Parents
Eligible for OMRDD and OMH “Home of Your Own” Mortgages
Parents of individuals
with developmental disabilities, mental retardation or mental illness can now
apply for mortgages under the Home of Your Own (HOYO) Program, which is
financed by the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA).
The Home of Your Own
Program, run jointly by SONYMA, the NYS Office of Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) and the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH)
helps people with developmental disabilities or mental illness purchase homes
with SONYMA mortgages issued at very favorable terms.
Enabling parents to apply
for SONYMA mortgages will ease the financial burdens on families and improve
their ability to provide for the needs of their children.
“We are delighted to be
able to extend our SONYMA mortgages to parents coping with serving the needs of
their children with developmental disabilities or mental illness,” said
Priscilla Almodovar, President and Chief Executive
Officer of SONYMA. “The Home of Your Own
Program is very important for our special needs population and we’re glad to be
able to make it more widely available.”
“I am pleased to offer
this pioneering opportunity to parents of people with developmental
disabilities who want to achieve the American dream -- home ownership,” said
Diana Jones Ritter, OMRDD Commissioner.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to advance the Governor’s housing
agenda and work cooperatively with the State of New York Mortgage Agency and
the Office of Mental Health. Expanding
the Home of Your Own program will help us put people with developmental
disabilities on the path to greater independence.”
“Recovery from mental
illness without stable, decent, and affordable housing is almost impossible,”
said Mike Hogan, PH.D., Commissioner of OMH.
“The Home of Your Own program has already been a great housing and
recovery resource for people with a mental illness. We know that many individuals with mental
illness live with family, and this expansion of the Home of Your Own program
will assist even more New Yorkers when it comes to financing a home.”
The Home of Your Own
Program offers very favorable mortgage terms for eligible applicants. Under the program, OMRDD and OMH refer
applicants – and now thier parents – to SONYMA after
they complete a homebuyer counseling program.
To be eligible, applicants must be first-time homebuyers and have
incomes of no more than 80 percent of the area median income in the region
where they live. There is also a limit
on the purchase price, which varies by location.
The program offers a very
low 4 percent fixed interest rate on mortgages of 30 or 40 years, 100 percent
financing and reduced closing costs. Closing
cost assistance is also available from SONYMA.
The program is offered exclusively through M&T Bank, which has
agreed to forgo or reduce some if its normal closing costs.
The program is available
for homes, condos, co-ops and double-wide mobile homes permanently affixed to
real property. Accessibility
improvements are funded by OMRDD or OMH as needed.
Since the program was
introduced in 1996, 189 households have used $13.2 million to finance their
homes.
For more information on how to apply for the Home
of Your Own Program, contact Lucinda Grant-Griffin, director of the HOYO program
at OMRDD at (518) 474-5191.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On
Thursday, August 9, 2007,
The
newest grant will run from April 2008 to March 2010.
Accessibility
modifications must meet the needs of those with physical disabilities, and
seniors with an age-related disability.
Examples of
modifications include:
wheelchair
ramps and lifts,
handrails,
expanded
doorways,
roll-in
showers with grab bars,
bathtub
grab bars and seats,
kitchen
modifications,
modifications
for the visually and hearing impaired,
relocating
a bathroom or bedroom
If
you or someone you know is in need of home modifications, please call
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Governor Spitzer Signs Legislation Increasing Rights For People With Disabilities
Governor
Eliot Spitzer today announced that he has signed legislation significantly
expanding the avenues for people with disabilities to assert their rights. The
new law will make it far easier for disabled New Yorkers to seek relief when
public facilities fail to reasonably accommodate their disability.
“It
is critical that the state provide individuals with disabilities full and equal
opportunities,” said Governor Spitzer. “This law takes a significant step
towards a
- Refuse to make reasonable modifications in policies, practices,
or procedures necessary to afford facilities, privileges, advantages or
accommodations to individuals with disabilities, unless making such
modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the facilities,
privileges, advantages or accommodations;
- Refuse to take steps necessary to ensure that no individual with
a disability is excluded or denied services because of the absence of
auxiliary aids and services, unless taking such steps would fundamentally
alter the nature of the facility or would result in an undue burden; or
- Refuse to remove structural architectural or communication
barriers in existing facilities, and transportation barriers in existing
vehicles and rail passenger cars, where removal is readily achievable.
