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Maintenance of Effort Requirement For Medicaid and CHIP due to federal Health Reform

Families USA

Exciting News: National Health Care Reform Signed into Law

Vicky Pulos & Neil Cronin
Wow!  Is it really only two months since the Massachusetts Special Election that seemed to crush all hopes of significant national health reform? Yesterday, the President signed into law the Affordable Care Act of 2010. At last we have a final (or almost final) health reform law addressing some (if…

Community Catalyst's Summary of Senate Health Reform and Reconciliation Bills

Community Catalyst

EOHHS Summary of Health Reform Impact on Massachusetts

EOHHS

Clarification of the Use of Short Term Rental Supports

Robert Pulster, Associate Director, DHS
DHCD Memo to Shelter Providers explaining that families in shelter may be terminated if they refuse an offer of housing that is affordable due only to a short-term subsidy. Also explains that one purpose of short-term subsidies is to enable families to develop a positive housing resume.  

SI and SSDI benefits while in a hospital or institution

Linda Landry, DLC
Here's an e-mail response to a question that recently came in from an advocate. I thought it might be useful to a wider audience. 1. People who receive SSDI can continue to receive their SSDI benefits in facilities, whether public or private, unless they are being held there in connection…

Links to Blogs, Online Resources about Social Security

MLRI
Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities -- Social Security Task Force:   The Task Force on Social Security monitors activity regarding the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) income support programs. It proactively seeks solutions to issues…

DHCD Suspends EA Flex Funds and Toolbox Due to Budget

Ruth Bourquin, MLRI
Today DHCD announced to shelter/housing search providers that, due to a projected deficit in the Emergency Assistance account, shelter providers no longer have access to FY10 EA funds for short term subsidies or payments like first and last month's rent. See attached memo and Excel spreadsheet…

SSI Coalition Agenda, Friday, March 12, 2010

Linda Landry, Svetlana Uimenkova

Your Rights Regarding Access to Mental Health Records in Massachusetts

Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
Click the "Go to Website" link below to download this overview of an individual's rights regarding the privacy of mental health records.

Improving Remote Communication Between Public Benefits Agencies and Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals

Cary LaCheen, National Center for Law and Economic Justice
The National Center for Law and Economic Justice has been contacted a few times over the past few years about deaf and hearing impaired individuals who were unable to communicate effectively by phone with government agencies because of restrictive agency policies prohibiting telephone communication…

Substantive Defenses to Consumer Debt Collection Suits

NCLC, LSC, VLP, BBA
Extensive materials from a training on defending debt collection suits.  Topics covered include: Interviewing clients and evaluating casesCollection case procedures in district courtSupplementary processThe training was presented by the National Consumer Law Center, Wilmer Hale Legal…

ACT!! Website on implementation of health reform

ACT!! Coalition
Check out the website of ACT!! (the Affordable Care Today Coalition) for information on implementation of the health care reform law.

Georgetown University's Center for Families and Children Key Medicaid/CHIP Provisions in Federal Health Reform

Georgetown Center for Families and Children

Iraqi & Afghan Legal Permanent Residents with Special Immigrant Visas Eligible for SNAP & Federal Benefits Without 5 Year Wait

MLRI
On December 26th, 2007. President Bush signed an Omnibus Appropriations Act that included language (Section 525) authorizing a limited time period of refugee benefits for immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan who entered as legal permanent residents with Special Immigrant Visas (SI-1) rather than…

Legislative Drafting Manual (Mass. Senate version)

Mass. Senate Counsel Office
A manual prepared by the Massachusetts Senate Counsel's office to help legislative lawyers and other staff who are drafting or reviewing bills for the Massachusetts Senate. According to the office, "Its purpose is to promote uniformity in drafting style, and to make the resulting statutes…

Framing in Race-Conscious, Antipoverty Advocacy: A Science-Based Guide to Delivering Your Most Persuasive Message

Bill Kennedy, Emily Fisher, and Colin Bailey
Framing builds upon an understanding of the science of cognition that tracks how the brain processes information and prompts certain analytic frames through which facts are sorted. The most effective way to frame a message to achieve an advocacy outcome may differ from the way advocates talk…

SSA Acronyms from NOSSCR

National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives

National Legal Resource Center for Elder Advocates

Administration on Aging, others
The NLRC website is a collaborative effort developed by the Administration on Aging to provide legal support to the aging advocacy network.  The section of the website that is linked below includes information on Grandparent Rights and Caring for Grandchildren.

HousingWorks: Link to Find Housing in Massachusetts

HousingWorks
Resources for people looking for housing or vouchers. Additional resources for housing providers and advocates.

2010 SSI Charts

Division for Perinatal, Early Childhood and Special Health Needs, MA Department of Public Health

How to Help Older Americans Avoid Loss of Utility Service

National Consumer Law Center
Information from the National Consumer Law Center about maintaining continuous utlity service.

2010 SSI Payment Levels and SSI/SSDI Thresholds

DLC
Charts with 2010 SSI payment level and SSDI and SSI thresholds are attached.

HOME A LOAN? A Quick Guide on Reverse Mortgages for Senior Advocates

National Consumer Law Center
Information from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) on what a "Reverse Mortgage" is, potential difficulties, and conclusions. NOTE:  this brochure is being updated, and is not currently available.

