Public Benefits

While there are a number of groups and resources for the parents of children with special needs, did you know that there is also an organization devoted to the siblings of these children?...

In an apparent violation of federal law, states are increasingly using nursing homes to house young and middle-age people with mental illnesses.

One of the programs on the cutting edge of community mental health is called "supportive housing," and it incorporates not only housing but social services and medical care as well.

Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) adds new mandatory reporting requirements for insurers to determine whether a claimant is a Medicare beneficiary and report claim information. Ignorance of the law in this area...

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a public school district must pay for a special needs child's private school tuition even though the child had not received special education at the public school before transferring to the private one.

In certain circumstances the Social Security Administration will fast-track a disability benefits application through a process known as Compassionate Allowances, usually because the applicant is suffering from a severe disability that may be life-threatening.

A final achievement in a short but remarkable life was a contribution to improving housing conditions for those with special needs.

Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Mike Johanns (R-NE) recently introduced legislation that would greatly expand affordable housing options under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 811 program for people with disabilities.

A proposal to establish a new national long-term care insurance program for those with disabilities is under attack by the insurance industry.