These
principles bring
The
new law will allow persons with disabilities the ability to file certain complaints
related to discriminatory practices through the State Division of Human Rights
rather than pursuing costly litigation in federal court. Individuals can bring
their complaints at one of the numerous DHR centers around the State. If the
Division finds probable cause of a violation, a lawyer will present the
complainant’s case. In addition, the Division itself can bring affirmative
investigations and initiate complaints.
Senator
Steve Saland, Senate sponsor of the legislation,
said: "
Assemblywoman
Amy Paulin, Assembly sponsor of the legislation and
former Chair of the Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities, said:
"I am absolutely thrilled, after at least ten years of intense advocacy
from
Sim
Goldman of Disability Advocates said: “We are pleased that
Frank
Pennisi, the Chair of the ADA Committee of New York
State, said: “With the enactment of this law, Governor Spitzer has shown his
commitment to true equality for all New Yorkers. This bill will make it possible
for individuals to assert their right to access to public facilities, and to
make those rights guaranteed them by law a reality.”
The
legislation will go into effect in
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
Governor Spitzer signs
“Person First” Legislation On Wednesday, August 1st, Governor Spitzer signed
the “Person First” bill requiring the use of “person first” language when
describing individuals with disabilities in legal documents, publications,
and state and local legislation. The text of the bill reads: “On or after the effective date of this section
(immediately), all new and revised statutes, local laws, ordinances, charters
or regulations promulgated or any publication published by the state or any
political subdivision that refer to persons with disabilities shall seek to:
Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg
( To see a list of examples of Person First
language, Visit www.workforcenewyork.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do Medicare private plans have to follow any rules when they market their products? Yes. Companies that offer Medicare private health
and drug plans must follow certain rules when promoting their products. The
guidelines are meant to prevent plans from deceiving you—through marketing
materials or through someone representing the plan—about what the plan offers
and how much it costs. That is called marketing
fraud. Plans can market their
plan through direct mail and radio, television and print advertisements.
Plans can even call your house (telemarketing). However, agents for Medicare
private plans must follow certain rules. Plans cannot
disregard the National Do-Not-Call Registry and “do not
call again” requests.
Plans must comply with federal and state consumer protection laws for
telemarketing. You can register online for the National Do-Not-Call Registry
or by calling from the number you wish to register. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ College Scholarships
for Students with Disabilities A number of college scholarships and awards are
available. Information about these scholarships can be accessed by following
the links. National Scholarship Competition for
College Students with Disabilities disABLEdperson Inc. announces its
Fall 2007 Nationally Based College Scholarship Competition for college
students with disabilities. The competition begins Benjamin A. Gilman International
Scholarship Program The Gilman International Scholarship Program
provides awards of up to $5,000 for ELA Scholarships for Women Graduate
Students with Physical Disabilities ELA Scholarships are available only to women
graduate students with physical disabilities who are enrolled in a college or
university in the 1800wheelchair.co Announces 2nd Annual Scholarship Award Established in 2006, the scholarship fund will
award one $500 scholarship to an undergraduate student on U.S. News and World Report and AXA Foundation AXA
Achievement Scholarships, provide resources that help make college possible
for qualified students. Maximum Award: $15,000; a laptop computer; the offer
of an AXA Financial Services internship. Eligibility: high school students
from all 50 states plus the IES Diversity Scholarships The Institute for International Education of
Students [IES} is committed to providing opportunities for students of diverse
cultural backgrounds who have been traditionally under-represented on study
abroad programs. Equally, IES recognizes those students who show an interest
in enhancing the study abroad experience by acknowledging, exploring, and
contributing to the presence of multiple groups, perspectives, and ideas
within the host country. Their mission is to provide students and Scholarships Avaliable
for Orphaned and Foster Care Youth The Orphan Foundation of America in conjunction
with the Casey Family Program is offering approximately 100 new scholarships
