BLOG

Recent Posts

Development of the opioid crisis and raising awareness around fentanyl
Guest User Guest User

Development of the opioid crisis and raising awareness around fentanyl

The second part of this series is focused on raising awareness around the progression of the opioid crisis. According to the CDC, from 1999-2022 nearly 727,000 people died from an opioid overdose. This includes overdose deaths involving prescription and illegal opioids.  It is generally accepted that there are four waves of the opioid crisis.

Read More
Attorney General settlement
Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

Attorney General settlement

On November 14, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with the owners, operators, management company, landlords, and various related parties of four nursing homes managed by Centers for Care, LLC. Buffalo Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing (Buffalo Center) is one of the four nursing homes. Under the terms of the settlement, Centers and its owners will pay $8,750,000 in restitution to the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and $35,000,000 to a Resident Care Fund (Fund), with an additional $1,000,000 to the Fund if needed. 

Read More
How are Older Adults impacted by Substance Use? 
Guest User Guest User

How are Older Adults impacted by Substance Use? 

This blog post is part one of a series that will cover different topics related to drug use and addiction, also known as substance use disorder, as it pertains to older adults. CELJ has received funding from the opioid settlements to work with adults ages 50 and older who have been impacted by drug use.

Read More
RESIDENT RIGHTS WHEN A NURSING HOME IS CLOSING
Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

RESIDENT RIGHTS WHEN A NURSING HOME IS CLOSING

Residents have rights when their nursing home is being closed. The below is meant to provide an overview of resident rights during the closure process and sources of help during this stressful time.

Read More
Celebrating National Pro Bono Week
Amanda Warner Amanda Warner

Celebrating National Pro Bono Week

The 2024 National Celebration of Pro Bono, with the theme "Making Justice a Reality in Our Communities" will take place October 20-26, 2024.

Read More
UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE
Medicare Sofia M. Weissflach Medicare Sofia M. Weissflach

UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE

What is Medicare?

Medicare is a government program that provides health insurance to people who are 65 or older and people with disabilities. If you are 65 or older, you automatically qualify in most circumstances.

Read More
RESIDENT RIGHTS BOOKLET
Nursing Homes Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH Nursing Homes Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

RESIDENT RIGHTS BOOKLET

Nursing home residents have rights that are protected by federal, state, and local laws. The right to be free from abuse and neglect, the right to self-determination, the right to be fully informed, and the right to raise grievances—to name a few—are all included in this group.

Read More
PERSONAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE
Nursing Homes Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH Nursing Homes Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

PERSONAL NEEDS ALLOWANCE

A personal needs allowance (PNA) is the monthly stipend that Medicaid recipients who live in nursing homes are allowed to keep from their income to spend on personal items and services

Read More
DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN APPEAL YOUR EXPLANATION OF BENEFITS?
Bria Lewis, Esq. Bria Lewis, Esq.

DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN APPEAL YOUR EXPLANATION OF BENEFITS?

Every time you visit a health care provider you receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your insurance provider. This is an important document that you should keep for your records. The EOB will show you the amount your health care provider billed for the visit, the amount your insurance company paid and the amount you could potentially owe. The EOB is not a bill. If you owe any money, you will receive a separate bill from your health care provider

Read More
UNDERSTANDING PHARMACY BILLS IN NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES
Kathryn J. Rebhan, Esq. Kathryn J. Rebhan, Esq.

UNDERSTANDING PHARMACY BILLS IN NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES

For residents and their family members, receiving a pharmacy bill that does not bill for insurance can be expensive. Contact your insurance company prior to an individual moving into an assisted living facility or nursing home to understand filling prescription requirements so you are not surprised by a facilities pharmacy bill.

Read More
Power of Attorney and Joint Ownership: A Primer
Kristen Orr Kristen Orr

Power of Attorney and Joint Ownership: A Primer

At the Center for Elder Law and Justice, we commonly see clients who have both a Power of Attorney and bank accounts held jointly. Sometimes these individuals (the Power of Attorney agent and Joint owner) are the same, other times they are different.

Read More