FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Minnesota Senior Federation Program Finds New Home with Volunteers of America of Minnesota

Senior Partners Care Reduces Health Care Costs for Older Minnesotans on Medicare

MINNEAPOLIS—The Senior Partners Care program of the Minnesota Senior Federation will transition to Volunteers of America of Minnesota effective July 1.  The Minnesota Senior Federation will dissolve on the same date due to financial problems. 

The Senior Partners Care (SPC) program helps low to moderate income Minnesotans who are on Medicare obtain treatment from participating hospitals, clinics, physicians and other healthcare providers who have agreed to accept Medicare as total payment, thereby waiving co-payments and deductibles.

The program is beneficial to seniors because many older adults who are on fixed incomes have difficulty purchasing supplemental insurance or paying out-of-pocket for deductibles and co-payments not covered by Medicare.  SPC eliminates this financial burden so that its participants may enjoy healthier, less stressful, more independent and fulfilling lives.

“Since Volunteers of America of Minnesota’s mission is to provide opportunities which will make a significant, lasting impact in the lives of our program participants, and to elicit community support for our program participants, we are pleased to have Senior Partners Care join our cadre of services,” said Alice Tennis, Vice President of Senior Services for Volunteers of America of Minnesota.   “This program helps many older Minnesotans more easily access preventive health care. It’s another way for us to contribute to healthy aging and independence.  We look forward to expanding the program in order to reach more seniors,” Ms. Tennis continued.

The SPC program was established in 1974 by the Minnesota Senior Federation in collaboration with the Minnesota Hospital Association.  Currently, SPC helps approximately 1,700 older Minnesotans annually who meet certain eligibility requirements.  To apply for the program, individuals should call 612-617-7817.

ABOUT VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA - MINNESOTA
Volunteers of America-Minnesota is a nonprofit organization founded in 1896 which offers a wide variety of services to more than 27,000 children, adolescents and their families, students, older adults, persons with disabilities and special needs, and ex-offenders each year.   It is one of the oldest, largest and most comprehensive human service organizations in the state and has more than 60 programs, 900 employees and 4,000 volunteers.   Volunteers of America has a rich history of developing innovative, quality programs to meet emerging social issues and prides itself on sponsoring programs which are able to articulate explicitly the outcomes achieved in its program participants' lives.   For more information about Volunteers of America-Minnesota, visit www.voamn.org, or call (952) 945-4000.

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