Senior benefits in Marion County, Iowa

Aging Resources of Central Iowa is the Area Agency on Aging for Marion County. It serves adults age 60 and older, adults 18 and older with disabilities, grandparents raising grandchildren, and people facing elder abuse. Its services are free. Specialists answer questions about housing, transportation and help at home, and options counselors can help you apply for programs. Other services include case management, family caregiver support, group meals and home-delivered meals, nutrition counseling, farmers market checks, and elder abuse prevention. Appointments are required, so call 515-255-1310 (toll free 800-747-5352) first.

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 Marion County, IMPACT Community Action Partnership takes LIHEAP applications by appointment (phone or in person) or online. IMPACT holds LIHEAP pop-up events around Marion County during the season; call to find the next one. If you heat with propane, LIHEAP can pay for a propane delivery. If you have a disconnection notice, have been shut off or have a furnace that does not work, call right away. Call 515-518-4770 to book an appointment.

Estimated bill savings: $80–$800 a year

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lists an office for Marion County at 3014 E Main St, Knoxville. This office is by appointment only. Income maintenance (food and Medicaid applications) is handled by the Polk County Carpenter office, and social services by the Warren County office (515-961-5353 or 800-286-6424). Income maintenance phone: 515-725-2755. 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

Knoxville Hospital & Clinics in Knoxville gives discounted emergency and other medically necessary care to patients who do not have insurance and who qualify under its Financial Assistance Policy. Elective services, balances covered by other funding, and cases where the patient does not help look for other funding are not covered. Complete the Financial Assistance Application. The hospital also offers interest-free payment plans. Call Customer Service at 641-842-1423, Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Marion County's other hospital, Pella Regional Health Center, has its own financial assistance program.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) gives door-to-door public transit rides in Marion County, open to the general public, including people with disabilities. Call 1-877-686-0029, email erides@ridehirta.com, or use the HIRTA On Demand app to book a ride, and tell them the date, time and place. In Marion County, rides run Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; service in the city of Knoxville runs Monday and Friday only. Fares are one-way: $3.00 in town and $6.00 in the county; trips to Des Moines are $6 from Grimes, Norwalk and Waukee and $25 from other areas. If you are 60 or older, ask whether you qualify for donation-based rides, which are partly funded through Aging Resources of Central Iowa. Drivers pick you up within a 20-minute window and help riders who use a wheelchair or scooter.

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

The Marion County Commission of Veterans Affairs helps Marion County veterans who were discharged under honorable conditions and served 90 consecutive days of active federal service. Staff help veterans apply for VA education benefits, home loans, life insurance, VA health care and disability benefits. County help with rent, utilities, food, medical and dental costs, prescriptions, transportation, burial and grave markers is available, subject to eligibility guidelines. The office is in the Marion County Courthouse, 214 E Main St in Knoxville, open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed noon to 1 p.m.). Call 641-828-2201.

Estimated cash: $200–$1,500 a year