annually for college-bound young people that have been orphaned or are
transitioning out of foster care. The 2007/2008 application period has
closed. Applications for the 2008/2009 period will be made available January
31 - Academic Competitiveness and National
Science and Mathamatics Access to Retain Talent
Grants The new Academic Competitiveness (AC) grants and the National Science
and Mathematics Accessto Retain Talent (SMART)
grants provide $790 million in funding for this fall and $4.5 billion over
the next five years. The AC grants provide college students who completed a
rigorous course of study in high school with additional funds of up to $750
during their freshman year and up to $1,300 during their sophomore year. This
is in addition to Pell Grant funds students already are receiving. College
juniors and seniors who are eligible for SMART grants automatically will
receive up to $4,000 in additional aid next year. Information on both grants
can be found at www.studentaid.ed.gov ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disability Backlog Snarls System Claims For Benefits Often Drag On As Schumer
Calls For Increased Funding When it comes to waiting
for Social Security disability insurance benefit claims to be processed, More than 52,000 people
statewide have been waiting months or years for decisions on their
applications, according to two groups that researched the problem. It's the
18th worst showing among the states in disability backlogs. The rankings come after
USA Today reported Monday a record 745,000-plus disability cases pending
nationally with the Social Security Administration. The average wait time for
a hearing is 17 months, the newspaper reported. The backlog arises from
a demand from the growing number of aging baby boomers combined with staffing
shortfalls at the government agency, said Jim Allsup,
founder of Allsup Inc., which helped compile the
rankings. "The Social
Security crisis is already here today, manifesting itself first in the
disability program," said Allsup, who was a
claims and field representative for the agency before starting his company,
which represents disability applicants. "They are a direct reflection of
staffing problems that Social Security has." The rankings were also
compiled by the American Association of People with Disabilities, the
nation's largest cross-disability membership organizations. Andrew J. Imparato, president and CEO of the not-for-profit, said
the wait is keeping seriously disabled Americans from getting insurance they
paid for. "There are a lot of
things at stake for people with disabilities with this backlog," Imparato said. "After religiously
paying Social Security for decades, Schumer called in June
for full funding of $10.44 billion for the disability system. At that time,
his office released a report detailing the statewide backlog. In the Capital
Region, the "With the first of
the 78 million baby boomers eligible for Social Security next year, we simply
cannot allow the Social Security Administration to be caught unprepared to
process an avalanche of claims," Schumer said. Allsup said the baby boomers are affecting the backlog
by adding to the number of claims and by the increasing the number of Social
Security workers who are retiring. Between 2000 and 2004 there was a 62
percent rise in national disability claims, he said. The administration
hasn't denied the problems, Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue said. He said issues with the process have
stressed field offices, crowded waiting rooms, caused staff to leave and left
unaddressed workloads. "We are overdue for
a change. The length of time many people wait for their final disability
decision is unacceptable," Astrue said.
"I am committed to a process that is as fair and speedy as
possible." Allsup said Social Security needs new leadership and
but also needs to streamline its application filing process, allowing third
parties, like his company, to help applicants file so that the administration
can simply move into a decision-making role. http://timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=610724
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Actually, that depends on which state
you live in. If your wife has no legal document that names someone to make
treatment decisions on her behalf, rules vary from state to
state as to who can make “surrogate” decisions. In many states the next of
kin, like a spouse, can make medical decisions; some states accept a “close
friend” as a surrogate. But some states will not accept a spouse or family
member as a surrogate unless they have been legally appointed to make medical
decisions by the individual in question. If
you are caring for a loved one, it is critical that you talk to them
immediately about creating a health care proxy document (also referred to as medical power of attorney,
durable power of attorney for health, or appointment of a health care agent).
