Free Phones for Seniors on Medicare : For some low-income American seniors, the expense of a mobile or phone service can be unaffordable. Furthermore, having a cell phone these days is fundamental for keeping in contact with family and friends and loved ones. It is considerably more basic for seniors who might require support at any time. In the article, we will discuss how to get free phones for seniors on Medicare.
Seniors and certain disabled people on Medicare might qualify with the expectation of free cell phones and services through the Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program. You can qualify for these two programs through your household income level or different other government assistance programs. Medicaid is one of the qualifying programs. Keep reading this article to find out about how to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program and Lifeline Program to get a free Smartphone, talk, text and data. If you’re a resident of Ohio, looking to get the best free government phone in Ohio, then there are some programs that can assist you with obtaining one.
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Top 5 Programs to Receive Free Phones for Seniors on Medicare
Following is a list of the Top 5 programs to get free cell phones for seniors on Medicare:
Lifeline Assistance Program
Lifeline is an assistance program that was created by the national government through the Federal Communications Commission and controlled by the Universal Service Administrative. They offer free phones to seniors and people who meet their qualification requirements. To profit from the Lifeline program, seniors need to meet the federal poverty rule or be a recipient of other government assistance programs.
Connect America Fund
The Connect America Fund is a program established by the national government that subsidizes telecommunication companies in the United States empowering them to supply free or decreased rate services to the seniors in the society who satisfy the eligibility standard.
Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program
The deaf and disabled telecommunications program program is a program operated by the California public utility commission with a division that gives free phones to the disabled and seniors who meet the qualification criteria. They work with some service providers to give free phones to deaf, disabled, and senior residents to assist them with remaining connected with their families and access emergency healthcare services without any problem.
Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program
The Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program is a central government supported program that gives free or minimal expense phones to qualifying seniors of the general public providing them with easier admittance to their families and caregivers.
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
The Affordable Connectivity program is a drive of the federal government administered by the Federal Communications Commission. The program offers free phones to low-income seniors and families. It additionally offers month to month support and device discounts per family. To be a recipient of the Affordable Connectivity Program, you must be a participant of any government supported program such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income.
Eligibility To Get Free Phones for Seniors on Medicare
To profit from the Free phones for Seniors on Medicare, you need to meet the qualification criteria below:
- You should be a senior who is 60 years of age or more or a person with disabilities if you are below 60 years old.
- You should have an annual income lower than or at 135% of the government poverty guidelines.
- You or an member of your family should be a recipient of any government assistance program such as:
- Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
Requirements for Getting a Free Phone Through Medicare for Senior Citizens
To get a Free phone through Medicare for Senior citizens, the following documentation is required:
- Your personal photo ID
- A copy of your passport
- Proof of current address
- Identification documentation that demonstrates you are signed up for any government assistance program.
- An official document that incorporates the candidate’s full legal name as well as income.
- Previous year’s state, federal, or Tribal Tax return, check stubs.
- Documentation of social security payments and Medicare retirement coverage.
- A legitimate government, military, state, or Tribal ID, or driver’s license.
- Your Birth Certificate.
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship.
- Your Permanent Resident Card.
Ways to Apply for Free Phones for Seniors on Medicare
Following are the two ways to apply for free cell phones for seniors on medicare:
- Visit the nationalverifier.servicenowservices.com site
- Choose your state of residence.
- Tap on the “get started” button
- Follow the on-screen directions and finish the online application form.
- Provide all the required documents
- Click on “Submit”
Or apply via Mail (if you are applying via Lifeline)
- Firstly, download and print out the Lifeline application form
- Fill out the application form in the right way
- Send the completed application form attached with copies of the required documentation to Lifeline Support Center, PO Box 7081, London, KY 40742.
How to Choose the Best Free Phone for Seniors on Medicare?
To choose the best Medicare cell phones for seniors, you must consider the following factors:
Visibility and hearing for Seniors on Medicare
Taking into account the way that a senior will utilize the free phone from Medicare, picking a phone with a large screen and sound audio is a decent place to begin. It is likewise advisable to go for phones that are viable with hearing aids particularly if the clients have such health related issues.
Monitoring feature for Seniors on Medicare
You ought to get cell phones with checking features if your friends and family live alone or have memory issues.
Phones with simplified menus and profoundly instinctive interfaces are a lot more simpler for seniors to figure out how to utilize and navigate.
Battery for Seniors on Medicare
This is one more significant point to consider while selecting a free phone for seniors on Medicare. Seniors will require a phone with enduring batteries as they some of the time forget to charge their phones.
