http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/08/business/hospital-billing-varies-wildly-us-data-shows.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0

The FTC will bring together experts from government, private industry, and public interest groups to discuss the unique challenges facing victims of senior identity theft.  The forum will include panels on different types of senior identity theft – tax and government benefits, medical, and long-term care – and will also explore the best consumer education and outreach techniques for reaching seniors.

May 7, 2013

9:00 am – 4:30 pm

601 New Jersey Ave, NW, Washington DC 20001

This forum is FREE and open to the PUBLIC.  It will be also be available via webcast.

 For more information about the forum and the webcast, please visit the forum website:  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/senior-identity-theft/

 Pre-registration is not required to attend the forum but is encouraged so that we may better plan this event. 

To pre-register, please send your name and affiliation to seniorIDtheft@ftc.gov

From the Department of Health and Human Services:

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced a final rule that will make purchasing health coverage easier for consumers.  The policies outlined today will give consumers a consistent way to compare and enroll in health coverage in the individual and small group markets, while giving states and insurers more flexibility and freedom to implement the Affordable Care Act.

 Today’s rule outlines health insurance issuer standards for a core package of benefits, called essential health benefits, that health insurance issuers must cover both inside and outside the Health Insurance Marketplace. Through its standards for essential health benefits, the final rule released today also expands coverage of mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment, for millions of Americans.

 A new report by HHS, also released today, details how these provisions will expand mental health and substance use disorder benefits and federal parity protections for 62 million more Americans.

 In the past, nearly 20 percent of individuals purchasing insurance didn’t have access to mental health services, and nearly one third had no coverage for substance use disorder services.  The rule seeks to fix that gap in coverage by expanding coverage of these benefits in three distinct ways:

 1. By including mental health and substance use disorder benefits as Essential Health Benefits

2. By applying federal parity protections to mental health and substance use disorder benefits in the individual and small group markets

3. By providing more Americans with access to quality health care that includes coverage for mental health and substance use disorder services

 To give states the flexibility to define essential health benefits in a way that would best meet the needs of their residents, this rule also finalizes a benchmark-based approach. This approach allows states to select a benchmark plan from options offered in the market, which are equal in scope to a typical employer plan.  Twenty-six states selected a benchmark plan for their state, and the largest small business plan in each state will be the benchmark for the rest.

 The rule additionally outlines actuarial value levels in the individual and small group markets, which helps to distinguish health plans offering different levels of coverage.  Beginning in 2014, plans that cover essential health benefits must cover a certain percentage of costs, known as actuarial value or “metal levels.”  These levels are 60 percent for a bronze plan, 70 percent for a silver plan, 80 percent for a gold plan, and 90 percent for a platinum plan. Metal levels will allow consumers to compare insurance plans with similar levels of coverage and cost-sharing based on premiums, provider networks, and other factors.  In addition, the health care law limits the annual amount of cost sharing that individuals will pay across all health plans – preventing insured Americans from facing catastrophic costs associated with an illness or injury.

 Policies in today’s rule also provide more information on accreditation standards for qualified health plans (QHPs) that will be offered through the Health Insurance Marketplaces (also known as Exchanges), one-stop shops that will provide access to quality, affordable private health insurance choices.

Together, these provisions will help consumers compare and select health plans in the individual and small group markets based on what is important to them and their families. People can make these choices knowing these health plans will cover a core set of critical benefits and can more easily compare the level of coverage based on a uniform standard.  Further, these provisions help expand choices and competition on the Marketplaces.

For more information on today’s rule, visit: http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/factsheets/ehb-2-20-2013.html.

 To view the rule, visit: http://www.ofr.gov/inspection.aspx.

 For more information on how today’s rule helps those in need of mental health and substance use disorder services, visit: http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/mental/rb_mental.cfm.

 Please direct questions to HHSIEA@hhs.gov.

Title:
 Understanding Property Tax Sales and What Advocates Can Do to Help Clients Avoid Tax Lien Foreclosures
 
Date:
 Wednesday, February 13, 2013
 
Time:
 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EST

Join us for a Webinar on February 13
 
 
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/691682328
 
 
All states permit local governments to sell property through a tax lien foreclosure process if the owner falls behind on property taxes or other municipal charges.  The complicated procedure and inadequate notice in most states leave many homeowners in the dark about steps they can take to avoid a home loss.  This webinar will help advocates understand the tax sale process and cover strategies to help homeowners avoid a tax lien foreclosure.

Presenter is John Rao, staff attorney, National Consumer Law Center

Additional sponsorship for this Webinar is provided by a grant from the Administration on Aging/Administration for Community Living .  This webinar is part of a series of National Elder Rights Training Project webinars for the National Legal Resource Center.

There is no charge for this webinar.
All time listings are in Eastern Standard Time.
If you have any questions email trainings@nclc.org
 

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

Foreclosure Prevention Project Manager

 Summary: 

Immediate opening for an experienced lawyer to manage Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service’s (MVLS) Foreclosure Prevention Project.  This project serves low-income homeowners in multiple Maryland counties by providing pro bono and reduced-fee legal services through a panel of trained volunteer lawyers.

