Medicare Preventative Services to Keep You Healthy
(Separate Website)
Medicare pays for many preventive services. These benefits are described in the Medicare Preventive Services To Help Keep You Healthy publication.
The preventive services listed in this publication are: (1) Mammography for breast cancer screening, (2) Pap smears for cervical cancer screening, (3) Tests for colorectal cancer screening, (4) Bone mass measurements for osteoporosis, (5) Diabetes self-management and blood glucose monitoring, (6) Flu and Pneumonia vaccinations. These Medicare benefits can be a key to long lasting good health. Your doctor can help you determine your health risks and need for these preventive screenings.
By: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Medicare.gov - The Official Government Web Site for People with Medicare
(Separate Website)
This web site contains government information and a number of government publications for downloading in PDF format, including information about: (1) Medicare eligibility, enrollment and premiums, (2) Medicare claims and appeals, (3) choosing health care providers, nursing homes, personal care homes that take Medicare insurance, (4) deductible, coinsurance and premium amounts, and (5) special programs, including prescription drug assistance programs, that are available to help Medicare Beneficiaries pay for their health care costs, and (6) "Medigap" insurance - finding supplemental insurance policies to cover expenses not paid by Medicare.
By: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Medicare: Government Health Insurance for Seniors
(Separate Website)
Medicare is a federal health insurance program that helps pay the hospital and other medical expenses of people age 65 or older and certain disabled people. The program is funded by monthly premiums from the insured people and by taxes paid by employers and workers. The Social Security Administration and the Railroad Retirement Board local offices accept applications for Medicare and provide general information about the program.
There are two parts to the Medicare program. Part A, Basic Hospital Insurance, and Part B, Supplementary Medical Insurance. In general, Part A covers inpatient care in a hospital, skilled nursing home, or hospice that participates in the Medicare program and home health care provided through a home health agency that participates in the Medicare program. Almost all hospitals and a number of skilled nursing homes, hospices, and home health agencies participate in the Medicare program.
By: Elder Law Committee of State Bar of Georgia
Medicare Part D Prescripton Drug Coverage
Medicare Part D Resources
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Questions and Answers
Questions and answers about the new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage
By: State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
(Separate Website)
Information on applying for the Medicare prescription drug benefit
By: Medicare.gov
Immunization in Georgia
(Separate Website)
Through collaboration with public and private providers, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders, work to increase immunization rates for all Georgians and decrease the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources
What if I'm Already the Trustee of a Qualified Income Trust, What Do I Do Every Month?
If you have already been named Trustee of a QIT, it is most important that you manage the money properly. This is a list of tips on how to do well and information on what happens if you don't.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
What is Elder Abuse?
Provides information and resources for victims of elder abuse.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
A Snapshot of Estate Recovery in Georgia The state of Georgia may place a lien on your real and personal property if you received Medicaid while in a nursing home or intermediate care home or mental institution.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage Low-income Subsidy
This short video helps you learn about money for buying Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
Relative Adoption Benefits Can Affect Your Eligibility for Other Benefits Programs Adoption can change healthcare coverage or other benefits programs.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
The Georgia Statutory Financial Power of Attorney The information in this document includes an explanation of the Financial Power of Attorney, cautionary language to those considering giving someone power over their financial affairs, instructions for completing the statutory form, and a copy of the form substantially the same as the one which appears in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
2010 Guide to Benefits Programs for the Older Georgians This brochure is a brief guide to benefits that are available for people who are 60 years old or older, including information on Medicaid, Nursing Home Medicaid, Medicare, Hospital Medicare, Nursing Home Medicare, Medicare Buy-In programs, Food Stamps, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and the Community Care Services Program.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
Benefits Check Up
(Separate Website)
This web site provides information about what benefits seniors may be eligible for. You will be required to fill out a form on the Internet.
