Senior benefits in Choctaw County, Oklahoma

The KEDDO Area Agency on Aging serves people age 60 and older in Choctaw County and six other southeast Oklahoma counties. It funds meals (at nutrition centers and delivered to the homebound), rides, outreach, home repair, legal help, nutrition education and caregiver support services. It also offers free Information and Assistance to help older adults and caregivers find local services, plus long-term care ombudsman help and Medicare counseling. Senior meals in Choctaw County are served at nutrition centers in Hugo and Boswell. Call Information and Assistance at 918-465-2367 or toll free 1-800-722-8180.

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

Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS, often called DHS) has an access point for Choctaw County at 500 E Rosewood St, Hugo, OK 74743. It is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers help with SNAP, child care and medical (SoonerCare) benefits. EBT cards are not issued at this location. You can also apply online any time at OKDHSLive.org. Staff can help with SNAP food benefits, SoonerCare (Medicaid) for people 65 or older or disabled, and energy help (LIHEAP). You can drop off a printed SNAP Request for Benefits form at a local office, and LIHEAP applicants can turn in proof there. For help applying, call 405-522-5050. To report abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult, call the hotline at 1-800-522-3511.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

Choctaw Memorial Hospital in Hugo has a Charity Care Program for patients who cannot afford to pay for medically necessary care. Eligibility is based on family income and the number of people in the family, and may also be based on whether medical bills would be a medical hardship. Fill out the Charity Care application and send it with photo ID, two proofs of Choctaw County residency for the past year, household income for the last 90 days (such as last year's federal tax return, pay stubs, Social Security or SSI award letter, or pension statements), three months of bank statements, and copies of insurance cards including Medicare or Medicaid. The hospital will tell you within 30 business days if you are approved. If you are denied, you can appeal, re-apply if your situation changes, or set up a payment plan. For help with the form, call the Collections Specialist at 580-317-9500.

Estimated bill savings: about $0 a year

LIFT CAA Transit is the rural public transit system for Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmataha Counties, and all of its services are open to the public. Demand-response rides run Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., inside the city limits of Hugo, Antlers, Broken Bow, Idabel and Clayton. LIFT also makes longer trips to places like Oklahoma City and Dallas when drivers are available, and wheelchair-accessible vans are available if you ask the dispatcher. Seniors can fill out a senior ID application to get a discount rider card. Through the KEDDO Area Agency on Aging, rides are also available for people 60 and older who need to get to doctor appointments, pharmacies, or social service agencies. To schedule a ride in the Hugo area, call 580-326-3466.

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