Resources
Special Needs Planning – 2018 May Legal Update
Special Needs News is an e-newsletter that brings you reports of legal developments and other trends of vital interest to those with special needs and their advocates. This newsletter is brought to you by Rebecca Miller and the other members of the Special Needs Planning Practice Group of Chambliss Law Firm.
Chambliss Law Firm Monthly Editorial
“The Best Laid Plans…”
How We Adapt for Loved Ones with Special Needs
by Jennifer Exum, Special Needs Planning Attorney
My doctor assured me that Wednesday in August that all was well and we would be delivering my still-growing boy on schedule in October, and she sent me home to catch up on some well-deserved rest. I saw her again that Friday as I was being prepped for delivery. For no apparent reason, my October baby had no intention of waiting.
As I grappled to understand the situation, my thoughts whipsawed from total panic to something more zen. The hospital staff did all they could to turn things around, but at a certain point, their efforts shifted from me to focus on my son who was determined to be born that day.
In this haze, I recalled a line that is commonly paraphrased from the poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns, “The best-laid plans of mice and men / Go oft awry,” and I laughed out loud. It was not the first time that a remnant of my background as an English major appeared out of nowhere, but at that moment, the irony was immense. No one in my team of physicians, as brilliant and capable as they were, would have guessed that our best-laid plans would be so upended that day.
But, nevertheless, we adapt. At work, I’m an attorney who advises families seeking to protect their legacies and plan for future generations – I help my clients adapt all the time. Bumps in the road like death, divorce, illness, substance abuse, or financial hardship can cause a plan to shift, sometimes suddenly and these events are even more stressful when a family member has special needs.
Managing Medical Bills and Insurance Paperwork: 7 Tips for Maximizing Reimbursement
The president of a medical bill management firm offers helpful hints on managing medical bills and health insurance claims paperwork.
What Assets Are Not Counted When Applying for SSI?
To be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), an applicant can have no more than $2,000 in assets. However, not all assets count towards the $2,000 limit.
States Increasingly Looking to Managed Care for Long-Term Services
More state Medicaid agencies are shifting to managed care models to provide long-term care services, sparking a backlash from disability and elder rights advocates, particularly in Iowa and Kansas.
Texas Father Wins Guardianship of Autistic Daughter Despite Giving Her Illegal Marijuana
The RAISE Act, a new bill passed by Congress and signed into law, directs the federal government to create a national Family Caregiving Strategy.