How Can I Meeet the TAFDC Work Requirement (flier)

GBLS
Flier for education and training providers explaining sanctions and how providers can help families avoid or undo them.

What If I Can't Meet the TAFDC Work Requirement (Flier)

GBLS
Know your rights flier covering exemptions, domestic violence waivers and good cause for not complying with work and other requirements.

Equal Employment Opportunity Comission

EEOC

US Department of Labor Employment and Training

U.S. DOL

Massachussetts AFL-CIO

AFL-CIO

All 50 States Workers' Compensation Agencies

N.C. Industrial Commission
Links to all 50 States' and D.C.'s Home Pages for Workers' Compensation Agencies.

National Employment Law Project

NELP
The National Employment Law Project ("NELP") website has helpful policy information on a range of topics pertaining to low-income workers.

Consumer Handout re Martinez Settlement

Justice in Aging
Update from the National Senior Citizen's Law Center (NSCLC) (now called Jusitice in Aging)  on the settlement implementation in Martinez v. Astrue. Did Social Security Stop Your Benefits Because You Had an Arrest Warrant? You may be able to start your benefits…

Links to Important Documents Relating to Adult Guardianships

Jennifer Honig, MHLAC
On July 1, 2009, M.G.L. c. 190B, Article V, Protection of Persons Under Disability and Their Property as added by Uniform Probate Code, St. 2008, c. 521 went into effect. Among other changes, Article V promotes the creation of "limited guardianships" and also makes a distinction…

SSI Coalition Meeting Agenda, November 13, 2009

Linda Landry,Svetlana Uimenkova

Research Guides and Resources

Massachusetts Law Refrom Institute
Resources to help you conduct legal research.  General legal: Boston College Law School Research Guides:   series of research guides on a variety of topics, prepared by Boston College Law School. Guides include, among others, Finding Cases, Using Law Reviews, Using Statutes,…

Language Portal: A Translation and Interpretation Digital Library

Migration Policy Institute -- National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy
This portal is a database of hundreds of resources used to provide services to LEP individuals. It seeks to provide relevant documents and guidance to government agencies and others who are seeking to make their services available to those who have limited proficiency in English. Materials include…

Is Massachusetts Asking You to Pay Back Unemployment Benefits That You Have Received?

Margaret Monsell, MLRI
In late October, 2009, the state's Division of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) announced that it had mistakenly sent out approximately 4100 Unemployment Insurance checks to persons ineligible to receive them.  (For more information about this, see the Boston Herald article from Friday, October 30,…

Guidance: Requests for Medical Letters to Protect Against Utility Shut-off

Medical-Legal Partnership
Low-income households with (a) an infant member or (b) a member who has a serious or chronic serious illness, and who have filed a "financial hardship statement" with the utility company are eligible for the service shut-off protections as described in the attached guidance.  Households in…

Discrimination Complaint

SSA

Standards and Procedures of the Office of Court Interpreter Services

The Committee for the Administration of Interpreters for the Trial Court, Administrative Office of the Trial Court
To provide judges, attorneys, and court personnel with essential information about the utilization of interpreter services in the Massachusetts Trial Court, and to supply interpreters with principles and protocols to follow when interpreting for the Office of Court Interpreter Services, it is…

2010 Part B Medicare Premiums for Persons with Higher Income Levels

DHHS

Suspending Damage: A Letter to Communities

Eve Tuck
In this open letter, Eve Tuck calls on communities, researchers, and educators to reconsider the long-term impact of “damage-centered” research—research that intends to document peoples’ pain and brokenness to hold those in power accountable for their oppression. This kind of research operates with…

Link to USCIS (formerly INS) Information on Public Charge

USCIS (INS)
Questions and answers about public charge.

CHIPRA (AWSS) Upgrades in Eligibility in Effect in Advance of State Regulations

Neil Cronin
Even though the office of Medicaid has not yet published regulations on the matter, under the provisions of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) various classes of AWSS immigrants (five year barred immigrants) have been upgraded to better programs for health…

Medicare Part B and CommonHealth

Nancy Lorenz, Medicare Advocacy Project
In July 2009, the MassHealth agency notified thousands of CommonHealth recipients that MassHealth would no longer pay for their Medicare Part B premiums. This flyer explains what happened and what options are available to those affected by this change.

Foreclosure Rescue Scams

Federal Trade Commission
Written material, as well as a short video, produced by the FTC on how to avoid foreclosure rescue scams.

The Five Habits: Building Cross-Cultural Competence in Lawyers

Susan Bryant
Overview Click, "Go to Website" link below to access the article.  Professors Susan Bryant and Jean Koh Peters developed a methodology called “the Habits”. The methodology consists of five habits targeted to enhance an individual’s ability to interact with…

Appointment of Representative, SSA Form 1696

SSA

Children's Mental Health-Rosie D. website

Link to the website maintained by the lawyers for the class of children with serious emotional disturbances in the Rosie D. MassHealth lawsuit with information on relief available to the class.

Fact Sheet: Food Stamps/SNAP: A Fork-Ready Stimulus

MLRI
Attached is a document for your use with local elected officials, themedia and grocers to argue the case for increased support to processFood Stamp/SNAP applications. Also attached is a list of fast facts from Pat Baker of MLRI. Important FACTS to remember about FS/SNAP benefits: Over 600,000 low…