The Senior Alliance’s 2024 Year in Review
January 21, 2025
As we support adults as they age, we are thrilled to report an incredibly successful year of serving our community in our 2024 year in review!
Your Guide to MI Options: Free Support for Medicare and Long-Term Care in Michigan
Your Guide to MI Options: Free Support for Medicare and Long-Term Care in Michigan
When it comes to Medicare and long-term care, having someone to guide you can make all the difference.
- MI Options is a free statewide program that connects Michigan residents with expert, local support.
- Medicare Counseling helps you understand health care coverage options, benefits, and costs—so you can make informed decisions.
- Person-Centered Options Counseling (PCOC) helps you plan for long-term care and community support that fit your goals and lifestyle.
- Both services are available through The Senior Alliance, the Area Agency on Aging serving western and southern Wayne County.
Through MI Options, you’ll find clear, unbiased guidance to help you live your way, with dignity, respect, and independence.
How MI Options Helps You Make Confident Care Decisions
Making decisions about Medicare coverage or long-term care can feel overwhelming, but you
don’t have to figure it out alone. MI Options is a free statewide program that connects Michigan residents with local experts who can help you understand your choices and plan for the future with confidence.
Through The Senior Alliance, trained and certified counselors provide two key services:
- Medicare Counseling to help you navigate health care coverage options
- Person-Centered Options Counseling (PCOC) to help you explore long-term care and community supports that fit your needs, values, and goals.
Together, these services make it easier to make informed decisions, stay independent, and get the right care at the right time, so you can continue to Live Your Way.
Medicare Counseling: Free, Unbiased Guidance
Through Michigan’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), The Senior Alliance offers free Medicare counseling in Michigan. With this program, you get free, unbiased help with Medicare and one-on-one guidance from counselors to better understand your benefits and make informed decisions.
We’ll help you understand Medicare, whether you’re new to Medicare and need to enroll, need to review plan options, save on health care and prescriptions, and more. There are no income or asset limits to participate in Medicare counseling.
To receive services, you must meet one of the following:
- An adult 18 or older
- An adult living with disabilities
- A Medicare beneficiary and/or soon-to-be Medicare beneficiary
- Someone who needs long-term care supports and services
- Caregivers and/or family members
This Medicare Counseling Program is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $76,732 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government.
Person-Centered Options Counseling (PCOC): Planning for Long-Term Support
Along with Medicare counseling, we also offer PCOC. This is a free program that supports you with a trained counselor and helps you explore long-term care supports and community-based aging services in Michigan tailored to your goals, lifestyle, and preferences.
Through PCOC, we can help you explore home care, simplify complex care systems, plan for housing needs, navigate major life changes, create a personalized plan, and more. This free program allows clear answers on long-term care, and there are no age, income, or asset limits to participate.
Like Medicare counseling, you can receive services for PCOC if you are:
- An adult 18 or older
- An adult living with disabilities
- A Medicare beneficiary and/or soon-to-be Medicare beneficiary,
- Someone who needs long-term care supports and services
- Caregivers and/or family members
This PCOC project has been made possible through a grant awarded to The Senior Alliance by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Explore More With The Senior Alliance
With MI Options, you’ll find caring guidance that puts your needs first. Our counselors help you make sense of Medicare, explore long-term care supports, and build a plan that fits your life and goals.
No matter where you are in your journey, The Senior Alliance is here to help you live your way, with dignity, respect, and independence. Along with MI Options, The Senior Alliance provides local support for older adults and caregivers through programs like Care Management, Transportation, and Nutrition Programs.
If you or someone you love could use support, reach out to us today or visit thesenioralliance.org to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is MI Options?
MI Options is a free statewide program that helps Michigan residents make informed choices about Medicare coverage and long-term care support.
Through The Senior Alliance, trained and certified counselors provide personalized guidance to help you understand your options and plan for your future.
Who can use MI Options services?
MI Options is open to adults 18 or older, people living with disabilities, Medicare beneficiaries or soon-to-be beneficiaries, and caregivers or family members seeking help with care planning or long-term supports. There are no income or asset limits to participate.
How do I connect with The Senior Alliance for MI Options?
You can get started by contacting The Senior Alliance, the Area Agency on Aging for western and southern Wayne County. Call 734.727.2067 to connect with a local counselor and get free support.
If you live outside The Senior Alliance’s service area, you can call 800.803.7174 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday–Friday to connect with the MI Options statewide hotline for MI Options services local to you.
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