Senior benefits in Miller County, Arkansas

The Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Arkansas, a nonprofit based in Magnolia, serves adults age 60 or older and family caregivers in Calhoun, Columbia, Dallas, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, Sevier and Union Counties. Its services include case management to help you find and apply for benefits, senior centers with a hot lunch and rides to and from the center, information and assistance, health promotion classes such as the Diabetic Education Empowerment Program (DEEP), a long-term care ombudsman, legal advocacy and referral, personal emergency response systems (PERS), Tai Chi and other wellness classes, and caregiver and Parkinson's support groups. The case manager for this county can be reached at 870-648-1295. The main office is at 600 Lelia Street in Magnolia: 870-234-7410 or toll-free 1-800-272-2127, open Monday to Thursday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Estimated service value: $200–$2,000 a year

Central Arkansas Development Council (CADC) takes LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) applications for this county and 18 others, including Calhoun, Columbia, Dallas, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, Sevier and Union. LIHEAP offers Regular Assistance and Crisis Intervention, each a one-time payment toward energy costs, usually paid to the utility. Winter heating help begins the first Monday after the New Year holiday and closes the last business day of March. Summer cooling help begins the first Monday after the July 4th holiday and closes the last business day of August. Crisis help runs with each program and ends the last business day of April (winter) or September (summer). Call CADC's LIHEAP line at 501-326-6229 or check the CADC website for your local office and hours. Online and faxed applications are currently not available. LIHEAP never charges a fee to apply.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) county office for Miller County is at 3809 Airport Plaza, Texarkana, AR 71854-1500. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Phone: 870-773-0563. You can apply in person at a county office, or online, by mail or by phone, for SNAP food help, Medicaid and other health care programs, and TEA cash help. Online applications go through Access.Arkansas.gov. To get Medicaid help paying for nursing home care, send the application and needed documents to your local county office. To apply for programs that help seniors and adults with physical disabilities stay at home, such as ARChoices in Home Care, Independent Choices and Living Choices Assisted Living, contact your local county office. To talk with a counselor about these options, call the Choices in Living Resource Center at 1-866-801-3435.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Miller County residents often use CHRISTUS St. Michael, at 2600 St. Michael Drive in Texarkana, Texas. Under the CHRISTUS Health charity care policy, patients with family incomes at or below 300 percent of federal poverty guidelines are eligible for charity care, and patients with large medical bills and income above 300 percent may also qualify. You must apply for financial assistance and show proof of income. A financial counselor at the hospital will first help you apply for any government programs you may qualify for. To reach a financial counselor, call CHRISTUS St. Michael at 903-614-1000. Uninsured patients in the Texarkana area can also get free help from Elevate Patient Financial Solutions at 903-614-5661.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

In this county: Charity care is set by the CHRISTUS Health financial assistance policy; the hospital makes the final award decision. The hospital is in Texas.

T-Line runs eight bus routes in Texarkana (Arkansas and Texas), Wake Village and Nash, Monday to Saturday, 5:30 a.m. to 6:20 p.m. Fares: Senior (65 and over) $0.60 one way; Individuals with Disabilities (with a valid ID) $0.60; Adult $1.25. A Senior/Individuals with Disabilities monthly pass is $20.00. T-Line Paratransit gives curb-to-curb rides for $2.50 per one-way trip to people with disabilities who cannot use the regular bus, within three-quarters of a mile of a bus route; an application is required. Call 903-794-8883. In rural Miller County, South Central Arkansas Transit (SCAT) has an office at 4415 Jefferson Ave., Suite B, Texarkana (870-330-4965); schedule SCAT trips at least 72 hours ahead.

Estimated service value: about $0 a year

In this county: Paratransit riders must be approved first. Reduced fares for people with disabilities need a valid ID.