Senior benefits in Marin County, California

CAlz Connect is a free six-month program for people living with Alzheimer's or another dementia and the family member or friend who helps them. In Marin County it is run by the Marin Center for Independent Living for the California Department of Aging. A trained community health worker calls or meets by Zoom once or twice a month. The worker explains dementia, builds a care plan with the family, connects you to local services, and helps when care changes, such as after a hospital stay. A nurse, social worker, and pharmacist support the worker and can review medicine lists. Services are in English and Spanish. To enroll, call the Marin CIL Care Team Navigator at 415-459-6245 ext. 36.

In this county: The person living with dementia must have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or another dementia, be over 45, and have a caregiver age 18 or older who will take part. People living in a nursing facility or memory care community cannot join (independent and assisted living are fine), and neither can people already in a similar dementia care program. A person who lives outside Marin County can also qualify if their caregiver lives there. Enroll through the Marin CIL Care Team Navigator at 415-459-6245 ext. 36 or briana@marincil.org.

Every California county is served by an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and an Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC) — a single point of contact that connects older adults, caregivers, and people with disabilities in Marin County to in-home supportive services, home-delivered and congregate meals, transportation, family-caregiver support, benefits and insurance counseling (HICAP), and California's Medi-Cal home- and community-based long-term-care programs. Services are for adults 60 and older, with priority for those in greatest need. Call the Marin County Area Agency on Aging directly at 415-473-4636, or reach the statewide Aging & Disability Resource Connection at 1-800-510-2020 to be connected to local services.

Estimated service value: $500–$6,000 a year

In this county: The Area Agency on Aging / ADRC is the entry point to Older Americans Act and California state aging services for adults 60+. Specific services depend on an individual needs assessment and local funding, so this shows as a may-qualify result. Call 415-473-4636 to reach your county's AAA (statewide locator line: 1-800-510-2020).

California's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps income-eligible households pay home heating and cooling bills, with one-time crisis help when service is past due or shut off. It is funded federally and run statewide by the California Department of Community Services & Development (CSD). In Marin County it is delivered by Community Action Marin in San Rafael (1-415-526-7550). Households generally qualify at or below 60% of the state median income; older adults and people with disabilities are prioritized. Payments usually go straight to the utility company. Apply online at CaLIHEAPApply or through your local provider.

Estimated bill savings: $94–$1,500 a year

Hospitals serving Marin County — including MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae and Kaiser Permanente San Rafael — must provide financial assistance under California's Hospital Fair Pricing Act. Uninsured patients (and insured patients with high medical costs) with household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level qualify for charity care or discounted payment; many nonprofit systems give fully free care at lower income levels (for example, Dignity Health provides free care up to 250% of the poverty level). Eligible patients are never charged more than the amounts generally billed to insured patients. Ask any hospital's financial-counseling or billing office for its Financial Assistance Policy and application; the state's HCAI publishes every hospital's policy.

Estimated bill savings: $500–$20,000 a year

Marin County General Relief (GR) is a county-funded program that provides temporary cash assistance as a LOAN to help residents meet basic needs when they have little or no money. For a low-income senior it is mainly a bridge while a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) claim is pending. Most applicants can receive GR for up to six months within a 12-month period; people with disabilities may continue longer. To qualify you must be a Marin County resident who intends to remain in the County, be a U.S. citizen / Lawful Permanent Resident / PRUCOL, be at least 18 years old without dependents (or with less than 50% custody — married couples may apply together), and meet the resource limits ($400 cash/bank for an individual, $800 for a couple). The maximum monthly loan is $387 for an individual or $636 for a married couple. Apply in person at Marin County HHS Public Assistance, 120 North Redwood Drive, San Rafael, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. For more information call 415-473-4381.

Estimated cash: $2,000–$4,644 a year

In this county: Marin County GR is a LOAN — cash assistance must be repaid. You must be a Marin County resident, U.S. citizen / LPR / PRUCOL, at least 18 years old without dependents (or with less than 50% custody), with cash/bank resources at or under $400 (individual) or $800 (couple). Most applicants receive GR for up to 6 months in a 12-month period; longer for disabled applicants. Maximum monthly loan is $387 single / $636 couple. Apply in person at 120 North Redwood Drive, San Rafael, M-F 8am-4pm, or call 415-473-4381.

The Intro to Mobility program helps older adults in Marin County learn other ways to get around before they stop driving. After you enroll in Marin Access, you get a one-time mobility wallet loaded with $200 to use with a transportation provider you choose, a one-time 31-day Marin Transit local bus pass on a Clipper card, and help from the Travel Navigator team to learn how to use them. Marin Access is for Marin County residents 65 and older. Call the Travel Navigators at 415-454-0902, weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Estimated service value: about $200 a year

In this county: This is a one-time benefit and requires completing Marin Access enrollment first. Marin Access makes the final decision.

Marin Access Fare Assistance (MAFA) helps Marin Access riders with low incomes pay for rides. Eligible riders get a mobility wallet loaded with $200 each month to use with transportation providers they choose, $300 a year for trips on local paratransit and Marin Access Shuttles ($150 on July 1 and January 1), and can ask for a free Marin Transit local bus pass on a Clipper card. Marin Access is for Marin County residents 65 and older, or with a disability that makes riding the regular bus hard. To qualify for MAFA you must also have Medi-Cal, or have yearly income at or below the Elder Index for your housing situation (for a single person: $32,088 if you own without a mortgage, $51,648 if you rent, $64,452 if you own with a mortgage). Enrollment now lasts 5 years. Call the Marin Access Travel Navigators at 415-454-0902, weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Estimated service value: $300–$2,700 a year

In this county: The income limit depends on your housing: single $32,088 / couple $45,408 if you own without a mortgage, $51,648 / $64,608 if you rent, $64,452 / $77,412 if you own with a mortgage. This check screens at the highest of these; Medi-Cal members qualify without the income test. Marin Access makes the final decision; applications can take up to 21 days.

Marin Access Paratransit is the ADA complementary paratransit service that provides pre-scheduled bus rides for people with disabilities who cannot independently use regular Marin Transit or Golden Gate Transit fixed-route service some or all of the time. Eligibility is functional, not age-based: you must complete an application and provide a licensed professional's statement verifying the disability. The Marin Access Mobility Management Center (operated by Marin Transit) handles certification and offers Travel Navigators who can help walk you through the process — call 1-415-454-0902 Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., or email travelnavigator@marinaccess.org. Riders certified ADA-paratransit-eligible by another agency can present that documentation for visitor status.

In this county: Marin Access ADA paratransit eligibility is functional (disability that prevents independent use of Marin Transit or Golden Gate Transit fixed-route service) and requires a written application plus a licensed professional's statement — this check cannot perform that assessment. To start, call the Marin Access Mobility Management Center at 1-415-454-0902 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm) or email travelnavigator@marinaccess.org.

Marin Transit is the public bus operator for Marin County. Riders 65 and older qualify for a Senior Clipper card, which gives 50% off the adult cash fare on Marin Transit (and the same discount on other Bay Area transit systems through Clipper). To apply for a Senior Clipper card, register online at clippercard.com, by mail/email/fax with proof of age, or in person at any Clipper Customer Service Center. Accepted proof of age includes a valid Medicare card, a California DMV ID or driver's license, or a senior ID issued by another California transit service. The Senior Clipper card does not expire.

Estimated service value: $200–$500 a year