These documents allow her to name the person she wants (either you or someone
else) as her “agent” or “proxy” to make health care decisions for her if she
were to become unable to communicate her wishes because of temporary or
permanent illness or injury. In fact, naming a proxy is an important step
that both you and your loved one should take, well before an emergency arises. You should also make sure you know
whether your loved one has any other “advance directive” documents
(such as a “living will” or, if she is very sick, a “do-not resuscitate
order”) that advise on her health care preferences in the event that she
cannot speak for herself. Make sure you know her feelings on life-sustaining
measures. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
MEDICARE AND HOME
HEALTH AIDE SERVICES Question: My mother
needs help at home, but her doctor says that Medicare won’t pay for it unless
she needs a nurse. She really just needs help with getting around the house
and with the cooking and cleaning. Will Medicare help her pay for this kind
of care? Answer: Unfortunately, no. Medicare will only
pay for home health care if your mother
If your mother does not qualify for
Medicare home health care, don’t despair! There may be other options
available to her. If your mother has trouble with basic
daily tasks, like getting to the store and preparing meals, there may be
organizations or agencies in your area that can assist. You will have to do
some homework to find the correct services for your loved one. Some places to
try:
If all these options seem
overwhelming, it may be worthwhile to look into hiring a geriatric care
manager, a professional who specializes in helping older adults manage their
increasing needs while helping them remain as independent as possible. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Medicare coverage of durable medical
equipment
Medicare will only cover certain types of equipment
that are considered primarily medical in purpose. Medicare defines durable
medical equipment (DME) as medical supplies that are
* primarily and customarily
used to serve a medical purpose;
* able to withstand repeated
use;
* generally not useful to a
person in the absence of an illness or injury; and
* appropriate for use in the
home.
DME includes items such as walkers, wheelchairs,
power scooters, hospital beds and portable oxygen equipment.
Because an air purifier is not primarily and
customarily used to serve a medical purpose, it would not be covered by
Medicare even though you need it for a medical purpose.
Even if a medical supply is primarily and customarily
used to serve a medical purpose, Medicare may still not pay for it. An item
does not qualify as DME if it
* is for "convenience" rather than
"medical use." This includes stairway elevators, grab bars, and
bathtub and toilet seats-anything that can technically be used by people who
have no medical condition. Also, Medicare will not cover modifications to your
home, such as those for improving wheelchair access, like installing ramps or
widening doors.
* must be thrown away after use (not durable), such
as incontinence pads, catheters, surgical face masks and leggings.
* Medicare
may cover some nondurable items as part of your treatment under the home health
care benefit. If you have diabetes, Medicare may also cover some nondurable
items as preventive care, such as lancets and test strips.
* is not appropriate for home use, like paraffin bath
units and oscillating beds. These items are generally used under supervision in
an institutional setting.
* is to be used primarily outside of the home. For
example, if you can walk on your own for short distances, enough to get around
your house, Medicare will not cover a motorized scooter to get around outside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SOCIAL SECURITY WORK INCENTIVES FOR 2007
The following is a summary of work incentives for individuals who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. These work incentives are designed to encourage people with disabilities to work.
SSDI Work Incentives
Trial work Period (TWP)
If you receive SSDI benefits and go to work, you will be entitled to a nine-month Trial Work Period in which you can test your ability to work without losing benefits. During the TWP, you will receive your full SSDI benefit regardless of the amount of your earnings. The TWP continues until you have worked for nine months. However, the nine months need not be consecutive. When you have used up nine TWP months within any 60-month period, the TWP is finished.
In the year 2007, a trial work month is one in which gross earnings are $640 or more. This figure will change yearly based on increases in the National Wage Index. In prior years, the trial work month earnings level was lower. If you worked prior to January 2007, you may have used trial work months even though your earnings were less than $640 per month.
At the end of the TWP, your benefits may stop if your earnings are substantial. In the year 2007, Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) means gross earnings of $900 or more per month. The SGA amount also changes every year in accordance with increases in the National Wage Index. If at the end of your Trial Work Period your earnings are at least SGA, you will be entitled to benefits for 3 more months and then your benefits will stop. You are now in the Extended Period of Eligibility.
