Justice in Aging Releases New Report on Women and Poverty
 This three-part special report takes a closer look at the lives of older women to better understand the
challenges they face and how we can address them. The first section explores why a significant portion of
older women live near or in poverty, while also shedding light on inter-sectional issues that make women of color and LGBTQ women even more likely to age in poverty than their white counterparts. The second section discusses important anti-poverty programs that older women rely on, and the third lays out specific policy recommendations for increasing women’s economic security and access to supports as they get older.
This paper and its accompanying videos were made possible by a gift from the English family in honor and memory of their Aunt, Anne Perlmutter. Anne was a strong woman who worked for a legal organization for many years. When she was offered the legal secretary job that she would hold for over 50 years, the firm wanted to pay her $10 a week. She refused. She was then offered $25 a week. She refused again. “I’ll do it for $50 and no less,” she responded. “Why should we pay you so much?” they asked, amazed at the gall of a woman to demand any salary on the heels of the Depression, much less one that high. “Because I’m worth it,” she replied easily. They hired her on the spot with a starting salary of $50 a week. Throughout her life, she gave to progressive organizations, and, when she passed away, her family chose to donate the remainder of her estate to organizations she would have approved of.
In honor of Anne and her family, Justice in Aging produced this paper to educate policymakers
about the causes of poverty among older women and provide recommendations to improve their lives.
Authored by Amber Christ, Senior Staff Attorney, and Tracey Gronniger, Directing Attorney. Research assistance from Justice in Aging fellows Alana Murphy, Colin Alexander Health Law Fellow, and Prathyusha Chenji, Racial Justice Fellow.
Click here to read this full report.
IRS Reminding People With Disabilities About New ABLE Account Rules
 With a change taking effect this year, individuals with disabilities can save more money than ever before without losing out on Social Security, Medicaid and other government benefits.
The Internal Revenue Service is reminding people with disabilities who are employed that for the first time they can deposit extra money into their ABLE accounts.
Annual contributions to ABLE accounts are currently capped at $15,000. However, under a law passed late last year, people with disabilities who work can now accrue at least some of their wages as well.
For 2018, those living in the continental United States can deposit an additional $12,140 in income, the IRS said in a notice this month. That means that workers with disabilities can potentially save $27,140 in an ABLE account this year.
The allowable extra savings rises to $13,960 for those living in Hawaii and $15,180 for Alaska residents, officials said.
In addition, the IRS indicated that workers with disabilities who have ABLE accounts can now qualify for a Saver’s Credit, which can reduce their federal tax bill.
Aside from the new provisions for those who are employed, the IRS said it is now possible to roll over money from traditional 529 college savings plans into ABLE accounts. This change is designed to help families that set up college savings plans before learning that their child had a disability.
ABLE accounts, which were established under a 2014 federal law, allow individuals with disabilities to accrue up to $100,000 without risking eligibility for Social Security and other government benefits. Medicaid can be retained no matter how much money is in the accounts.
Individuals must have disabilities that onset prior to age 26 to qualify.
At present, 39 states- including Kentucky- offer ABLE programs, many of which are open to people with disabilities nationwide.
 Attorney General and U.S. Postal Inspection Service Working To Stamp Out Mail Scams
Last month the 'Stamp Out Mail Scams' awareness campaigned was announced at a Lexington post office.
The Attorney General Andy Beshear and the United States Postal Inspection Service say they are trying to help Kentuckians avoid mail scams that could be in their mailboxes.
The awareness campaign will help Kentuckians combat the Federal Trade Commission’s findings that fraud losses in 2017 reached nearly $905 million in the U.S, according to Beshear.
“The Office of the Attorney General and USPIS are united in our fight to stop con artists who misuse the postal system to defraud Kentuckians,” Beshear said. “Thanks to ‘Stamp Out Mail Scams’ Kentucky families can learn how to avoid mail scams at the same time they are buying stamps or mailing Christmas packages at their local post office.”
Kathy Woliung, U.S. postal inspector, said the United States Postal Inspection Service investigates any fraud where the U.S. mail is used to perpetuate a scheme.
“These scams often target older adults and military veterans and prey on an individual’s financial and emotional vulnerabilities and loneliness,” said Woliung. “The end goal of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is protecting consumers and seeking justice for those who commit crimes against them.”
In fiscal year 2017, U.S. postal inspectors removed more than a million illegal lottery solicitation letters. Inspection service screeners also discovered and barred solicitations containing counterfeit checks with a face value of approximately $62 billion.
Beshear’s Office of Senior Protection and Mediation and the USPIS work together on a regular basis to help victims of mail scams. When Beshear’s office receives a complaint from a Kentuckian who has been scammed, key information like the type of scam and any address used as part of the scam are forwarded to the USPIS for review and investigation.
Beshear said Stamp Out Mail Scams is an extension of his office’s Scam Alerts program, which USPIS has supported since the launch in 2016.
Scam Alerts are either a text message or email alert that is sent from Beshear’s office when new and trending scams are reported in the state. Kentuckians may sign up to receive alerts by texting the words KYOAG SCAM to GOV311 (468-311) or enroll online at ag.ky.gov.
Call to Action:
Public Input on HIPAA Needed
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), has issued a Request for Information seeking input from the public on how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Rules, especially the HIPAA Privacy Rule, could be modified to promote coordinated, value-based healthcare.
In addition to requesting broad input on the HIPAA Rules, OCR seeks comment on aspects of the Privacy Rule that OCR has identified for potential modification, specifically:
- Promoting information sharing for treatment and care coordination and/or case management by amending the Privacy Rule to encourage, incentivize, or require covered entities to disclose protected health information to other covered entities.
- Encouraging covered entities, particularly providers, to share treatment information with parents, loved ones, and caregivers of adults facing health emergencies, with a particular focus on the opioid crisis.
- Implementing the HITECH Act requirement to include, in an accounting of disclosures, disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO) from an electronic health record (EHR) in a manner that provides helpful information to individuals, while minimizing regulatory burdens and disincentives to the adoption and use of inter-operable EHRs.
- Eliminating or modifying the requirement for covered health care providers to make a good faith effort to obtain individuals' written acknowledgment of receipt of providers' Notice of Privacy Practices, to reduce burden and free up resources for covered entities to devote to coordinated care without compromising transparency or an individual's awareness of his or her rights.
All comments must be submitted on or before February 12, 2019.
View the Request for Information and submit a comment.
|
