FCOA Updates Sliding Fee Scale, Helping More Residents Access Services
Published on June 30, 2022
Columbus, OH – The Franklin County Office on Aging (FCOA) has approved a new Sliding Fee Scale which went into effect on May 1, 2022 to help residents enrolledin Senior Options receive support services for little to no cost. Residents with an income of less than $1,640 per month, which is 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, and less than $7,500 in liquid assets will receive services for free.
Seniors must be a Franklin County resident aged 60 or older to be eligible for Franklin County Senior Options. Once enrolled, seniors are placed on a Sliding Fee Scale based on income and liquid assets to determine the co-payment percentage they will be charged. Within the first month of when the adjusted Sliding Fee Scale was applied, FCOA saw a 15% increase in residents who could get Senior Options services for free.
“The update to the Sliding Fee Scale was long overdue,” Interim Director Chanda Wingo stated. “With inflation and the rising cost of basic needs, many of our residents simply could not afford a five percent cost share for our services. They either accepted the bare minimum service or opted out from receiving our services completely. I’m excited that by making this change, more residents will be able to get the help they need through our Senior Options program.”
This update comes after recommendation of aligning the Sliding Fee Scale with the 2022 Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Special Income Level (SIL). By aligning the Sliding Fee Scale with the HCBS Waiver SIL, it ensures that older residents would be able to receive Senior Options services at no cost to them and transition to a Medicaid Waiver program with no liability if their needs increased.
“The existing Sliding Fee Scale had remained unchanged while costs continued to increase. It was time we recognized the need to make considerable adjustments to continue to provide essential services to our most vulnerable, older residents,” said Deputy County Administrator of Health and Human Services Joy Bivens.
In addition to helping senior residents afford services, adjusting the Sliding Fee Scale allows FCOA to further support the Franklin County Board of Commissioners Rise Together Blueprint by addressing poverty, social determinants of health, and finding ways to help older residents stay in their homes and continue to add value to their communities.
FCOA also adopted additional changes in its financial policy to help meet the needs of senior residents, including deducting out-of-pocket medical expenses during financial verification and dividing assets by two for married couples.
Franklin County Senior Options has been providing community-based services to residents since 1993. Senior Options helps Franklin County residents aged 60 and older maintain their independence, while also supporting family members caring for an older parent, family member, or friend with limited abilities.
To learn more about Franklin County Senior Options, call (614) 525-6200.
The Franklin County Office on Aging (FCOA) provides centralized access to diverse services and programs that assist older adults, dependent adults and their families in the maintenance of independent living.
Learn more at Franklincountyohio.gov/officeonaging and follow FCOA on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.