Senior benefits in Jones County, Iowa

Heritage Area Agency on Aging, in Cedar Rapids, is the Area Agency on Aging for Jones County. Its services include information and referral, options counseling, case management, caregiver support, home-delivered meals for homebound adults 60 and older and their spouses, nutrition counseling, balance and fall-prevention classes, senior farmers market checks, and an elder rights program for abuse, neglect and exploitation. Meal sites in Jones County: the Jones County Senior Center in Anamosa, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Monticello and Wyoming Memorial Hall (319-462-4484). Services are offered on a contribution basis to adults 60 and older and their caregivers. Call 319-398-5559 (toll free 800-332-5934).

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

LIHEAP (the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program) gives a one-time payment toward winter heating bills for households with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Households with someone 60 or older or disabled can apply starting October 1; everyone else can apply starting November 1, and applications close April 30. In Jones County, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) takes LIHEAP applications. HACAP's Jones County Outreach Office is at 105 Broadway Place, Suite 17, in Anamosa. Call 319-462-4343. Applications for households with someone 60 or older or disabled cannot be done online; mail them to the local HACAP office. If you have a disconnect notice, are at 30% or less on deliverable fuel, or your furnace does not heat, contact the office right away.

Estimated bill savings: $80–$800 a year

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lists an office for Jones County at 105 Broadway Place, Suite 1, Anamosa. This office is by appointment only and is served by the Linn County office in Cedar Rapids. Income maintenance phone: 641-682-8793. Social services: 319-451-1640 or 866-534-3112. Iowa HHS says you can apply for SNAP food benefits and for Medicaid health coverage, including Medicaid for older adults and people with disabilities, at your local HHS office. You can also apply online through the Iowa HHS Benefits Portal, or apply for Medicaid by phone at 1-855-889-7985.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

UnityPoint Health – Jones Regional Medical Center in Anamosa is part of UnityPoint Health, which helps patients who cannot reasonably pay for some or all of their care. Request financial assistance online through MyUnityPoint (enter your household, income, expenses and assets and upload the required documents), or call the Financial Assistance team at 1-833-874-4243. Financial counselors can also guide you through the Financial Assistance Program and help with Medicaid applications and Marketplace enrollment; for Anamosa, call 319-369-7975.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Jones County JETS gives door-to-door public transit rides throughout Jones County, open to the general public, including people with disabilities. JETS is the Jones County provider in the CorridorRides regional system. The office is at 814 John Dr. in Monticello and is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 319-465-6564 to schedule a ride and ask about fares.

Estimated service value: $150–$1,500 a year

The Jones County Veterans Affairs Office helps veterans and their families file claims for federal and state benefits, including pension, service-connected compensation, health care, burial benefits, headstones, indigent burial, and Iowa Veterans Trust Fund and Iowa Veterans Home applications. It also helps with property tax exemptions for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability and for DIC survivors. The office is in the Community Health Building south of the old Jones Regional Medical Center in Anamosa. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, with Wednesday evening hours by appointment. Call 319-462-5311.

Estimated cash: about $0 a year