TALLAHASSEE – Florida’s SHINE program, which plays an essential role in helping seniors make informed choices about their health care options, today announced that it will receive a 16 percent jump in federal funding, enabling it to provide assistance to even more Florida elders. SHINE is a program of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs.

As the official state health insurance program, SHINE – which stands for Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders – will receive an addition $374,000 to provide free, unbiased counseling to Florida seniors regarding their insurance options. Florida has the nation’s highest concentration of elder residents, and SHINE is the first point of contact for many seniors exploring their Medicare and other insurance options.

SHINE is a state-based program that assists Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers with a wide variety of Medicare and health insurance topics. The SHINE program offers counseling and information through a network of more than 400 dedicated volunteers and 300-plus community partners. In the 2008-2009 state fiscal year, SHINE assisted some 505,700 clients across the state through either one-on-one counseling, educational presentations to community groups, or health and senior fairs.

“SHINE is a lifeline for many seniors who simply don’t know where to turn when trying to choose among complex and confusing health care options,” said Elder Affairs Secretary E. Douglas Beach. “With these additional funds, SHINE counselors will be able to help even more Florida seniors get information that can make all the difference in the world.”

The award represents the 18th year of funding for SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders), and the increased funding is a result of greater success in the program’s outreach efforts over the past year. With the additional funding, local SHINE offices will be able to conduct additional outreach activities to inform seniors about the helpful services offered by the program.

Last year, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided $2,349,987 for SHINE operations. The program was just notified that for the grant year that began April 1, SHINE has been awarded $2,724,005, a 15.9 percent increase.

CMS expects the state health insurance programs to increase their efforts to provide outreach and assistance to current and newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers. Another key focus will be on reaching individuals who are most likely eligible for Medicare’s low-income subsidy and may be able to benefit from lower prescription drug costs, as well as beneficiaries with disabilities or from diverse racial and ethnic groups, particularly those individuals with limited English proficiency.

SHINE is committed to working with partners statewide to reach current and newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries who may qualify for programs that can help them lower their Medicare costs. For more information on Medicare Savings Programs, including the low-income subsidy program or state-sponsored health insurance or prescription discount options such as the Florida Discount Drug Card and the Cover Florida Health Care Access Program, Floridians can call the Department’s Elder Helpline toll-free at 1-800-963-5337 or visit www.FloridaSHINE.org.