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When Medicaid or SSI Benefits are Denied or Terminated – Now What?

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance members Ann N. Butenhof, CELA and Judith L. Bomster, Esq., of Butenhof & Bomster, P.C., in Manchester, New Hampshire. Both Ann and Judith focus their practices on estate planning, special needs planning, elder law, and probate and trust administration. Ann is a Certified Elder Law Attorney and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Judith currently serves on the Ethics Committee of the New Hampshire Bar Association, and was the primary drafts person for New Hampshire's first pooled special needs trust program for third party trusts. Both Ann and Judith are members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).

2024-06-19T10:43:01-04:00Tags: |
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Home Care for Alzheimer’s

By Ruth Courtney, Richard A. Courtney, CELA, & Morris Klein, CELA In the U.S., 70 percent of those diagnosed with Alzheimer's are cared for at home, creating a stressful balancing act for family members. Care needs differ dramatically, shaped by the course of the loved one's disease, as Alzheimer's affects people differently. The caregiver's personal [...]

2024-05-13T15:41:05-04:00
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Preparation Pays at Special Ed Meetings

By Hyman Darling, Esq., Massachusetts  With special ed spending down 11 percent since 2010, parents may find meetings with the local Committee on Special Education (CSE) increasingly tense. When negotiating with educational experts, families often feel intimidated and outgunned, so it's important to arrive prepared. Prior to your first meeting with the CSE, talk to [...]

2024-05-13T15:40:23-04:00
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Obtaining Disability Benefits for a Child with Special Needs

By Ram Meyyappan, Social Security Disability Help Parents of children with special needs are well aware of how costly it can be to provide the best care for their loved one. Fortunately, disability benefits are available to provide financial assistance. Conditions that May Qualify Children can medically qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security [...]

2025-12-30T15:57:51-05:00
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Unfinished Business

By Michael Morris, Executive Director, National Disability Institute The Commission on Long-Term Care was charged by Congress with developing recommendations for the design and financing of a comprehensive, coordinated and high quality system of services and supports for individuals below and above the age of 65 to live full and healthy lives. Although on October [...]

2025-12-30T15:56:53-05:00
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When A Family Member Serves As Trustee (Part II): The Devil Is In The Details

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment's author is Edward V. Wilcenski, Esq., a founding partner of the law firm of Wilcenski & Pleat PLLC in Clifton Park, New York (www.wplawny.com). He practices in the areas of special needs planning, elder law and trust and estate planning and administration. A member and past president of the Special Needs Alliance, Ed writes and lectures frequently on issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.

2024-05-06T14:35:51-04:00Tags: |
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The Do’s and Don’ts When Hiring an Employee with Special Needs

By Amy Goodman, Co-Director, Autism Now The topic of hiring an employee with special needs is important because employers need to know how to be more open- minded and sensitive to the needs of those who may be different. It is important for employers to be considerate of employees' needs in that they do not [...]

2024-05-09T15:56:40-04:00
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Not Accepting “No”: Tips on Advocating Change

By James A. Caffry, Esq., Waterbury, Vermont Government transparency - or the lack of it - is much in the news, and it's a concept to bear in mind as you advocate on behalf of a loved one with special needs. All of us have been frustrated at one time or another by bureaucracies that [...]

2024-05-09T15:55:47-04:00
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Keeping Seniors with Developmental Disabilities in the Community

By Pamela Merkle, Executive Director, Association on Aging with Developmental Disabilities Thanks to medical advances, people with developmental disabilities are living longer and that longevity is bringing some very difficult and unexpected challenges. Their parents, who have often been their primary caregivers, are passing away and, unlike other seniors, they generally have no adult children [...]

2024-05-09T15:54:39-04:00
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Liability for Medicare Set-Asides Largely Undefined

By Robert B. Fleming, CELA, Tucson, Arizona Medicare set-aside agreements (MSAs) constitute an evolving area of law that should be considered by anyone settling a third party liability claim. The issue dates from passage of the Medicare Secondary Payor Act of 1986, which mandated that settlements in workers' compensation cases evaluate Medicare's potential role in [...]

2025-12-30T15:56:17-05:00
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Graduating from Special Ed, Anticipating College

Brian L., 19, recently graduated from high school, having been in special education programs since kindergarten. He has a number of learning differences, including autism spectrum disorder. In August, he enters freshman year at Millersville University, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Here, he talks about his public school experience and his eagerness to start college. Q: [...]

2024-05-09T15:52:21-04:00
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Military Survivor Benefits and SNTs

Will Congress Correct this Inequity? By Kelly A. Thompson, Esq., Virginia Poor word choice can derail intent. Nearly a decade ago, legislation governing the military's Survivor Benefit Plan stipulated that payments be made to a "person." A literal reading of that language has meant that veterans who have children with special needs can't assign those [...]

2024-07-05T09:14:03-04:00
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Letter of Intent

The Voice is the e-mail newsletter of The Special Needs Alliance. This installment was written by Special Needs Alliance member Amy C. O`Hara, CELA and her co-author, Sheryl Frishman. Amy and Sheryl are attorneys with the New York law firm Littman Krooks LLP, specializing in special needs planning, trust administration, guardianships, elder law, and estate planning and administration. Amy is an active participant of the Special Needs Alliance publications committee and is a member of the New York State Bar Association. Sheryl's practice is devoted entirely to the advocacy and life planning needs of children and adults with disabilities and their families. She is immediate past President of the Board of Directors of Westchester Arc. Sheryl also serves on the Board of Governors and Legal Committee of NYSARC Inc.

2024-06-19T10:29:54-04:00Tags: , |
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Remember, Transitional Planning Works at the Other End of the Life Spectrum, Too!

By Catherine Goebel, MA, MS Ed., NCG-CGC, ILLP There is much discussion regarding transitional planning for younger individuals with special needs moving from high school to employment, day programming, or additional education. But remember, it is also essential to have discussions regarding retirement opportunities for individuals with special needs. Never before in history have we [...]

2024-05-09T15:50:44-04:00
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It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again

By Mary Andrus, Asst. Vice President, Govt. Relations, Easter Seals Office of Public Affairs As Yogi Berra once put it, "It's déjà vu all over again." On May 16, 2013, the House of Representatives voted for the 37th time to repeal or defund at least part of the Affordable Care Act. Though nothing in Washington [...]

2021-04-12T06:26:41-04:00
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