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Headlines

Feds Impose Stiffer ADA Penalties
April 18, 2014
For the first time in more than a decade, the fines that the federal government can impose for violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act are set to rise.
Full Story.

Ranking Names Best States for Disability Services
April 17, 2014
An annual ranking of states offering the best services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities reveals a familiar but evolving landscape.
Full Story.

Study Finds Inpatient Autism Treatment on the Rise
April 16, 2014
The number of children with autism who are being hospitalized — often due to mental health concerns — is on the rise, particularly among teens with the developmental disorder, new research suggests.
Full Story.

Groups Want Federal Autism Dollars Reallocated
April 15, 2014
With the nation’s primary autism legislation set to expire soon, some disability advocates are pressing for major changes in the federal government’s approach to the developmental disorder.
Full Story.

Medicaid Enrollment Jumps By 3 Million
April 14, 2014
Three million people have enrolled in Medicaid since October, mainly in states expanding eligibility under Obamacare, according to federal data.
Full Story.

A German Company Is Printing Food for the Elderly
April 11, 2014
A German company, Biozoon, is working on a 3D-printed food extruder that creates food that literally melts in your mouth, allowing elderly patients with dysphagia – the inability to swallow – to eat without choking.
Full Story.

Improper Disability Pay May Be From Review Backlog
April 10, 2014
As many as one-fifth of all those receiving Social Security disability probably don’t deserve the benefits, the president of the association for disability examiners told Congress, as lawmakers searched for ways to cut down on fraud in the fast-growing Social Security disability caseload.
Full Story.

Seven Big Mistakes Couples Make in Retirement
April 9, 2014
Retirement experts say there are a lot of mistakes couples make in retirement, and many of them involve communication and planning, or the lack of it.
Full Story.

Federal Autism Panel Raises Concerns Over DSM Changes
April 8, 2014
A federal advisory panel is urging clinicians to be careful when applying new diagnostic criteria for autism in order to ensure that no one is denied needed services.
Full Story.

Dropping the Ball on Disabilities
April 7, 2014
New college students with disabilities are often insecure. Navigating a complicated bureaucracy for the first time with far less institutional support than they had in high school, these students often must overcome stigma and ignorance surrounding their disabilities and advocate for themselves, which they're often not used to doing. The alternative: risk not getting the tools they need to succeed academically. That's difficult enough. But some people make it harder.
Full Story.

Caregivers for Veterans Face Hurdles, Report Finds
April 4, 2014
An estimated 1.1 million Americans provide care for ailing or disabled veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, including parents and spouses whose cumulative efforts save taxpayers $3 billion each year, according to a RAND study.
Full Story.

Updates

NAELA Announces 2014-2015 Board of Directors
NAELA has proudly announced its Board of Directors for 2014-2015. See press release. (April 18, 2014)

NAELA Foundation Awards First Grant
The NAELA Foundation awarded its first litigation grant of $5,000 to Neighborhood Legal Services, a provider of free civil legal services to low-income and elderly residents of Essex County, Mass. See press release. (April 14, 2014)

Latest NAELA Advocacy Update
Read more about NAELA's public policy and advocacy efforts in the March/April newsletter. (April 11, 2014)

NAELA Supports National Healthcare Decisions Day (April 16)
The 7th annual National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16. The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) is once again supporting this national “movement to advocate for a better public understanding of advance care planning.” See press release. (March 31, 2014)

NAELA Attorney to Receive Theresa Award
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and the Officers and Directors of the Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation are pleased to announce that Elder and Special Needs Law attorney and NAELA member Michael Amoruso (Rye Brook, N.Y.) has been named the 2014 recipient of the Theresa Award. See press release. (March 21, 2014)

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.