Why is the Census Important?

By Grace DeRose-Wilson, Screening Integration Coordinator at Elder Law of Michigan How do communities get funding to provide services? How is the number of seats each state receives in the House of Representatives determined? How are congressional and legislative districts drawn? The answer to all of these is the census. From road construction to housing […]

Why You Should Shop at Farmers Markets

By Nicholas Goodman, MiCAFE Network Specialist at Elder Law of Michigan What do cherries, pickles, and beans have in common? They are just a few of over 300 commodities produced in Michigan according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Michigan has a rich agricultural past and present. You can take advantage of local […]

Addressing Transportation Needs for Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities

By Grace DeRose-Wilson, Screening Integration Coordinator at Elder Law of Michigan About 90% of adults 65 and older want to age in-place according to AARP. There are many reasons older adults don’t want to leave their homes and communities as they age. Maybe they have friends and family in the area, or maybe they are attached to […]

MI Bridges Bulletin: January 2020

MDHHS has published the January 2020 MI Bridges Bulletin. Here some highlights: MI Bridges will receive updates on January 25, 2020 to let clients report work-related activities for the Healthy Michigan Plan. After January 25th, Navigation Partners will be able to enter their CPID and connect with clients after applying for benefits. Previously, a CPID […]

Michigan Association of Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs

By Betsy Smith, Network Shareholder and Partner Manager at Elder Law of Michigan Since 1978, across the state of Michigan, senior citizens over the age of 55 have been participating in the Michigan Association Foster Grandparent or Senior Companion Programs (MAFG/SCP). The MAFG/SCP has a goal to assist senior citizens in living an active, healthy […]

Senior Community Service Employment Program

By Betsy Smith, Network Shareholder and Partner Manager at Elder Law of Michigan There is a recent trend of older adults who are retired but continue to work regularly. Working after retirement can be beneficial for seniors for both financial and health reasons. Many seniors have some savings but may be worried that it’s just […]

How Does a Medicaid Spend-down Work?

By Grace DeRose-Wilson, Screening and Integration Coordinator at Elder Law of Michigan Health insurance is complicated, and Medicaid is no exception. I have helped many older adults apply for Medicaid, and I have talked with many individuals who have Medicaid with a Spend-down. As with most health insurance and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services […]

MiCAFE Client Story: Ms. L

By Grace DeRose-Wilson, Screening Integration Coordinator at Elder Law of Michigan Michigan’s Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly (MiCAFE) is a program of Elder Law of Michigan that helps potentially eligible older adults and individuals with disabilities access and apply for public benefits through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). MiCAFE also helps […]

Asset Limit Change Postponed

On October 17th, MDHHS announced a policy change regarding asset limits for certain benefits. Initially, the asset limit increase was slated to begin November 1, 2019. The change has been postponed to become effective December 1, 2019 to allow for compliance with State law. Via The Detroit News By Craig Mauger Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration […]

MiCAFE Success Story: Ms. H

By Grace DeRose-Wilson, Screening Integration Coordinator at Elder Law of Michigan  Michigan’s Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly (MiCAFE) is a program of Elder Law of Michigan that helps potentially eligible older adults and individuals with disabilities access and apply for public benefits through the Department of Health and Human Services. MiCAFE also helps older […]

288,000 Michigan Residents to Receive Additional Home Heating Credit

via wbkb11.com By Stephanie Douglas LANSING, Mich. – Approximately 288,000 Michigan households who received Home Heating Credits in 2018 will get an additional one-time payment of $22 this month to help keep their homes warm. The payments are the result of a $6.5 million supplemental remaining in 2018 federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program block grant […]

Healthy Michigan Plan: New Work Requirements

By Nicholas Goodman, MiCAFE Network Specialist at Elder Law of Michigan Healthy Michigan Plan (HMP) is a type of Medicaid, with cost-sharing, for individuals age 19-64. MDHHS has released information regarding work requirements for HMP eligibility, effective January 1, 2020. While this will not affect most older adults we serve, it is still important to […]

Essential Information About Medicare Open Enrollment

By Sheila Robison, MiCAFE Network Screening Integration Coordinator, at Elder Law of Michigan It’s that time of year again! The annual Medicare Open Enrollment period begins October 15th and ends December 7th. During this time, you can review your Medicare benefits and make changes to your Medicare plan penalty free! Ok, you won’t be winning […]

MDHHS Releases User Friendly Application Assistance Forms

By Bob Wheaton, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services January 30, 2018 Michigan has debuted a more user friendly application for public assistance that is more comprehensive and less than half the size of the previous form. The streamlined application for food assistance, Medicaid and other benefits now has 18 pages – down from […]

Free Online Course to Help Health Care Providers Address Senior Hunger

Via frac.org February 5, 2018 The Food Research & Action Center and AARP Foundation today released a free, online course, “Screen & Intervene: Addressing Food Insecurity Among Older Adults,” to educate health care and community-based providers around the country about the extent of senior hunger and the solutions that exist to solve it. Read the […]

Tutorial: How to Change Your MiSOAP Profile Picture

Tutorial: How to Clear Autofill in Google Chrome

Understanding the Government Pension Offset

By Vonda VanTil, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist Getting ready for retirement requires evaluation of all your sources of retirement income. Even if you worked for the government and didn’t pay the FICA tax on your earnings, you may be eligible for benefits from your spouse’s work under Social Security. However, when you receive both […]

MiCAFE Network Partner Profile: Region 2 Area Agency on Aging

By Sara Jackson, MiCAFE Network Specialist The MiCAFE Network is constantly growing and expanding across our great state, I am thrilled to use our blog posts to introduce different MiCAFE Partners Profile so that others in the network can learn more about the various partners who are the MiCAFE Network. I would like to introduce […]

Home Heating Tax Credit

By Jadranko Tomic-Bobas, Managing Hotline Attorney One thing Michiganders love most about living in the beautiful state of Michigan is the ability to experience all four seasons in their full glory. Sometimes, we even get to experience them all in one day. However, the drawback to this is that the winters can be bitter, miserable and even […]