BENEFITS
This page has information on various benefits available to people with disabilities, including:
News
U.S. charges 89 people in $223 million Medicare fraud schemes, By David Morgan, Reuters, May 14, 2013
Most doctors still reject Medicaid as program expansion nears, By Tony Pugh, McClatchy Newspapers, May 13, 2013
Medicare Drug Program Fails to Monitor Prescribers, Putting Seniors and Disabled at Risk, By Tracy Weber, Charles Ornstein and Jennifer LaFleur, ProPublica, May 11, 2013
The Arkansas Medicaid Model: What You Need To Know About The 'Private Option', By Jay Hancock, Kaiser Health News, May 01, 2013
Republicans propose Medicaid caps, By Sam Baker, The Hill, May 01, 2013
Medicaid has mixed record on improving health for poor, study says, By Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times, May 01, 2013
Hospitals Lobby Hard for Medicaid Expansion, By Michael Ollove, Stateline, April 17, 2013
Democratic Lawmakers Seek To Restore Drugmaker Rebates For ‘Dual Eligibles’, By Mary Agnes Carey, Kaiser Health News, April 16, 2013
Impact of the Chained-CPI Explained, by Nicole Vahlkamp, Medicare NewsGroup, April 10, 2013
The 'Hard To Change' Legacy Of Medicare Payments, By Julie Rovner, National Public Radio, April 09, 2013
3 Miami-Dade family members get long prison terms in multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud case, By Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, April 05, 2013
Medicare pay formula may finally get fixed, By Paige Winfield Cunningham, Politico, February 07, 2013
Impending rules will guide equality for mental health, By Kelly Kennedy, USA TODAY, February 07, 2013
Medicaid appears off-limits to talk of budget cuts, By Noam N. Levey, Los Angeles Times, February 02, 2013
White House adviser: Obama willing to cut Medicare, but not Medicaid, By Sam Baker, The Hill, January 31, 2013
AARP's Barry Rand: Mend, don't end entitlements, By Katie Glueck, Politico, January 16, 2013
Entitlement America: Who benefits?, By Tami Luhby @CNNMoney, January 15, 2013
Social Security Announces New Online Services Available with a my Social Security Account, From the U. S. Social Security Administration (SSA), January 07, 2013
Rules Eased for Veterans’ Brain Injury Benefits, By James Dao, New York Times, December 07, 2012
Advocacy Organizations and Informational Resources
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 Services and Programs (CSP) 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.
Disability.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. The Benefits Section 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 Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) - On July 1, 2012, the Kansas Department on Aging (KDOA) merged with programs from the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) and the Department Health and the Environment (KDHE) to become the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). All of the disability services programs that were formerly housed in SRS now operate out of KDADS. KDADS mission is to foster an environment which; promotes security, dignity and independence, while providing the right care at the right time in a place called home.
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.
National Resource Directory (NRD) - The NRD connects Wounded Warriors, Service Members, Veterans, family members and caregivers with services and resources at the national, state and local levels that support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration.
Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) is a free program offering seniors and Kansans with disabilitiesan 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.
Medicaid's Impact: Helping People with Serious Healthcare Needs - To get a sense of how important Medicaid is for people with serious health care needs, these reports look at the number of individuals in each state with cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease, or heart disease or stroke who rely on Medicaid for their health coverage.
Medicaid Managed Care for People with Disabilities: Policy and Implementation Considerations for State and Federal Policymakers, March 13, 2013 - This report by the National Council on Disability addresses the implications of managed health care and long-term supports for Medicaid-eligible people with disabilities to help readers gain a better understanding of the intricacies of Medicaid managed care practices and the ways in which these practices can and should affect services for program beneficiaries with disabilities. (PDF) (doc)
Medicare Beneficiaries Less Likely To Experience Cost- And Access-Related Problems Than Adults With Private Coverage, Karen Davis, Ph.D., Kristof Stremikis, M.P.P., M.P.H., Michelle M. Doty, Ph.D., and Mark A. Zezza, Ph.D., Health Affairs, July 18, 2012 - This recent survey found that Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and older are more satisfied with their health insurance, have better access to care, and are less likely to have problems paying medical bills than working-age adults who get insurance through employers or purchase coverage on their own.
Medicare & You 2013 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 Cost and Coverage Implications of the ACA Medicaid Expansion: National and State-by-State Analysis, November 2012 - This report by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows modest state costs for implementing the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act compared to significant increases in federal funds, allowing some states to see net budget savings even as millions of low-income uninsured Americans gain health coverage. (Full Report - pdf) (Executive Summary - pdf)
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)