Disability Issues

In one of its first acts of the new Congress, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives changed its rules to prevent lawmakers from shifting money from the Social Security retirement trust fund to the Social Security disability trust fund unless the...

Many insurance companies are routinely denying doctor requests that patients receive coverage for inpatient psychiatric treatment, sometimes with disastrous consequences, according to a recent investigative report by the CBS News show 60 Minutes. ...

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) recently introduced the Disability Integration Act of 2015 (DIA) in the U.S. Senate.  If passed, the bill would require states and health insurers to provide services to people with disabilities in community settings rather than in...

Parents who have a child with special needs in school will meet annually with the school district to develop an IEP (Individualized Education Program). These meetings can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know what to expect or are not...

Many parents feel intimidated at the thought of attending their child’s first Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting, but with adequate preparation it can be an informative, successful and (relatively) stress-free experience.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could influence how millions of special needs children are educated under the federal law that requires public schools to provide children with disabilities a "free appropriate public education."...

One of the greatest challenges for many individuals with disabilities is finding a safe, clean, and affordable place to live.  A new guide can help applicants and their advocates understand the complicated "Section 8" housing program.  ...

The Special Needs Trust Fairness Act, a bill that would allow people with disabilities to create their own first-party special needs trusts without having to rely on others, has passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 382 to...

The Special Needs Trust Fairness Act, a bill that would correct a decades-old error in federal law that prohibits people with special needs from creating their own special needs trusts, has passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee,...