BENEFITS
This page has information on various benefits available to people with disabilities, including:
News
Groups Press Congress To End Patients' Wait For Medicare, By Jessica Marcy, Kaiser Health News, August 27, 2010
Sebelius To Governors: Extra Medicaid Money Comes With A String Attached, By Andrew Villegas, Kaiser Health News, August 19, 2010
State aid bill breezes into law, By David Rogers, Politico, August 11, 2010
House expected to approve $26 billion in aid to states,By David Lightman, McClatchy Newspapers, August 09. 2010
Senate OKs $26B jobs, Medicaid bill, By David Rogers, Politico, August 05, 2010
Dems get pre-recess victory as Senate breaks funding impasse, By Mike Lillis, The Hill, August 04, 2010
Senate vote on Medicaid, education funds delayed, By Walter Alarkon and Alexander Bolton, The Hill, August 02, 2010
Senate expected to take up enhanced Medicaid funding, By Julian Pecquet, The Hill, July 30, 2010
Recession-Weary Workers, States Still Hope For COBRA And Medicaid Subsidies, By Andrew Villegas, Kaiser Health News, July 23, 2010
Justice Department charges 94 people with health-care fraud, By Jerry Markon, Washington Post, July 16, 2010
Healthcare law offers preventive care at no cost, By Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times, July 15, 2010
VA Eases Claims Process For PTSD Treatment, By Rachel Martin, NPR, July 12, 2010
Medicaid Stalemate Tests Cash-Strapped States, By Janet Adamy, Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2010
Obama HIV/AIDS plan calls for reducing infections, By Julie Pace, Associated Press, July 13, 2010
COBRA, Medicaid Subsidies Still Loom Over Congressional Agenda, By Andrew Villegas, Kaiser Health News, July 02, 2010
U.S. Governors Head for Washington to Press for Medicaid Funds, By William Selway and Dunstan McNichol, Bloomberg Businessweek, June 29, 2010
States struggle to pass budgets without stimulus, By Beth Fouhy, Associated Press, June 28, 2010
Senate again rejects expanded spending package, By Lisa Montgomery, Washington Post, June 25, 2010
US Senate seeks compromise on states' Medicaid help, By Donna Smith and Lisa Lambert, Reuters, June 22, 2010
Jobs bill trimmed by billions, By David Rogers, Politico, June 16, 2010
Democrats Seek Votes on Spending Bill, By Carl Hulse, New York Times, June 09, 2010
Harry Reid: Extenders bill will pass, By Jay Heflin, The Hill, June 08, 2010
Senate Dems move on jobs bill, By David Rogers, Politico, June 07, 2010
Counting on Medicaid Money, States Face Shortfalls, By Kevin Sack, New York Times, June 07, 2010
Medicare provides assistance to help low income beneficiaries get big savings on prescription drug costs, From the CMS Office of Public Affairs, June 04, 2010
GAO: Low-Cost Medicare Advantage Programs Have High-Cost Expenses, By Janice Simmons, for HealthLeaders Media, June 2, 2010
CMS sends Medicare mailing to beneficiaries to educate them on the new Affordable Care Act, From the CMS Office of Public Affairs, May 24, 2010
Disabled Veterans Face A Faceless Bureaucracy, By John McChesney, NPR, May 11. 2010
Obama Signs Veterans, Caregivers Legislation, By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service, May 05, 2010
KC Social Security office faulted for backlog of disability claims, By Diane Stafford, Kansas City Star, April 06, 2010
Closing Medicare Drug Gap Helps Democrats Sell Reform, By Christopher Weaver, Kaiser Health News, March 29, 2010
Medicare Steps Up Efforts To Monitor Seniors' Prescriptions, By Susan Jaffe, Kaiser Health News, March 23, 2010
Biggest Medicare Drug Plans Raise Prices 10 Percent On Average, By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News, March 12, 2010
States Consider Medicaid Cuts as Use Grows, By Kevin Sack and Robert Pear, New York Times, February 18, 2010
Social Security disability applicants struggle through a labyrinth of bureaucracy, By Diane Stafford, Kansas City Star, February 15, 2010
Social Security Adds 38 New Compassionate Allowance Conditions, From the Social Security Administration, February 11, 2010
Medicaid Could Get Billions, By Jane Adamy, Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2010
VA and DoD Announce Disability Evaluation System Pilot Expansion, From the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs, November 17, 2009
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period Starts November 15, 2009: Think Carefully about Coverage and Options, By the Center for Medicare Advocacy, November 12, 2009
Seniors Worry As Medicare Advantage Is Threatened, By Greg Allen, National Public Radio, October 01, 2009
Rate of Enrollment in Medicaid Rose Rapidly, Report Says, By Kevin Sack, The New York Times, October 01, 2009
Social Security Struggles With Disability Backlog, By Joseph Shapiro, National Public Radio, August 31, 2009
OIG Audits Find More Providers Overcharging Medicare, By Cheryl Clark, HealthLeaders Media, August 19, 2009
Medicare overpaid millions for pressure ulcer prevention devices in 2007, report finds, From McKnight's Long-term Care News, August 10, 2009
HCBS Waivers and CMS Rules, Information Bulletin #291 from Steve Gold, August 03, 2009
Obama Eyes The Purse Strings for Medicare, By Shailagh Murray, The Washington Post,
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Social Security Execs Boogie Down at Lavish Phoenix Conference, By Joseph Rhee and Brian Ross, ABC News, July 15, 2009
Advocacy Organizations and Informational Resources
Kansas Department on Aging website provides information on services for Kansas' seniors.