By: National Council on the Aging
Can I Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits If I Am Not a Citizen of the United States? Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is
a monthly payment from the federal government
to persons who are blind, disabled or at least
sixty-five years old.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Compensation and Pension Benefits for Veterans
(Separate Website)
Compensation & Pension Service administers a variety of benefits and services for veterans, their dependents and survivors, including, but not limited to: service-connected compensation, DIC, non-service connected pension, burial & accrued benefits, guardianship and public contact services. This website contains information about what benefits we administer.
By: Southern Center for Human Rights
How Social Security Can Make Payments to Someone Who is Managing Your Money For You
(Separate Website)
Social Security's Representative Payment Program provides fiduciary assistance for our beneficiaries who are incapable of managing or directing someone else to manage their Social Security or SSI payments.
By: Social Security Administration
Income Support: Pensions
Pensions are retirement programs established and maintained by employers. Money in most pension programs is put in by employees and employers, although there are some plans that are funded only by employees. Pensions are payable upon retirement either after a certain number of years of employment or at a certain age of the former employee. The Employment Retirement Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law which provides pension plan protection to some workers who are employed by companies in the private work force.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
Income Support: Social Security
Social Security, the nation's best known form of insurance, provides a retirement and insurance program for older and disabled Americans. There are three basic categories of cash benefits under Social Security: retirement, disability and survivor benefits. Rules, payment schedules and eligibility for each program are distinct. Although a person may qualify for more than one type of benefit under Social Security, he/she can collect only one of these three benefits at a time. The following are brief highlights of each program.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
Railroad Retirement Insurance System
The Railroad Retirement Insurance system provides retirement, disability and survivors benefits under rules approximately the same as for Social Security. There is also a supplemental retirement annuity and, for some people, the possibility of collecting both Railroad Retirement and Social Security benefits.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
Retirement Benefits
(Separate Website)
This website has information about Social Security Retirement Benefits.
By: Social Security Administration
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Seniors and People with Disabilities: You Can Get Help with Your Medicare Costs
This brochure tells you about special Medicaid programs that can pay some of your Medicare expenses.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
Social Security Benefits Calculator
(Separate Website)
This page has three calculators that you can use to try to estimate what your social security will be when you retire.
By: Social Security Administration
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Supplemental Security Income Payments
(Separate Website)
SSI stands for Supplemental Security Income. It is a program run by Social Security. SSI provides monthly payments to people who are elderly, blind or disabled and who have little or no income and assets. Children, as well as adults, can get payments because of blindness or disability. To get SSI, you must be elderly, blind or disabled.
By: Social Security Administration
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
,
Spanish / Español
The Georgia Legal Servces Program Kinship Care Adoption Project Brochure The Georgia Legal Services Program
(GLSP) Kinship Care Project provides
civil legal services to low-income families
in forty-two (42) counties. The GLSP
Kinship Care Project focuses on
stabilizing the legal relationships between
the relative and the dependent child and
fostering the economic stability for this
newly formed family. GLSP utilizes a
holistic approach to address the legal and
the economic needs of relative caregivers.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
What if I'm Already the Trustee of a Qualified Income Trust, What Do I Do Every Month?
If you have already been named Trustee of a QIT, it is most important that you manage the money properly. This is a list of tips on how to do well and information on what happens if you don't.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
What is Elder Abuse?
Provides information and resources for victims of elder abuse.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
End of Life Planning: DO NOT RESUSCITATE ORDER
this document attempts to clarify when you will be resuscitated or not resuscitated, even if you have it in writing that you do or don't want to be.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
What is Elder Abuse?
