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Headlines

Retirement Readiness Looks Grim in Many States
March 7, 2014
Every state falls short in key factors of retirement readiness, a new analysis shows.
Full Story.

Feds Earmark Millions for Disability Housing Assistance
March 6, 2014
Federal housing officials are putting $120 million on the table to help thousands of people with disabilities access rental assistance.
Full Story.

Social Security Ups Disability Safeguards
March 5, 2014
The Social Security Administration is expanding a program nationally to help bar criminals from controlling benefits on behalf of individuals with disabilities and the elderly.
Full Story.

Medicare Advantage Cuts May Shrink Physician Networks
March 4, 2014
More physicians could find themselves bounced from provider networks of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans if this program experiences another wave of cuts in 2015, according to a new study commissioned by the health insurance industry and released last week.
Full Story.

With Death Penalty, How Should States Define Mental Disability?
March 3, 2014
Twelve years after banning the execution of the "mentally retarded," the U.S. Supreme Court is examining the question of who qualifies as having mental retardation, for purposes of capital cases, and who does not.
Full Story.

Obama Backs Down From Social Security Change
February 28, 2014
President Obama’s decision to change the inflation formula for Social Security is a victory for the elderly and a defeat for people who worry that U.S. social spending is becoming unsustainable. One thing both sides can agree on is that this is not a value-neutral, technical tweak.
Full Story.

Retirement Strategies for the Self-Employed
February 27, 2014
Consistently saving for retirement can be particularly challenging for small business owners.
Full Story.

Crime Odds Nearly Triple For Those With Disabilities
February 26, 2014
The number of violent crimes committed against people with disabilities is on the rise, new government data indicates.
Full Story.

FCC Looks to Improve TV Accessibility
February 25, 2014
The FCC will require that captions match spoken words in dialogue and convey background noises and other sounds to the fullest extent possible, according to agency officials familiar with the order.
Full Story.

Congress Eyeing Tax-Free Disability Savings Accounts
February 24, 2014
With significant public backing and support in Congress, advocates say federal lawmakers are poised to consider a major change to the money-saving abilities of those with disabilities.
Full Story.

Experts: Moving New Medicaid Patients Out of ER Will Take Time
February 21, 2014
In expanding Medicaid coverage, the architects of the national health care overhaul hoped to change the way low-income people obtain health care, moving — as Morgan did — away from emergency rooms and into the offices of doctors, where more consistent supervision may improve their health. But some health care experts say that in many cases it will take time and considerable coaching to change their behavior.
Full Story.

Every Extra Hour Sitting on Couch Doubles Seniors' Disability Risk, Study Finds
February 20, 2014
New research adds disability to the list, and paints a stark portrait of what the future might look like for many older adults.
Full Story.

Updates

Affordable Care Act Gives Access to Health Care to Many Low-Income Individuals Through Medicaid
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued a letter on estate recovery to State Medicaid Directors confirming that people eligible for Medicaid under the ACA who were 55 or over when they received Medicaid are “not exempt from the estate recovery provision in Section 1917(b)(1)(B).” See press release. (February 28, 2014)

Latest NAELA Advocacy Update
Read more about NAELA's public policy and advocacy efforts in the February newsletter. (February 27, 2014)

Top 4 Legal Documents Everyone Must Have
Planning ahead is key to stress-free retirement and aging. See press release. (February 21, 2014)

Latest NAELA Advocacy Update
Read more about NAELA's public policy and advocacy efforts in the January newsletter. (January 29, 2014)

NAELA Supports Need to Protect Veterans Against Fraud
Reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) highlight the need to protect vulnerable veterans from fraud and abuse through education, rulemaking and/or legislation, as well as the need to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs serve those in the greatest need. See press release. (January 28, 2014)

NAELA Mourns Loss of Longtime Contributing Member Mary WanderPolo, CELA, CAP
Mary WanderPolo, CELA, CAP, a NAELA member since 1990, a nationally recognized leader in the Elder Law community, and founding partner of WanderPolo & Siegel in Montclair, N.J., died December 26, 2013, after an eight month battle with cancer. Read more. (January 3, 2014)

Latest NAELA Advocacy Update
Read more about NAELA's public policy and advocacy efforts in the December newsletter. (December 23, 2013)

Marketing Inappropriately to NAELA Members
NAELA has a strict policy of NOT selling our member contact email information. To read more about a marketing email some members may have received see here.

NAELA Commends Senate Finance Committee for Amendment to Sustainable Growth Rate Bill
The Senate Finance Committee recently passed the Sustainable Growth Rate Repeal and Medicare Beneficiary Access Improvement Act of 2013, and with it, an amendment to include the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act, a top public policy priority for the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). See press release. (December 17, 2013)

NAELA Commends Sens. Nelson, Grassley, Rockefeller, and Enzi for Their Dedication to Improving the Lives of People with Disabilities
Nelson, Grassley, Rockefeller, and Enzi introduce Special Needs Trust Fairness Act. See press release and learn more about the bill. (December 2, 2013)

NAELA Attorneys Seek to Protect Older Americans From Medicare Fraud Schemes
From now through December 7, seniors across the country can change their Medicare health plans and prescription drug coverage for 2014, making this a popular time for scam artists to reach out to the unsuspecting elderly with fake offers and giveaways that can lead to identity theft and other forms of financial abuse. See press release. (December 2, 2013)