The mission of MVLS is to provide quality legal services to Marylanders of limited means.  MVLS is the largest pro bono legal services provider in the state both in terms of volunteers, over 3,000 lawyers on its panel, and clients served, over 65,000 since its founding in 1981.  Our core pro bono program helps approximately 3,000 Marylanders every year.

Job Responsibilities: 

• Manage intake and placement of pro bono and reduced fee foreclosure cases with MVLS volunteer lawyers.
• Administer all aspects of MVLS foreclosure prevention grant compliance, including timely submission of monthly, quarterly, and annual grant reports to DHCD or other project funders.
• Represent clients in foreclosure mediations on an as-needed basis or when MVLS is unable to place a client with a volunteer or reduced-fee lawyer.
• Provide brief advice to clients when our housing counselor is unable to assist.
• Mentor less experienced foreclosure volunteers or assign mentors. 
• Interview experienced foreclosure lawyers to represent clients on a reduced-fee basis.  Monitor these volunteers to ensure quality legal services are provided to clients.
• Review reduced-fee lawyer invoices and handle other administrative aspects of reduced-fee foreclosure panel.
• Supervise MVLS housing counselor to ensure client access to loan modifications and other programs available through Maryland’s mortgage settlement or other DHCD programs intended to help distressed homeowners. 
• Recruit and supervise experienced foreclosure lawyers to provide case review services to housing counseling agencies on a reduced-fee basis.
• Attend all DHCD Legal Partners team meetings, trainings, webinars, etc. and stay informed about developments in state and federal housing programs that prevent foreclosure and provide loss mitigation assistance.
• Coordinate services with other Foreclosure Project Legal Partners to ensure clients receive appropriate legal services and MVLS is not duplicating services.
• Identify volunteer training needs and work with Pro Bono Resource Center to ensure MVLS volunteers and reduced fee lawyers receive up-to-date foreclosure prevention training 
• Other project management duties as assigned.

Job Skills: 

• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Must possess strong time management and organizational skills
• Able to work with diverse client population and to collaborate with legal partners
• Skilled in case management, dealing with multiple priorities and deadlines
• Ability to identify and resolve problems quickly.
• Ability to work independently and manage a team.

 Professional Experience: 

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• At least three years of housing/foreclosure legal experience.
• Must be admitted to practice in Maryland and in good standing.
• Demonstrated commitment to public interest
• Strong computer skills, especially Microsoft Office Suite and case management software
• Outside practice of law is not permitted

 Compensation:

Salary commensurate with experience, in the mid $50,000 range.  Generous benefits, including paid health insurance.  Full-time exempt position funded through a three-year grant with Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.  Employment is dependent upon grant funding.

How to Apply:

Please write “Foreclosure Prevention Project Manager” in e-mail subject line and attach cover letter and resume in Microsoft Word format. 

Send email with attachments to mvls@mvlslaw.org

Please no telephone calls.

This introductory course will get you up to speed on your first debt collection abuse cases. Learn about the laws protecting consumers from abusive debt collection practices and proceed to more in-depth sessions on developing these cases and a fair debt collection law practice. Faculty includes top consumer lawyers from across the country. CLE credit is available in most states (up to 15 hours).

The tenative agenda is available at: http://www.nclc.org/images/pdf/conferences_and_webinars/fdcp/2013/fdcp2013-agenda.pdf

Maryland Legal Aid advocates who are interested in attending should complete a Level 2 training request form and submit to Yoanna at ymoisides@mdlab.org by January 18, 2013. This will allow us time to approve requests and where appropriate submit scholarship applications by the January 28 scholarship deadline.

At our last Consumer Law Task Force meeting, the group expressed an interest in signing on to PJC’s amicus brief in O’Brien v. Bank of America, No. 824 (Court of Special Appeals 2012).  PJC should have a draft of its brief by January 4 and will circulate the draft brief to those who have expressed an interest in signing on.  If you are interested in reviewing the brief and participating in a short LAB conference call on Monday January 7 at 9:30am, please email me at hgomes@mdlab.org. 

About the case:

Plaintiff O’Brien appeals the Baltimore City Circuit Court’s decision finding that Section 11-603(c) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article does not violate the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Section 43 of the Maryland Constitution, and/or Article 19 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights.  PJC's brief will focus on the due process issue, specifically arguing that it is never acceptable to permit joint spousal accounts or trust accounts to be frozen pending a court’s decision regarding their attachment, since Section 11-603 exempts those accounts from garnishment, and because of the protection provided by Maryland common law to tenancy of the entireties property.

Thanks,

Heather

On December 17, 2012 at 2 pm EST, NITVAN will be hosting a free webinar on the use
of identity theft by domestic violence perpetrators as a method of
power and control. Featured speakers include Erika A. Sussman, the Executive
Director of the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice, Sara Shoener, Project
Manager of the Consumer Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors Initiative at
CSAJ, and Deirdre Keys, the coordinator of the Minnesota Identity Theft
Coalition.   Contact Merry O'Brien on 301-952-0063 or merrry@mdcrimevictims.org