DCOA E*News At-A-Glance
 Mayor Vincent C. Gray greeted more than 1000 seniors at the Department of Parks and Recreation Senior Fest and Health and Wellness Event held at Oxon Run Park.
Effective October 1, 2013, the District of Columbia real property
Senior/Disabled Deduction income threshold will increase to $125,000 from
$100,000. This benefit reduces real property taxes by 50 percent for
property owners who are 65 years old or older, or persons with disabilities.
To qualify for the deduction, the property owner must apply for the deduction
and own 50 percent or more of the property or cooperative unit. Owners of properties receiving these tax benefits are responsible for notifying
OTR when eligibility ceases. To obtain a copy of the Homestead Deduction and Senior Citizen/Disabled
Property Tax Relief Application, FP-100, or cancellation form, please visit www.taxpayerservicecenter.com<http://www.taxpayerservicecenter.com>
under “Tax Forms and Publications.”
For additional information, please contact the Office of Tax and Revenue’s
Customer Service Administration at 202-727-4TAX (4829).
The Committee on Finance and Revenue of the Council of
the District of Columbia will hold hearings on Bill 20-23, the Residential Real
Property Equity and Transparency Act of 2013 on October 17, 2013 at 10 a.m., the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 500. For those who have questions concerning this issue,
please contact Amy Mix, with Legal Counsel for the Elderly (LCE), who is leading this
initiative on behalf of LCE. Amy’s telephone number is 202-434-2171.
DCOA
in conjunction with D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) completed the training of 15
senior volunteers in support of Mayor Gray’s early childhood development
program focusing on the mentoring and tutoring of children aged 3-4 years old in the
D.C. Public Schools. The eight week program was designed to allow participants to understand the behavior of children and teach new techniques to help children read.
The seniors will be assigned to Langdon, Noyes and Truesdell Educational Campuses and Amidon-Bowen, Beers, Hendley and Stanton
Elementary Schools where their assistance is needed.
Research has shown that a child taught to read at an early
age will be more successful in school. By volunteering in schools, seniors are able to give back to
the community and remain socially active during their retirement
years. With more than 40 under performing schools in the District, DCOA will
continue to recruit seniors to help the children of the District succeed.
If you are interested in volunteering in a public school in your community,
contact tony.moreno@dc.gov.
During National Preparedness Month, the D.C. Office on Aging, Office of Unified Communications and Connect DC completed a pilot program to assist older Washingtonians in registering for Smart911. Smart911 is a safety profile that provides first responders with vital information on occupants of the home that allows them to better assist persons calling for emergency assistance. When a call is placed from a residence or registered cell phone, 911 operators know who is calling and any provided information about who resides in the home or any concerns.
DCOA encourages seniors to sign-up for this important safety feature. For more information about the program or to have a presentation for your group, organization or resident building, contact darlene.nowlin@dc.gov or call 202-724-5626.
The
Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare – makes significant improvements
in the ability of people 50-to-64 to get and keep quality health insurance
including:
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Nobody can be turned down for health
insurance because of a pre-existing medical condition. Nor can they be charged
higher premiums.
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Insurance companies cannot place
annual or lifetime limits on benefits.
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Every health insurance plan must
cover a package of essential health benefits that includes doctor visits,
hospital stays, prescription drugs, lab tests, rehabilitation care, mental
health and substance abuse treatment, and preventive screenings and tests.
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Recommended preventive tests –
including mammograms and other cancer screenings – must be covered with no
out-of-pocket costs for the patient.
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Health insurance premiums for older
adults can be no more than 3 times as much as for young adults (current rates
can be 5 times higher or more).
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People who are uninsured or are
currently buying their own insurance will be able to shop for coverage in new
state-based insurance marketplaces where insurers will compete for their
business.
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Based on their income, many older
adults will be eligible for a tax credit that reduces the cost of their health
insurance. Individuals with incomes of up to $45,960 and couples earning up to
$62,040 will be eligible for this help.
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Out-of-pocket spending will be
limited and people with modest incomes will be eligible for assistance with costs.
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Medicaid coverage will be available for persons with low incomes in many states at no cost.
- If
you already have employer-sponsored health insurance, there will be no major
changes to your coverage other than new protections.
Enrollment begins
Oct 1 with coverage taking effect January 1, 2014. Persons
interested in having their coverage begin on January 1, 2014 should enroll
between Oct. 1-Dec. 15. Events will be
held at libraries, CVS stores, recreation centers, and many other locations during the months of October, 2013 – March, 2014.
Need help figuring out how to recharge as a caregiver? Participate in the bi-weekly D.C. Caregivers Online Chat at Noon, Tuesday, October 1 and get the help you need. Visit www.dcoa.dc.gov at 12 pm or hit replay at your convenience to find out more. Contact linda.irizzary@dc.gov for more information or call 202-535-1442.
The Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired has moved to 2900 Newton Street, NE. Operating hours are Monday -
Friday beginning at 9:30 am with transportation provided to and from the Center.
The new location offers additional space and new activities are planned for participants. Contact Center Director Mrs. Duckett at 202-529-8701 for more information.
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