The Center for Medicare Advocacy works to increase access to comprehensive Medicare coverage and excellent health care for elders and people with disabilities by providing the highest quality analysis, education and advocacy.
Kansas Community Supports and Services (CSS) manages a system of community based supports and services for persons with disabilities. Those supports and services, are delivered in partnerships with organized networks and funded through a variety of federal, state, local, and private sources. Community service providers reflect a variety of private not-for-profit and for-profit organizations as well as governmental entities.
DisabilityInfo.gov is the federal government's one-stop Web site for information of interest to people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers and many others. This section of DisabilityInfo.gov offers a wide range of information on Social Security benefits, veterans' benefits, work incentives, supplemental insurance coverage, vocational services and other income supports.
HealthCare.gov is a new on-line tool to help consumers connect to information and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage in both the public and the private sector and find other important health care information. The website is designed to be a one-stop-shop for information about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act as well as other health care resources. The website will connect consumers to quality rankings for local health care providers as well as preventive services.
The Kanas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, partnering to connect Kansans with supports and services to improve lives, protect children and promote adult self-sufficiency.
Links 4 Living provides access to Information on home and community based care resources for Kansans.
Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, people under age 65 with certain disabilities, and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease.
Medicaid is a Federal/State entitlement program that pays for medical assistance for certain individuals and families with low incomes and resources.
Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) is a free program offering older Kansans an opportunity to talk with trained, community volunteers and get answers to questions about Medicare Part D and other insurance issues. SHICK provides you with many resources that will help you with your struggle through the Medicare maze.
The Social Security Administration pays retirement, disability and survivors benefits to workers and their families and administer the Supplemental Security Income program. They also issue Social Security numbers. See their Quick Guide to all Social Security services.
The Department of Veterans Affairs website provides information about veteran benefits administered by the department and their Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service to veterans, employers, and the general public.
Publications
Medicaid Home and Community-Based Service Programs: Data Update, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, December 19, 2008,
Publication Number: 7720-02 - Developing home and community-based service (HCBS) alternatives to institutional care has been a priority for many state Medicaid programs over the last two decades. In 2005, overall spending on Medicaid HCBS increased 10 percent, with 2.8 million individuals being served through these programs. This report presents a summary of the main trends to emerge for the three Medicaid HCBS programs and the results of a survey of policies such as eligibility criteria and waiting lists.
Medicare & You 2010 contains important information about what’s new, health plans, prescription drug plans, Medicare benefits, rights and protections, and answers to the most frequently asked questions about Medicare.
The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance and the Supplemental Security Income Programs.
The Role of Medicaid in State Economies: A Look at the Research, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, January 09, 2009,
Publication Number: 7075-02 - This policy brief synthesizes the results of 29 studies in 23 states that examine the role Medicaid plays in state and local economies. These studies estimate the economic stimulus derived from Medicaid spending, and also analyze the adverse effects on the state economy from reducing Medicaid spending. This policy brief provides an overview of Medicaid financing, explains the methods used to assess economic impact and summarizes the main findings from the research. (Policy Brief, Summary)