Provides information and resources for victims of elder abuse.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Consumer Fraud and Abuse Protection for Seniors
People of all ages constantly purchase goods and services --- houses, cars, clothing, personal services, medical care, food, and so on. Being a knowledgeable consumer has a positive impact on one=s economic well-being. While most companies and businesses are legitimate, some are unscrupulous. It=s estimated that telemarketing fraud costs Americans $40 billion a year and Georgians about $500 million a year. In addition to telemarketing fraud, there are scams and swindles connected to home repairs, contests and sweepstakes, charity drives, investment offers, insurance, and health care. Many of these scams are targeted to older adults. In Georgia the Secretary of State=s office, the Governor=s Office of Consumer Affairs, and the Attorney General are coordinating resources to provide protection for Georgia consumers to stamp out telemarketing and other types of consumer fraud.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
The Georgia Statutory Financial Power of Attorney The information in this document includes an explanation of the Financial Power of Attorney, cautionary language to those considering giving someone power over their financial affairs, instructions for completing the statutory form, and a copy of the form substantially the same as the one which appears in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
The High Cost of Payday Loans
(Separate Website)
Payday loans go by a variety of names, including "deferred presentments", "cash advances", deferred deposits", or "check loans", but they all work in the same way. The difference between the amount of the check and the amount of cash the customer gets in return is interest or a loan fee that the lender is charging. These types of short-term loans are always very expensive.
By: National Consumer Law Center
What is Elder Abuse?
Provides information and resources for victims of elder abuse.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
What To Do If You've Become The Victim Of Telemarketing Fraud
(Separate Website)
Americans lose an estimated $40 billion each year due to the fraudulent sales of goods and services over the telephone. The elderly are frequently targeted. Studies have shown that fraudulent telemarketers direct anywhere from 56% to nearly 80% of their calls at older consumers. It is often difficult to recover money lost to a telemarketing scam. Even so, there are several practical actions that you can take to minimize losses and avoid future scams.
By: National Consumer Law Center
What You Should Know About Refinancing
(Separate Website)
Refinancing is a process in which you pay off one or more existing debts with a new home loan. If you have perfect credit, refinancing is sometimes a good way to obtain a lower interest rate or to convert a variable rate loan to a fixed rate. However, if you are in the midst of financial difficulties, if you have too much debt, or if you have bad credit, refinancing is loaded with pitfalls. We recommend that you be very careful when refinancing debts. Many refinancing loans hurt consumer. Here are twelve things to consider before refinancing.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Consumer Fraud and Abuse Protection for Seniors
People of all ages constantly purchase goods and services --- houses, cars, clothing, personal services, medical care, food, and so on. Being a knowledgeable consumer has a positive impact on one=s economic well-being. While most companies and businesses are legitimate, some are unscrupulous. It=s estimated that telemarketing fraud costs Americans $40 billion a year and Georgians about $500 million a year. In addition to telemarketing fraud, there are scams and swindles connected to home repairs, contests and sweepstakes, charity drives, investment offers, insurance, and health care. Many of these scams are targeted to older adults. In Georgia the Secretary of State=s office, the Governor=s Office of Consumer Affairs, and the Attorney General are coordinating resources to provide protection for Georgia consumers to stamp out telemarketing and other types of consumer fraud.
By: Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services
Have You Lost Your Nursing Home Medically Needy Medicaid?
The Nursing Home Medically Needy Medicaid Program is ending as of July 1, 2004. If you receive Medicaid coverage under this program and your income is higher than the state will allow under the regular nursing home Medicaid program you will lose your Medicaid coverage after June 30, 2004. However, there is a way you may be able to protect your Medicaid. You may be able to set up a Medicaid Irrevocable Qualified Income Trust. (This is sometimes called a "Miller Trust.") If you put some of your Social Security and/or pension check into this special trust each month, it will not count against you for Medicaid eligibility. If you do this, you should be able to continue to pay for your care as you do now and still get Medicaid.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
History of Predatory Lending
This is testimony of Atlanta Legal Aid's Bill Brennan, as one of the nation's experts on predatory lending, testifying at the Senate Special Committee outlining the problems of predatory lending and equity theft, how victims are targeted, and some historical perspective.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Home Repairs: How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off by Home Repair Contractors
Problems and disputes with contractors that do home repairs can be difficult to resolve. It is far better to plan ahead to avoid problems down the road. This document provides some tips you can use if you are concerned about making home repairs.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society Seniors Hotline
Housing Resources for Seniors
This document contains lists of resources that are available in Georgia for older homeowners.
