Senior benefits in Lafayette County, Mississippi

The Three Rivers Area Agency on Aging, part of the Three Rivers Planning and Development District in Pontotoc, serves Lafayette County. It serves Calhoun, Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, and Union counties. Its services include information and referral, nursing home ombudsman help, homemaker services, respite for caregivers, legal help for people age 60 and over, job training for people age 55 and over, free Medicare counseling, and nutrition: home-delivered meals for people who cannot leave home without help and group meals at meal sites. The Mississippi Access to Care (MAC) Center in Pontotoc (662-488-6983) helps with long-term care options and Medicaid waiver screening. Call Three Rivers at 662-489-2415.

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

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps pay home energy bills and energy crisis costs. In Lafayette County, LIHEAP is handled by LIFT, Inc., the Community Action Agency (CAA) that serves Calhoun, Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc and Union counties. Its Oxford office is at 181 Highway 6 East, Oxford; call 662-238-6222. To apply, submit a pre-application on Access MS and mark "Community Services"; the CAA then mails or emails an appointment notice, and the full application is finished in person. A household typically qualifies with income at or below 60% of the state median income and an energy bill due. Households with elderly or disabled members get priority and should get an appointment within 30 business days. If approved, the CAA pays the energy company directly. Funding is limited.

Estimated bill savings: $200–$1,500 a year

The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) county office for Lafayette County is at 72 F.D. Buddy East Parkway, Suite 301, Oxford, MS 38655. Call 662-234-1861. County offices help with SNAP food benefits and can explain what documents to send with an application. Older adults can use the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP), a simpler way to apply for SNAP, when everyone in the household is 65 or over and no one has earnings from work; the application is form MDHS EA 904. People who get SSI can apply for SNAP through the Mississippi Combined Application Project (MSCAP) at the Social Security office or the local county MDHS office. ESAP and MSCAP participants can call 800-948-4060 for help with a SNAP case.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford takes part in Baptist's Hospital Financial Assistance Policy, which helps uninsured and underinsured patients pay for emergency and medically necessary care. Help is based on family size and income compared with the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Under the policy's discount table, family income under 200% of the guidelines gets a 100% discount; 201-250% gets 95%; 251-300% gets 90%; 301-350% gets 85%; and 351-400% gets 80%. Above 400%, the discount varies by facility. Insured patients with large out-of-pocket bills may also get help. Fill out a Financial Assistance Application and return it with proof of income to the business office where care was received, within 240 days of the first bill. Call the Baptist financial assistance line at 877-348-1281.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Oxford-University Transit (OUT) is the public bus system for the city of Oxford and the University of Mississippi. Its city bus routes are zero-fare. OUT also gives demand-response rides to people who are elderly or disabled throughout its service area, plus ADA paratransit for people who qualify. All paratransit vehicles are wheelchair accessible. Rides can be scheduled by phone or in person at the OUT facility. Call 662-234-3540.

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