Safety features for Seniors on Medicare
Cell phones with adequate features will be mainly needed for seniors. If an emergency occurs, features like SOS buttons, GPS and other medical alert functions are generally most appropriate for seniors.
Easy to use design for Seniors on Medicare
Hearing and vision issues are common among seniors. As a result, having a reasonable and easy-to-use mobile phone is essential for seniors. They truly need a phone with a huge screen, powerful speaker, large text, and enormous icons.
Luckily, the phones listed below fulfilled all these points to be considered when selecting Medicare cell phones for seniors.
Top 5 Free Phones for Seniors on Medicare
Before we discuss the specific phone models any further, you ought to know that with regards to free phones given via carriers offering Lifeline Assistance, those phones can’t be picked by clients. It depends on the carrier to give you the phone that is currently in their stock.
All things considered, a few carriers have a single model at that point, while others have a few choices. Practically all carriers nowadays offer free entry-level cell phones as a feature of their Lifeline support offer. However, many additionally have basic or flip phones accessible, that can be likewise achieved through Lifeline plan.
Following are the Top 5 Free Phones for Seniors on Medicare:
Lively’s Jitterbug Flip2
The Lively Jitterbug Flip 2 reclassifies how current flip phones should function with its Alexa compatibility, double camera design, and also safety features. It has a basic navigation menu, an enormous backlit keypad, and a built-in SOS emergency button and is compatible with hearing aids.
Jitterbug Smart3
The Jitterbug Smart 3 features a bright, clear 5.5-inch display, an instinctive design, and a strong camera. It has a simplified menu that makes it simple to utilize and medical alert capabilities that makes it entirely reasonable for seniors.
Alcatel Go Flip 4
The Alcatel Go flip 4 is planned with a clamshell design. It includes a small interior screen showing the date and time and a larger interior display that permits you to effortlessly navigate the phone’s features, long battery duration, call clarity, and application store compatibility. It likewise accompanies hearing aid compatibility.
iPhone 7 Plus
The iPhone 7 Plus is an ideal choice thanks to its built-in voice assistant, Siri, that permits you to make calls easily, browse, and send messages, utilizing your voice. This voice command makes it simple to navigate and reasonable for seniors.
RAZ Memory Cell Phone
This phone is an excellent choice for seniors particularly those with an intellectual disability due to its simplified functions. It includes a picture-based contact list allowing users to handily receive and make phone calls to their friends and family without getting confused a lot. It likewise has a devoted 911 button, an enormous touchscreen, and an extremely easy-to-understand menu.
5 Top Cell Phone Companies That Offer Free Cell Phones For Seniors On Medicare
Below we will look at the 5 top cell phone companies that offer Lifeline Assistance. Remember that unfortunately there is no Lifeline provider that would work in all states. All things considered, your decisions will ultimately rely upon your location. In certain areas, there are in excess of twelve wireless carriers offering free Lifeline plans, while there could be a single one in others.
Tragically, there may likewise be specific remote areas, where no Lifeline carrier is accessible. We have listed some wireless companies that offer free plans as well as free devices.
American Assistance
American Assistance is otherwise called American Broadband and Telecommunication. A well known and reputable wireless provider offers free smart phones and cell phones to qualified applicants. American Assistance is the most ideal choice for California residents, where they get free devices, free unlimited voice and text, and 6GB of data.
Their deal in different states is less generous. Recently they’ve begun offering a Co-Pay plan that runs at $14.95 per month. furthermore, incorporated a free cell phone, 500 voice minutes, unlimited texts, and 4.5GB of mobile phone data.
American Assistance services customers in various regions, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless is another carrier that comes second in our list. Assurance Wireless is a government Lifeline Assistance program and provides qualified low-income free month to month data, unlimited texting, and free monthly minutes. Furthermore a free phone.
The specific month to month benefits vary from one area to another (particularly mobile data), however, in many states you get unlimited texts, 1000 voice minutes, and 3GB of data.
Assurance Wireless services residents of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Go to their website and put your ZIP code to see the availability in your location.
Infiniti Mobile
Infiniti Mobile is undoubtedly another noteworthy wireless company that administers subscribers of Lifeline programs in different states and regions.
Those qualified for Lifeline services given by the company will get free government phones, as long as 1000 minutes of talk time, unlimited text messaging, and 1GB of data.