By: Georgia Department of Human Services
Pet Ownership for the Elderly and Disabled in Public Housing
This brochure discusses the pet rules that apply to residents who live in public housing designated for use by the elderly or those with disabilities. A different set of rules apply to residents of general public housing project. These rules do not apply if you are a person with a disability.
By: Georgia Legal Services Program®
Predatory Mortgage Lending Abuses
This document describes the different ways that mortgage lenders can trick homeowners into giving up their homes.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Property Tax Relief for Seniors and Veterans with Disabilities
Georgia law provides property tax and school tax benefits to senior citizens and to veterans with disabilities. Please be aware that this web page gives only a general description of the Georgia tax benefits. Your situation may be different enough so that the general rules will not apply.
By: Elder Law Committee of State Bar of Georgia
Protect Your Investment - Don't Let Predatory Lenders Take Your Home
(Separate Website)
Senior citizens are an attractive target for unscrupulous mortgage lenders because they have a lot of equity in their homes after years of diligently paying off their mortgages, and they use that equity to finance home repairs, medical care and other needs. While these lenders may encourage seniors to use their hard-earned home equity to secure new loans - they will not tell seniors about the high fees, hidden payments or other disadvantageous loan terms that could lead to the loss of their homes.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Tips for Consumers on Reverse Mortgages
(Separate Website)
A reverse mortgage is a complex home loan for senior homeowners who have built up substantial equity in their property. In a reverse mortgage the lender loans you money based on the value of your home, the amount of equity you have in the home, and your age at the time of the loan application. The lender pays you the money either in a lump sum, in monthly installments, or as a line-of-credit. Unlike a traditional home equity loan or second mortgage, repayment is not required until you sell your home, move out permanently, or die. The amount of money you owe increases over time because you do not make payments. If you sell your home, you can keep any proceeds from the sale of your home in excess of what you owe the lender.
By: National Consumer Law Center
What is Elder Abuse?
Provides information and resources for victims of elder abuse.
By: Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
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This material is copyrighted by either Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. ("Legal Aid") or Georgia Legal Services Program ("GLSP"). Legal information can change rapidly. Provided links are kept updated, permission is given to link to this material from a nonprofit, court or government website. Website material may be printed, copied and distributed only in its original format for non-commercial, informational purposes. The material may not be altered from its original format. Reproducing the material to promote a commercial purpose is expressly prohibited. Commercial enterprises are expressly forbidden from linking to our material or using our material in other ways. Legal Aid and GLSP are not liable for the distribution of out-of-date material or links. To inquire about appropriate use of this material, please contact 404-524-5811.
Information Not Legal Advice
LegalAid-GA.org provides general information only. This is not legal advice and cannot replace legal advice. You can get legal advice only from a lawyer. Deadlines are extremely important in most legal matters. You may lose important legal rights if you do not hire an attorney immediately to advise you. Viewing this web site or sending an e-mail message through this web site does NOT create an attorney-client relationship.
Copyright and Use Notice
This material is copyrighted by the authoring organization or individual. Legal information can change rapidly. Provided links are kept updated, permission is given to link to this material from a nonprofit, court or government website. Website material may be printed, copied and distributed only in its original format for non-commercial, informational purposes. The material may not be altered from its original format. Reproducing the material to promote a commercial purpose is expressly prohibited. Commercial enterprises are expressly forbidden from linking to our material or using our material in other ways. Legal Aid and GLSP are not liable for the distribution of out-of-date material or links. To inquire about appropriate use of this material, please contact 404-524-5811.
Information Not Legal Advice
LegalAid-GA.org provides general information only. This is not legal advice and cannot replace legal advice. You can get legal advice only from a lawyer. Deadlines are extremely important in most legal matters. You may lose important legal rights if you do not hire an attorney immediately to advise you. Viewing this web site or sending an e-mail message through this web site does NOT create an attorney-client relationship.
LegalAid-GA is a project of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, the Georgia Legal Services Program and the Pro Bono Project of the State Bar of Georgia. This website was produced with funding from the Legal Services Corporation.