The Extended Period of Eligibility (EPE)
The Extended Period of Eligibility immediately follows the Trail Work Period. It is a consecutive 36-month period (3 years) in which you are entitled to your SSDI benefit for each month in which your earnings are below the SGA level. If your monthly earnings are greater than this, you are not eligible for a benefit. If you work at the SGA level during EPE, but for some reason your work ends before the end of the 36-month period, your benefits will be reinstated without a new application. Moreover, if your earnings are consistently below SGA, your benefits will continue unchanged, both during and after EPE.
Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits
This provision allows former SSDI and SSI beneficiaries, whose entitlement or eligibility has been terminated due to their work activity, to have their eligibility reinstated in a timely fashion if they become unable to do substantial work due to their medical condition. The law also allows beneficiaries to receive up to six months of provisional benefits while their application for reinstatement is pending. This work incentive is very useful to people who are unsure of their ability to work over an extended period of time. They can be assured that their benefits will still be available if, within 60 months of the termination of their benefits, they need them again because of their medical condition.
Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs)
There are various “deductions” which can be used to offset earnings and thereby reduce countable income. This is important because you will remain eligible for cash benefits if your earnings are below SGA. These deductions are called Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs). They are services or items that you use because of your impairment and that you purchase so that you can work. For example, if you pay someone $100 per month for transportation to and from work because your disability prevents you from using public transportation, that amount can be deducted from your earnings in determining whether your earnings are SGA. If your monthly earnings are $950 and you deduct the $100 transportation expensed, your countable income is just $850. This is below the SGA level ($900); therefore, you will be entitled to your disability benefit. Other examples of IRWEs are; assistive technology, unreimbursed medical expenses, guide dog expenses, reader services and home modifications that are necessary for access to employment.
Subsidies and Special Conditions
“Subsidies and Special Conditions” are supports you receive on the job that result in your receiving more in pay than the actual value of the services you perform. A “subsidy” is an item or service provided by your employer. “Special conditions” are items or services provided by someone other then your employer, for example, VESID or CBVH.
The value of subsidies and special conditions is deducted from your earnings to determine if your earnings are at the SGA level. For example, you may have a job coach who works with you and teaches you your job duties. The value of these services can be deducted from your earnings (even though you are not paying for the services yourself) and will reduce your countable earnings. As with IRWEs, if your countable earnings are reduced below SGA, you will remain entitled to your disability benefit.
Medicare
SSDI beneficiaries are eligible for Medicare health insurance coverage after a 24-month waiting period. Medicare Part A, which pays for hospital bills, is automatic; you do not pay for it. Part B, which pays for doctor bills, is optional, subject to a monthly premium payment. If you go to work, Medicare eligibility will continue throughout the TWP. Following this, you may continue your Medicare for a period of 93 months after your ninth trial work month. Even when this extended coverage terminates, you may “buy” Medicare by paying both the Part A and Part B premiums for as long as you remain medically disabled.
Medicare also offers a prescription drug benefit (Medicare Part D), which can be obtained through a private prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan. There are special rules for people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles). This benefit will be very helpful for individuals who are unable to obtain comparable coverage through an employer’s plan.
Supplemental Security Income Work Incentives
Earned Income Exclusion
If you are an SSI recipient and you go to work, most of your
earnings will not be counted in calculating your benefit. As a general rule, a little more than
one-half of your earnings are excluded.
First, you are entitled to a general income exclusion of $20 per month
and an earned income disregard of $85 per month. Then for every two dollars that you earn, you
will lose one dollar in SSI. You can
also deduct Impairment Related Work Expenses (see above explanation). Therefore, as your earnings rise, your
benefit will decrease. In the year 2007,
a
Student Earned Income Exclusion
If a person is under age 22 and a full-time student attending high school, college or a vocational training program, SSI will disregard monthly earnings up to $1510, up to a maximum of $6,100 per year. This exclusion enables students to work while attending school, with no loss of SSI benefits. These amounts are also indexed yearly.
Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS)
A Plan for Achieving Self-Support allows you to set aside some of your income and/or resources for a period of time to help you meet a vocational goal. The money you set aside is saved in a special account and not counted in determining the amount of your SSI benefits. For example, you could set aside money for buying a piece of equipment that you will use in your work. Because the funds you deposit in the PASS account are not counted as income, you will receive a larger SSI benefit during the period of the PASS. This enables you to pay for your living expenses while you are acquiring the equipment you need to be financially independent. To be eligible for a PASS, you must have income other than SSI to deposit into the PASS account. A PASS can also be used to pay for items or services such as vehicles, employment supports and college tuition.
Medicaid 1619 B
When you get SSI, you automatically qualify for Medicaid. You don’t have to pay anything for this type of Medicaid. Even if you go to work and earn so much that you are no longer eligible for cash SSI benefits, you can keep this Medicaid coverage with no “spend down”. This is a very important and valuable benefit for working people with disabilities. You can keep Medicaid until your earnings are $41,771 (2007 figure) per year, as long as your resources and other income remain within SSI limits. You will need to speak with a Social Security representative to receive the Medicaid 1619B benefit.
Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities (MBI-WPD)
This work incentive allows working people with disabilities to “buy” Medicaid coverage by paying a premium. Premiums are based on income and are much more affordable than those for most health insurance policies available to the public. The income eligibility levels for this program are very generous. An individual can have gross earned income up to $51,570 (2007) per year and still qualify for the Buy-In. The allowable resource level is also higher at $10,000. You can apply for the Medicaid Buy-In at your local Department of Social Services.
Ticket To Work
The Ticket to Work is a relatively new Social Security program. Most SSI and SSDI beneficiaries have received a “ticket” that they may use to obtain vocational rehabilitation and employment support services from an approved provider of their choice. These providers are called “Employment Networks” and they will be paid by Social Security to assist you to find and maintain employment. Social Security will not initiate a continuing disability medical review while a beneficiary is using a ticket. Participation in the Ticket Program is completely voluntary. It is anticipated that the Ticket Program will expand and availability of services and help insure that employment and vocational plans are tailored to an individual’s needs and interests
Your Responsibilities
You should notify Social Security right away if you go to work. This is YOUR responsibility. You will be told how often you will have to report your earnings to Social Security. Regular reports help to avoid overpayments and underpayments. Keep a copy of any document that you send or bring to Social Security.
If you have any questions on any of these work incentives,
please call Sue Lewis at
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Protecting Your Identity
10 things that you can do to protect your name.
Every 79 seconds there is
another victim of identity theft. These
victims may have thousands of dollars stripped from their accounts, new
accounts opened in their name, their dependable credit history contaminated –
maybe even arrested for a crime they did not commit.
Unfortunately, this scenario
is not far-fetched, it happens all the time.
Maybe not in most cases, but it happens enough - leaving a path of financial destruction that
may take the victim years to recover.
With identity theft being the
fastest growing crime in the United States and it alone, accounting for over 42
percent of all complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission, it’s no
wonder so many people are concerned.
Grandmas and Grandpas, adults
from all walks of life – teenagers are all wondering how they can protect
themselves from becoming the next identity theft victim.
The following are 10 basic,
yet very effective, things you can do to protect your identity:
1. Protect your
social security number.
Your social security number
is of great significance to an identity thief.
Do not keep it on your person; keep it in a locked, secure place. Give your social security number only when it
is necessary.
2. Monitor your
financial statements.
It is imperative that you
know when your statements should arrive in the mail. If they are more than a couple of days late,
contact the appropriate bank or financial institution immediately. A missing statement could indicate a thief is
at work. Review your statements
thoroughly for any unauthorized transactions or suspicious activity. Many times, a thief will make small purchases;
such transactions are much more likely to avoid detections. If there are ANY discrepancies, contact your
financial institution to understand what is happening.
3. Monitor your
credit reports.
Monitoring your credit
reports every 4-6 months should be a part of your identity theft prevention
strategy. You should verify that all the
information is correct. Many times your
credit report can be the first clue that an identity thief is at work to steal
your precious name.
4. Monitor your
postal mail.
