DB101 en español live! |
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| We are pleased to announce that the Spanish language DB101 website in California is back online! | |
Build-up Your Retirement Savings Now with help from the payroll tax holiday! |
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| According to the Employment Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), more than 40% of Americans risk running out of money in retirement. This particular scenario seems bleak enough, but when one considers people are living longer, retirement savings become even more important to ones long-term financial management. | |
A Youth Toolkit on Personal Assistance Services |
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| The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announced the release of Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services (PAS): A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood, a guide designed to help transition-age youth with significant disabilities. | |
Mandatory Enrollment of Seniors and Persons with Disabilities in Medi-Cal Managed Care |
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| Many seniors and persons with disabilities who use Medi-Cal, approximately 380,000 people, will have to join a Medi-Cal managed care plan soon. | |
New research helps Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries return to work |
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| We know that many SSDI beneficiaries worry about losing their cash benefits if they earn too much money. The Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND) is designed to help eliminate this problem and will help participants who want to earn more, keep more of their SSDI income. | |
Affordable Care Act: Six-Month Anniversary Update |
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| September 23, 2010 is the six-month anniversary of the new health care reform law, The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. The ACA will lead to significant changes in our nation’s health care system, including extending health care coverage to many more Americans. This is a summary of the major changes that started on September 23, 2010. | |
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Summary and Updates |
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| Many changes brought about by these new laws are of particular significance to people with disabilities. | |
Health Care Reform Update: High-Risk Pools |
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| Starting on July 1, 2010, people who can’t get insurance because of pre-existing conditions will have immediate access to high-risk pools that don’t exclude people with pre-existing medical conditions. | |
Medicare Beneficiary information about the $250 Part D Rebate |
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| Important information regarding people who enter the Part D donut hole and are not eligible for Medicare Extra Help. | |
Medicare Provides Assistance to Help Beneficiaries Get Big Savings On Prescription Drug Costs |
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| Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D plans will see 50% savings on their brand name and some authorized generic drugs. These changes make it easier than ever for people on Medicare with limited incomes to save on their drug costs. | |
Housing Assistance for Non-Elderly Persons with Disabilities |
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| HUD is offering approximately $40 million to public housing authorities across the country to fund approximately 5,300 Housing Choice Vouchers for non-elderly persons with disabilities, allowing them to live independently. | |
Federal Government Launches New and Improved National Resource Directory for Military and Veteran Communities |
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| The National Resource Directory is designed to serve a broad base of users including Service Members, Veterans, Wounded Warriors, and their families and caregivers. It has proved to be a useful tool for service providers who support Veterans, such as Federal Recovery Coordinators, health care providers and case managers at Veterans Service Organizations. | |
Medicare and You 2011 |
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| The following link provides an electronic Medicare handbook offers answers to your Medicare questions. The handbook includes important facts and changes you will need for 2011. | |
Obama Administration Offers New Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Rules |
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| The Departments of Health and Human Services jointly issued new rules providing parity for consumers enrolled in group health plans who need treatment for mental health or substance use disorders.The new rules prohibit group health insurance plans from restricting access to care. | |
California Department of Social Services Seeks To Boost Food Stamp Participation |
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| The California Department of Social Services wants Californians to be aware of the benefits of the federal food stamp program. | |
Americorps Program and Their Committment to Inclusion |
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| AmeriCorps is a national service program often referred to as the "Domestic Peace Corps." People who join AmeriCorps commit to do a year of service in exchange for a modest living stipend and a scholarship. AmeriCorps is a real-life education and work experience wrapped into one. AmeriCorps is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to volunteers with disabilities. Thanks to the Heart Act of 2008, individuals receiving SSI and SSDI payments can accept AmeriCorps stipends without jeopardizing their Social Security benefits. | |
SSI Recipients Can Now Report Wages by Telephone |
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| Social Security has introduced a new automated wage reporting system for SSI recipients. The system allows SSI recipients to report their work income via telephone in the beginning of each month. | |
What Benefits Am I on Now? |
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| How can I find out what my current Social Security disability benefits are? You can request a Benefits Planning Query (BPQY) from Social Security that summarizes your current benefits situation. | |
The Veterans Benefits Online Tools Project at WID |
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| WID is very proud to share that we are using this report to start the planning to build a national online benefits tools and information services web site, so veterans can better navigate benefit programs and secure available employment as they transition to civilian life. | |
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit Extended Through August 31, 2011 |
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| The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) promotes the hiring of individuals who qualify as a member of a target group and provides a federal tax credit to employers who hire these individuals. | |
SSA Access Ability: recruiting individuals with disabilities |
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| SSA is recruiting qualified applicants with disabilities for career opportunities in a variety of fields. | |
Social Security Administration (San Francisco Region) Selective Placement Program |
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| SSA’s Selective Placement Program assists qualified individuals with disabilities obtain non-competitive employment under the Schedule A hiring authority (appointments for individuals with mental retardation, severe physical disabilities or psychiatric disabilities). | |
Call and Response: How Would you Describe your Experiences with DB101 Calculators? |
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| DB101 looks for user responses to calculator tools. | |
Senate Committee Focuses on Employment of People with Intellectual Disabilities |
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| Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, convened the first in a series of hearings to study ways to improve employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. | |
