Medicare is a federal health insurance policy eligible to individuals age 65 and older. Eligibility is also available to individuals with disabilities including End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). If eligible, Medicare can also include benefits that meet additional health care needs with Medicare parts A, B, D, and Medigap. According to Benenfits.gov , “although Medicare does cover most things for seniors, it does not cover cell phone programs or personal emergency response programs that may be offered for free or at discounted prices such as cell phone network plans.”
Unfortunately, most agencies that offer free cell phone program services for seniors require meeting certain criteria that show financial need and federal assistance to qualify. Lifeline is a well-known cell phone assistance program in California. This program is government supported and helps those who are facing financial challenges to acquire telecommunication services at discounted rates. The Federal Communications Commission provides information on Lifeline and its history since its introduction in 1985, including federal rules, regulations, and low-income household qualifications.
The qualifications and steps for Lifeline’s application process consist of two parts- applying and enrolling. The first part mainly consists of verification of identity via online or mail under the Lifeline National Verifier where you must have proof of identity, proof of income, and proof of eligibility. Filling out the application form also requires you to provide the U.S. state that you reside in and any other amenities that the application requires of you. The second part is enrolling, which begins once the application has been processed and approved. If successfully enrolled, you must find a local wireless provider that offers Lifeline support. CaliforniaLifeline can help you find the nearest provider in the state of California. Following the two steps of applying and enrolling for Lifeline can help individuals get a free cell phone to those on Medicare.
Many programs can be misleading or unavailable to seniors who wish to get discounted rates or free cell phone service. Overall, Medicare does not offer free cell phone programs or services such as Lifeline. Per lifelineSupport.org, the only way to qualify is if a member in your household participates in any of the Federal assistance programs listed below:
Federal Assistance Programs
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
Tribal Assistance Programs
- Any of the federal assistance programs listed above
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard)
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
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By Edwin Rios Munoz
Senior Care Advising Intern at WellPath Partners
Consumer Affairs Student at California State University, Long Beach