The US Postal Service
acknowledges that mail is involved in a significant number of identity theft
cases. Make it a point to retrieve your
mail shortly after it is delivered – the longer it stays unattended in your
mailbox, the greater the chances of someone stealing it. Never place outgoing mail in your mailbox for
the carrier to pick up. Take your
outgoing mail to the post office for delivery.
If you are going away for any length of time, notify your local post
office to hold your mail while you are away.
5. Secure your
personal documents.
Your personal documents
contain personally identifiable information.
For those documents that you are required to keep, place them in a
locked, secure place.
6. Shredding
your mail and personal documents.
If you are serious about
protecting your identity, then shredding your mail and any personal documents
that you are not required to keep MUST be part of your strategy. Shredding your mail is absolutely essential
to protecting your identity.
7. Tips to
secure your online presence.
The internet is a great
resource, but securing your online presence is essential to your identity theft
prevention strategy.
8. Secure your
computer.
If you are like most
Americans, your computer holds personally identifiable information. Therefore, it is important that your computer
be secured. “5 Steps to Secure Windows
XP Home” written by Tony Bradley, the About Guide to Internet/Network Security
is an article that provides the guidance
that you need so that you can take steps to secure your Windows XP based computer.
9. Beware of
shoulder surfing.
When logging on to your
computer, at the ATM, or doing anything else that you are entering a password
or viewing personally identifiable information, be aware of your
surroundings. Make sure that no one else
can view this information.
10. Shop online
merchants that you know and trust.
If you are shopping online,
make sure that the site is secure. The
URL or web address should begin with “http.”
It is also recommended that you use a low-limit credit card for your
online purchases.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to report identity theft
If your identity is stolen
Being a victim of identity
theft or other fraud is likely to be an emotional and confusing event. As you attempt to understand the details of
your situation, even knowing who to call can be difficult, as there may be a
number of agencies – local, state, and federal that should be involved in the
investigating of your particular identity theft or fraud case.
The following information is
provided to assist you and provide some reference, if you precariously find
yourself thinking that you may be a victim of identity theft or other type of
fraud. Understanding what information
you should gather and who to call is essential to being able to act quickly –
and acting quickly and appropriately can have a significant influence on the
impact that you experience as a result of such a crime.
Prior to reporting an identity theft case:
1. Understand if your identity has been stolen.
Don’t jump to conclusions –
law enforcement is going to want facts.
Take some time and gather some information so that you can make a
reasonable determination if you are truly an identity theft victim. For example, don’t assume that because your
social security earning report shows employment someplace that your have never
worked – that you’re an identity theft victim.
Although that is a red flag, you need to follow up with social security
and likely, the employer in question. It
is possible that it could simply be a mistake, and there is not an identity
thief in your midst.
Obviously something has
happened to get you to the point where you want to report an identity theft
case. And while you don’t have to be
certain that your identity has been stolen, you should be reasonably sure,
prior to engaging law enforcement, that you are the victim of a crime. You do not have to be reluctant in filing a
report, but you need to make an attempt to understand the situation and gather
the information that law enforcement is going to need from you. If you can’t determine if you are the victim
of a crime or not, always err on the side of caution – call the police and let
them help you figure it out.
2. Determine
how your identity was stolen.
Once you reasonably believe
that your identity has been stolen, you need to report an identity theft
case. However, it will be helpful to law
enforcement, if you can recall any details that may help them in determining
who is responsible. Was someone in your
house recently? Hanging around your
mailbox? How about recent online
purchase, or any suspicious activity at work, etc. All this information will assist law
enforcement in catching the crook.
In addition to helping law
enforcement catch the bad guy, this detail can help determine if a state or
federal violation has occurred and any jurisdictional issues. Law enforcement will need to determine, early
on, what agency will be responsible for the handling of your case.
3. Gather any
documentation
Any documentation that you
can provide, such as bank statements, credit reports, social security earnings
reports, or other documentation that can substantiate your claim that your
identity has been stolen will be needed.
