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Connector Hardship Q&A

Hardship criteria explained for the Individual Mandate

Connector Affordability Worksheet in Spanish

Connector Affordability Worksheet English

The Affordability worksheet is used to determine whether there is an affordable health insurance product available to an individual or household.  Persons determined to have no affordable coverage are exempt from the Individual Mandate.

Connector Certificate of Exemption Application (Individual Mandate)

For 2007 tax year, this needs to be filed by December 1, 2007. The form must be submitted by December 1 to be considered. However, someone who doesn’t submit the form can still receive a hardship exemption from the mandate by reporting similar information on their state tax return. In fact,…

A Systemic Approach to End Homelessness

Applied Systems Thinking Journal - David Peter Stroh and Michael Goodman
This article provides a case study of how Systems Thinking was applied by the authors with a community brought together by the Battle Creek Homeless Coalition to address the chronic homelessness in surrounding Calhoun County. Through this collaboration involving broad multi-sector representation,…

Children's Rights to Medical Services under EPSDT

MLRI
Summary of the rights of children under age 21 to early, periodic screening, diagnostic and treatement (EPSDT) services under Medicaid (MassHealth). UPDATE: Please note the address of the Board of Hearings has changed since the attached Memo was written. The address of the MassHealth Board of…

Summary of Health Access Developments in FY 2008

MLRI
Summary of fiscal 2008 budget items and administrative developments affecting access to MassHealth, CMSP, Prescription Advantage, Free Care (Health Safety Net), Commonwealth Care and implementation of the "Individual Mandate" to have health insurance--with citations.

From the Free Care Pool to the Safety Net Pool

Slides of a presentation describing conversion of the existing Free Care Pool to the newly proposed Safety Net Pool

Establishing Disability For Young Adults (July, 2007)

Linda Landry and Tom Yates
 By Linda Landry, DLC, and Thomas Yates, Health and Disability Advocates.  SSI and SSDI disability benefits and work incentives for children and young adults.  July, 2007 

Draft Agenda for July 13, 2007 SSI Coalition Meeting at LACCM

DLC
DRAFT AGENDA SSI Coalition Meeting Friday, July 13, 2006 Legal Assistance Corporation for Central Massachusetts 405 Main Street, 4th Floor, Worcester, MA 9:30 - 10:00 Continental Breakfast 10.00 - 11:00 Barbara Kinney, Assoc. Commissioner, Worcester DDS 11:00 - 12:00 SSA Backlogs, DSI Update and…

Senate Finance Committee Hearing (6/21/07): Barriers to Work for Individuals Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Immigration Links -- International Resources and Country Condition Reports

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
The following are immigration related International Resources and Country Condition Reports: International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission:  Includes LGBT-specific country reports and international jurisprudence Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Index: Index of…

Important July 1st 2007 Health Changes

Important July 1st Health Program Changes Effective July 1st, the following changes are being taken to further implement health care reform. No premiums for households under 150% of poverty in MassHealth or Commonwealth Care- In MassHealth alone, close to 19,000 households who are currently paying…

CORI: Opening Doors of Opportunity

Report from the Boston Foundation on CORI and Employment.

NAPABA Report "Increasing Access to Justice for Limited English Proficient Asian Pacific Americans"

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
In May 2007, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) published a report for action titled, "Increasing Access to Justice for Limited English Proficient Asian Pacific Americans". The report summarizes the state of language access services for Asian Pacific Americans…

Subsidy and Special Conditions (VCU January 2006)

Briefing paper by Virginia Commonwealth University Benefits Assistance Resource Center on Subsidy and Special Conditions. These are work incentives available to rebut evidence of ability to perform Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) for purposes of SSI/SSDI eligibility and continuing SSDI.

POMS SI 01415.039 on SSI State Living Arrangements and State Supplements for 2007

SSA

Next SSI Coalition Meeting is Friday March 9th at LACCM - Agenda Attached

DRAFT AGENDASSI Coalition MeetingFriday, March 9, 2007Legal Assistance of Central Massachusetts405 Main Street, 4th Floor, Worcester, MA508-752-3718; 800-649-37189:30 - 10:00            Continental Breakfast 10.00 -…

Executive Order 478. “Order Regarding Non-discrimination, Diversity, Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action."

Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Click the "Go to Website" link below or see PDF for Executive Order 478 by which Governor Deval Patrick promotes equal opportunity in agency programs, activities, and services and ensures that agency programs, services, activities and decisions do not discriminate against persons with…

What advocates need to know about expanded coverage under the new health reform law

MLRI
This January 2007 memo outlines new coverage options for people under 300% of the poverty level under the 2006 health reform law including Commonwealth Care for uninsured adults and expanded Family Assistance for children.

