County supervisors agree to process $5,000 claim after NEI-3A outlines services and local figures

Representatives from NEI-3A told the Jackson County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 16 that the nonprofit provides information assistance, options counseling and one-on-one application and enrollment help for older adults across the county and region. Lisa (NEI) said those services are among the organization's largest offerings and that staff also follow up with meal recipients to connect them to benefits and other supports.

Board members pressed the visitors for county-specific outcomes and how residents learn about the programs with no permanent local office. Don Swicker said, "If we're going to spend Jackson County tax dollars, we would like to see a tangible ... how many people are you helping get signed up on Medicaid? How many people meals are you setting up per year?" The NEI representative replied the provider assisted about 65 individuals with application assistance and processed roughly 125 applications in the July 2023'June 2024 reporting period, and reported county-specific expenditures including about $250,000 in in-home delivered meal costs and 16,540 meals for that year.

Supervisors also questioned duplication with local services such as hospital SHIP counseling and the county's disability coordinator; NEI said it coordinates with local providers, food banks and meal sites and aims to avoid duplicating services. The board noted a $5,000 allotment in the current year budget and directed staff to process the claim for payment. Chair Don Swicker said the board will review future funding requests with a clearer focus on county-specific deliverables and outreach plans.

The board did not change program rules or commit to multi-year funding; supervisors said they want more detailed local metrics in future requests before expanding support.