Here are a portion of the states with superb reception: South Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, Maryland, Wisconsin, and Vermont. Also, Indian Americans who meet all requirements for the company’s services benefit from a lengthy data plan that incorporates 2GB of data. Infiniti Mobile offers the people who need additional call minutes and data to buy additional items.
Assist Wireless
Assist Wireless is offering its services to the occupants of Oklahoma, Maryland, Arkansas, and Missouri. They offer free phones and free plans that come in type of tribal and non-tribal variants.
The plans from Assist Wireless are not equivalent for all states. For example, in Missouri, Maryland, and Arkansas, the free plan incorporates 1000 minutes, 500 texts, and 50MB of data. However, they have additionally paid (highly discounted plans for Lifeline qualifiers).
In Oklahoma, the non-tribal plan matches the one depicted above, in any case, the Oklahoma tribal plan accompanies many more advantages. It incorporates unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 4.5GB of data. Accordingly, Assist Wireless remains one of the most amazing choices for tribal Lifeline qualifiers.
Qlink Wireless
Q Link Wireless is one of America’s quickest developing Lifeline Service providers. The organization offers free cell phone services with free monthly data, minutes, and unlimited texting; to a huge number of low-income Americans. Clients browse different free monthly minute plans. Cell phone service incorporates nationwide coverage and the capacity to call nationally or internationally. Subscriptions partake in no monthly charges, no fees, no credit checks, no additional charges, and no agreements. The company likewise offers affordable prepaid wireless cell phone service, for Lifeline and non-Lifeline subscribers.
Qlink Wireless offers some of the absolute best cell phones that have extra unlimited texts and unlimited call minutes and 3GB of mobile data.
Qlink is basically utilized in Vermont, Oklahoma, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Missouri, and Ohio. They likewise have a reference program by means of which clients who refer friends get 100 minutes bonus free minutes. Qlink likewise has different phone upgrades for those ready to advance with their services.
Benefits of Receiving Free Phones for Seniors on Medicare
The advantages of free of cost Medicare cell phones for seniors are:
- More straightforward access to emergency medical care services.
- Consistent connection with their friends and family and caregivers.
- The money that would have been utilized to get a phone can be utilized to buy other important things.
Alternative Options For Receiving Free Phones
In the event that you don’t qualify for Lifeline, you can still get a free phone. With some luck or right timing, you can get a strong mid-range or even top-range cell phone for free. You should simply find a carrier that offers free phones to those changing to their service. Most well known carriers have these kinds of offers set up.
Metro by T-Mobile provides various great free phones for those taking on their unlimited plan that runs at $40 per month. Some of the free phones provided by Metro by T-Mobile incorporate LG Stylo™ 6, Samsung Galaxy A21, moto g stylus, Samsung Galaxy A11, LG K51, iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy A20 and so on.
Bottom Line
Seniors on Medicare who are searching for a free government phone must fulfill income based eligibility as per the Federal Poverty norms. They can likewise qualify if they are as of now profiting from any federal government assistance. If they likewise satisfy all requirements and qualify for Lifeline, they can without much of a stretch apply with the expectation of free phones for seniors on Medicare through any affiliating wireless providers to the Lifeline assistance program. In order to obtain free government phones, it’s extremely important that you are familiar with free government phone locations around the world. Get in touch with your service agencies or ask your friends to know more about the locations near you. If you’re someone living in California, then there are ways you can get your hands on free phones for seniors in California and also enjoy additional benefits like unlimited talk, texts and data.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Below are some questions and answers in regards to Free Cell Phone for Seniors on Medicare. Check them all out below.
What is Medicare?
Medicare is a federal program that gives health coverage to individuals older than 65 or for those under 65 that have a disability. Medicare isn’t income based. Medicaid is income based and that is the reason one of the programs that partakes in makes you qualified for the Lifeline support.
What is the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?
Medicaid is a state and government program that gives health coverage to those with an exceptionally low income. Medicaid is income based. On the other hand, Medicare provides health coverage for people who are older than 65 and have a disability. Medicare is not income-based.
Can I get a free phone with Medicare if I am a senior citizen?
You can get a free phone with Medicare as a senior resident if you meet the qualification guidelines that incorporate having a family or individual income rate that is lower than or at 135% of the federal poverty guideline or being a recipient of any government assistance program.
Are non-citizens Seniors on Medicare eligible to get a free phone?
Medicare doesn’t give you access to free phones, however, you likewise know that Lifeline does. Lifeline is accessible to all qualified applicants, including non-residents that have a permanent or temporary location in the United States. Permanent US citizenship isn’t required to acquire Lifeline support.