Law enforcement will need to gather this evidence to determine what has
occurred, and even, who should handle your case. Get the information together and have it
ready for them when they arrive – it will be better than looking for it while
they are waiting in your kitchen. It is
likely that the authorities will need to retain the documents during the
investigation, make sure that you ask to have copies made for your own records.
Reporting an identity theft case:
Now that you’ve determined
that your identity has been stolen, and hopefully, have some information to
help law enforcement find out who did it and how, you now need to understand
who to call. The following information
should provide you some direction in doing just that.
Report your identity theft to
local law enforcement. Whether your preference
is the City, Town, or Village Police Department, Sheriff’s Department, or State
Police, you will need to contact local authorities. Your local authorities have jurisdiction to
handle a case where local or state laws have been violated. Identity theft is a federal crime. However, in many cases state and federal laws
have been violated and the local authorities will work together with the
federal authorities on your case. You
should always call them first.
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FOOD BANK OF CNY
FREE ELIGIBILITY SCREENINGS
FOR FOOD STAMPS
Written by Sue Lewis
Contrary to popular belief,
the Food Stamp program is not a ‘welfare” program. The Food Stamp program is funded by the USDA
(United States Department of Agriculture) and coordinated through the Food Bank
of CNY. The USDA uses the local
Department of Social Services to screen people for Food Stamps because it is
the “one-stop” center for all other benefits.
The Food Stamp program was
set up to provide people with lower incomes a way to purchase nutritious food
for themselves and their families. But,
studies have shown that thousands of people in
This is why the Food Bank of
CNY is trying to “get the word out” and try and make it easier for people to
find out if they may be eligible. In
If you would like to contact
the Food Bank representative in
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Help Finding Low Cost Prescriptions
The Access to Benefits Coalition (ABC) – a partnership
of more than 90 national non-profit organizations, supports a new online
service to help millions of lower income Medicare beneficiaries more easily
find and enroll in the best combination of public and private prescription
savings programs.
BeneftisCheckUpRX2.0 is an on-line service that can be
used by intermediaries and consumers to:
*Screen for eligibility in 340 public and
private savings programs that cover up to 1,450 medicines.
*Figure out what combination of programs and
cards is best for them.
*Obtain most application forms while online, and
complete many while online.
The online service is fast, free, confidential, and it
complies with privacy rules under the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act. There are two
versions: a Consumer Edition that is
available to anyone who wants to use it and an Organizational Edition that is
designed for coalitions and individual agencies that want to launch and sustain
serious outreach, decision-support and enrollment effort.
ABC’s BenefitsCheckUpRx 2.0
is available at www.accesstobenefits.org
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BUYING MEDICINES AND MEDICAL PRODUCTS
ONLINE
Tips and Warnings for Consumers
With hundreds of
drug-dispensing websites in business, how can consumers tell which sites are
legitimate ones, especially when it is very easy to set up a site that is very
professional looking and promises deep discounts or a minimum of hassles?
If you buy medical products
online, be aware of the following dangers:
*Purchasing a medication from
an illegal Website puts you at risk. You
may receive a contaminated or counterfeit product, the wrong product, an
incorrect dose, or no product at all
*Taking an unsafe or
inappropriate medication puts you at risk for dangerous drug interactions and
other serious health consequences.
*Getting a prescription drug
by filling out a questionnaire without seeing a doctor poses serious health
risks. A questionnaire does not provide
sufficient information for a health=care professional to determine if that drug
is for you or safe to use, if another treatment is more appropriate, or if you
have an underlying medical condition where using that drug may be harmful. The American Medical Association has
determined that this practice is generally substandard medical care. FDA agrees.
FDA offers these tips to
consumers who buy health products online:
*Check with the National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy (www.nabp.net)
to determine whether a website is a licensed pharmacy in good standing.
*Don’t buy from sites that offer
to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time without a physical exam,
sell a prescription drug without a prescription, or sell drugs not approved by
FDA>
*Don’t do business with sites
that have no access to a registered pharmacist to answer questions.
*Avoid sites that do not
identify with whom you are dealing and do not provide a U.S. address and phone
number to contact if there’s a problem.
*Look for easy-to-find and understand privacy and security policies.