February 2012

2012 Federal Poverty Guidelines

Posted on: 02/01/2012

Public Benefits legislation, rules, and regulations

Below you will find tables detailing the 2012 HHS Poverty Guidelines.

This table is available at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty

A copy of the Federal Register entry (on January 26, 2012) for the new guidelines is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1603.pdf

2012 HHS Poverty Guidelines

The following figures are the 2012 HHS poverty guidelines that are scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on January 26, 2012.
(Additional information will be posted after the guidelines are published.)

2012 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia
Persons in family/household	Poverty guideline
1	$11,170
2	15,130
3	19,090
4	23,050
5	27,010
6	30,970
7	34,930
8	38,890
For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $3,960 for each additional person.

2012 Poverty Guidelines for Alaska
Persons in amily/household	Poverty guideline
1	$13,970
2	18,920
3	23,870
4	28,820
5	33,770
6	38,720
7	43,670
8	48,620
For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,950 for each additional person.

2012 Poverty Guidelines for Hawaii
Persons in family/household	Poverty guideline
1	$12,860
2	17,410
3	21,960
4	26,510
5	31,060
6	35,610
7	40,160
8	44,710
For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,550 for each additional person.

U.S. Seniors Missing Out On $20 Billion Of Benefits

Posted on: 02/15/2012

News Clippings

U.S. Seniors Missing Out On $20 Billion Of Benefits
Millions of seniors in the United States are missing out on more than $20 billion in aid that could help pay for food, medicine and heating, simply because they don't know it's there, according to a report released on Tuesday by organizations that advocate for seniors. In response, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) have launched a campaign, "You Gave, Now Save," to help bridge the gap between the available funding and those who need it the most. See:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/14/us-seniors-benefits-idUSTRE81D18920120214

bit.ly/yaMBRc The Senior Disconnect: Millions are Losing Billions in Benefits, online February 14, 2012.

Public Benefits Task Force meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2012

Posted on: 02/24/2012

Task Force administration

On Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 9:30 am, we will be having our next Public Benefits Task Force meeting in the second floor conference room in the Baltimore City office of the Legal Aid Bureau and via GoToMeeting. Please contact me at klang@mdlab.org by close of business on Tuesday, February 28 if you have any agenda items you'd like to add for the meeting. I'll circulate the agenda on Wednesday, February 29 in advance of Thursday's meeting.

Spanish webinar:Work and Life Changes Require Health Choices: Know Your Options and Your Rights

Posted on: 02/24/2012

News Clippings

See below for registration info for a webinar en Español on February 29th, 2010 from 1pm-2:30pm

Additioanl link at the bottom for English speakers.

http://www.standupforhealthcare.org/blog/protect-yourself-and-your-family-know-your-job-based-insurance-rights

Protect Yourself and Your Family: Know Your Job-Based Insurance Rights

As a young adult just entering the workforce I'm lucky that my father's job offered health insurance, and that he was smart enough to take advantage of it and protect himself and his family. If not, I would be paying off medical debt for the majority of my lifetime. He made sure that our family was covered at all times, even during times of change, because a costly emergency could happen at any moment.

Making sure that you know your options and rights when it comes to job-based health coverage could save yourself and your family from restless nights and countless headaches. It is especially important to know how to protect yourself and your family when your life changes, like you get a new job, get married, have a baby, or even get laid off.

Families USA is excited to be partnering with the U.S. Department of Labor to reach out to the Latino community to provide an orientation, in Spanish, about our health care rights as workers with job-based health insurance. Join us for a Spanish language webcast to learn more about the rights you and your family have under federal health benefit laws, and what to do to protect them. The webcast will take place on Wednesday, February 29, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. EST. You can sign up here, and you can also follow some of the conversation on Twitter at #healthbenefits.

Work and Life Changes Require Health Choices:
Know Your Options and Your Rights
Date: February 29, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST
Registration: CLICK HERE

If you do not speak Spanish, but would like to learn more about your rights and options when it comes to job-based health care coverage, check out some U.S. Department of Labor resources here.

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