Draft Agenda for January 19, 2007 SSI Coalition Meeting

DLC
9:30 - 10:00               Continental Breakfast 10.00 - 11:00             DSI and the Electronic File - Recent Developments: DDS issues (John Reilly, Assistant…

Interpreting Communities: Lawyering Across Language Difference

Muneer Ahmad
This article, by Muneer Ahmad, highlights the complexities of layering across language differences particularly in poverty law. The article examines the many struggles in representing LEP individuals and invites readers to reimagine the traditional attorney client relationship when an interpreter is…

SSA-3377-BK, Function Report - Child Age 3 to 6th Birthday

SSA
SSA uses Forms SSA-3375-BK through SSA-3379-BK in the disability determination process to request information from a child's parent or guardian for children applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The five different versions of the form contain questions about the child's day-to-day…

Parent Response to Proposed IEP and Proposed Placement.

Memorandum on the Implementation of 603 CMR 28.05(7): Parent response to proposed IEP and proposed placement Department of Education staff in the Program Quality Assurance Services office and the Special Education Planning and Policy Development office have received numerous questions related to…

Facilitating Reentry of Formerly Incarcerated People: A Systemic Approach

David Peter Stroh
From the introduction: The multiple organizations and people required to solve a chronic, complex problem often do not appreciate the many ways in which their work is connected. To address this issue the Open Society Institute (www.soros.org) convened The After Prison Initiative, a gathering of…

SSR 85-15: TITLES II AND XVI: CAPABILITY TO DO OTHER WORK

Step 5. Grids.

SSR 94-1c: ILLEGAL ACTIVITY AS SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY

SSA Announces 3.3% COLA for 2007

Text version online at https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/index.html.  Pdf version attached.Highlights of 2007 changes:Substantial Gainful Activity (non-blind): $900/mo.Substantial Gainful Activity (blind): $1500/mo.Trial Work Period threshold: $640/mo.SSI Federal Benefit Rate: $623 (individual); $934…

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

SSA publishes proposed revisions to the Immune System Listings, 71 Fed. Reg. 44431 (8/4/06)

SSA
Published at 71 Fed. Reg. 44431 (8/4/06). Comments due by 10/2/06. Available at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2006-08-04/content-detail.html. Affected are the Immune System Disorders Listing, 20 CFR Pt. 404 Subpart P Rules 14.00 and 114.00. The immune system listings, including the HIV/AIDS…

SSA 3288 - Consent for Release of Information

This is the form to use to get permission to obtain information and/or records from SSA about a claimant or beneficiary you do not represent. The claimant or beneficiary may give consent to an individual or an organization to obtain the information and records.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) Online

Links to Axis I and Axis II Disorders.

SSA publishes SSR 06-03p - Considering Opinions and Other Evidence From Sources Who are not Acceptable Medical Sources, 71 Fed.

Pdf is attached.This ruling, which seems to be largely positive, has 2 parts. Part 1 expands upon 20 CFR 404.1513, 416.913(Medical and other evidence of your impairments) and 20 CFR 404.1527, 416.927 (Evaluating Opinion Evidence) Basically, the SSR emphasizes that, while an impairment must be…

ACT !! Coalition's Recommendations to the Connector Board on Affordable Enrollee Premiums and Cost Sharing

ACT II

Health Reform/Budget Update August 2, 2006

MLRI

Summary of MassHealth FY 2007 Budget and Health Reform

Keep Your Housing - A Guide to Help Mass. Tenants With Mental Health Issues Maintain Their Housing

Northeastern University School of Law and Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee
From the Guide's introduction: "This guide is designed to help tenants understand their housing rights and responsibilities, so that they are able to maintain their housing.  This guide does not cover the topics of accessing housing or defending against eviction (although it does…

HA 4632 - Claimant's Medications

ABA LEP Standards for the Provision of Civil Legal Aid

American Bar Association (ABA)
The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defendants published Standard 4.6 on Communication in the Primary Langauges of Persons Served which states, "A provider should assure that all langauge groups within its low income communities have access to its services…

Meeting Agenda

Revised DSI Checklist (NOSSCR 7/19/06)

NOSSCR/DLC Region I Representatives Meeting
Issues to look out for as the Disability Service Improvement (DSI) process is rolled out.

Using the DSI Advocates Listserv

Summary of DSI Final Regulations - Do they Help or Hurt Claimants (NOSSCR 7/06)

Health Reform Highlights for Low Income People

MLRI
MLRI's summary of key features of health reform affecting low income people

Steps that Advocates Can Take to Avoid Foreclosure

NCLC
Information from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) about steps that advocates can take to help seniors and other homeowners to prevent foreclosures. For more information, see also Brochures for Older Consumers.

Massachusetts Health Reform -Summary of chapter 58

Updated summary of key provisions in the health reform law enacted in April 2006

Summary of SSA's New Administrative Review Process (Disability Law Center, April 2006)

Summary of Disability Service Improvement (DSI) final regulations. Attached below, in Word, WP, and pdf.

List of state funded public housing units, broken down by community and bedroom size

2005 Information about state public housing units, broken down by bedroom size

GBLS
2005 listing of state public housing authorities broken down by bedroom size

Insurance for Mental Health Services

Mental Health Legal Advisors
This links to a section on MassLegalHelp.org which discusses how to get mental health services paid for once you have health insurance (either private or through MassHealth).