Month: August 2010

Very few people realize that most of the decision makers in the Social Security disability process are not federal employees. The processing and decision making at the initial application stage and the reconsideration stage are actually state employees under contract...

The Huffington Post had an excellent article on end of life issues. Judith Johnson provides some interesting facts .(1) Eighty percent of Americans do not put their personal affairs in order before they die.(2) In 2009, Medicare paid 55 billion just for doctor and...

Most people don't know that just because Social Security determines that you are disabled that you do not immediately qualify for Medicare medical benefits. SSI does qualify you for Medicaid medical coverage but not SSDI.  Nearly 2 million disabled Americans who...

On July 29th the Governor of Illinois signed into law Senate Bill 326, which resulted from strong collaboration between state agencies, members of the Illinois General Assembly, advocates, home and community based service providers, residents and the nursing home...

The Social Security Administration has two programs to help disabled people. The first program is Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This many times is just known as SSI. People who receive SSI are persons who have not worked enough to earn the necessary credits to...

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) just released a report involving the SSA disability process (SSDI & SSI) which recognizes the value of having an attorney.  At page 6 it recognizes that at the hearing level having an attorney is important. Attorneys...

Hi, Ever wonder why Estate planning is important? Below is link to a New York Times article that explores the issue.  I know that wills, powers of attorney, trusts including special needs trusts are not the most exciting topics but without them your life or death...

Hi,      I just returned from the the meeting of Council of Advanced Practitioners of the National Academy Of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) in Chicago. I met with 50 of the top Elder Law attorneys in the country to discuss what we are doing to help...