receive, so it’s important to make sure you understand the intricacies of the program. You can apply for and manage coverage through their website.

 

Medicade – https://www.medicaid.gov/

Medicade is different from Medicare. Medicade is intended for low income individuals, but certain individuals may receive dual benefits for health care coverage.

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