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Medicare Website Now More User-Friendly

May 24, 2022

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have been working on improvements to their www.medicare.gov website in the past year and have given it something of a new look. Reportedly having listened to feedback from those that visit the site the updates are...

CMS Effectively Extends Medicare General Enrollment Period to the End of 2022

May 13, 2022

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) had acknowledged that many Medicare beneficiaries may not have been able to enroll or disenroll in Medicare Part B and premium Part A plans during the normal General Enrollment Period owing to issues over being able...

Job Alert: SOAR Specialist Needed

May 6, 2022

The SSI/SSDI Outreach Access and Recovery (SOAR) Initiative has been helping individuals who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, negotiate the complicated and arduous process of applying for SSI and SSDI benefits. SOAR specialists have established an expedited...

Change in Survivor’s Benefits Rules Grants Eligibility to Same-sex Partners

Apr 29, 2022

As the result of two class action lawsuits that were successfully brought by the surviving partners of same-sex relationships Social Security has changed its policy on eligibility for Survivor's Benefits. Helen Thornton was in a long-term relationship with her...

MD-EN is Hiring!

Apr 22, 2022

Our sister organization, the Maryland Employment Network, is currently looking to hire a Career Consultant. Here’s all the wonderful things they have to say about the position: This full-time, contractual position is highly independent and requires that candidates...

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Working It Out: SNAP Eligibility Changes and Maryland’s Response

The current administration’s legislation on changes to work requirements for SNAP recipients are now in force and beneficiaries are feeling the effects. H.R.1’s new rules require non-exempt adults aged between 18 and 64 to show proof of employment, volunteering or job...

Centralized Planning: SSA Announces Administrative Changes to Disability Reviews

In a press release from last week Social Security made it known that they are in the process of transitioning how Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) will be conducted. If you receive SSDI or SSI you’ll probably be aware that, unless you have a Ticket to Work in use...

Spread the Word: Social Security Promotes ‘Slam the Scam’ 2026

National Consumer Protection week, which has been sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission since 1998, is soon to be upon us. It runs from March 1 to 7 and is designed to spread awareness and provide information to us, the consumers, on how to best safeguard our own...

Cold Comfort: The Scope of Maryland Energy Assistance Programs

The recent cold snap has brought with its rock-heavy snow and breathtakingly icy winds the reminder of how lucky the majority of us are to have warm homes in which we can hide away until the temperatures rise again. Of course, not all of us can rely on such comforts,...

SNAP Tackles Pop: States Ban Food Stamp Purchases of Soda and Candy

There have always been restrictions on what you can buy with food stamps, now dubbed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (a godsend to sub-editors everywhere). The simple, if perhaps occasionally dubious, pleasures that alcoholic beverages provide...

2026’s 1619(b) Thresholds Are Out!

Unlike many annual changes in the benefits world, which are announced on a fairly rigid schedule, recent history has shown that we can never quite be sure when the new thresholds for 1619(b) are going to be announced. Fortunately, this year there hasn’t been much of a...

Health Check: Changes to Medicaid in Maryland

The new year is an obvious time to make changes if that’s what you’re going to do and it might seem that if things are going to be different for Medicaid beneficiaries now would be the time to learn what’s new. Oddly enough, even though there are changes afoot,...

What’s New? Update on 2026 Benefits Changes

Now that we have to admit that the holidays are truly over and we're embedded in the new year, for better or for worse, it's worth having a quick look over the new annual figures that will affect those of us who receive federal benefits. By now everyone who receives...

Happy Holidays from MDBCN to You!

Another year comes to another close and although we can hardly look back on 12 months of love, peace, and harmony we can always hope for that in the future. Whatever may come to pass, we at the Maryland Benefits Counseling Network will continue to endeavor to keep you...

Getting Better: ABLE Changes for 2026

Back in 2022 Congress passed a bill that is about to go into effect. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act decreed that as of January 2026 the age threshold for Achieving Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts would increase from 26 to 46. The ABLE Act has been around for more...