U.S. Government Resources: Elder Law

See more about this topic in the Dickinson Legal Research Resources:
DSL LegalLinks: Elder Law

Administration on Aging
http://www.aoa.gov

The Administration on Aging, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, was established as a result of the Older Americans Act of 1965. It is the "federal focal point and advocate agency for older persons and their concerns." The web site offers information about the agency itself, its services, programs and press releases, background and analysis of the Older Americans Act, and extensive links to related sources.

AgingStats.gov
http://www.agingstats.gov/agingstatsdotnet/main_site.default.aspx

AgingStats.gov is the web site of the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. Key member agencies include the National Institute on Aging, Administration on Aging, Social Security Administration, Census Bureau, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Forum provides these agencies with a setting to discuss data issues and concerns that may improve the quality and usefulness of data on the aging population.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)(formerly Health Care Financing Administration)
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/

As of July 1, 2001, the Health Care Financing Administration became The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, runs the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and maintains oversight of the survey and certification of nursing home and continuing care providers. Using this site the researcher can find information on Medicare, Medicaid, statistical reports, press releases, fact sheets, speeches, Congressional testimony, consumer and professional publications, laws and regulations as well as other resources.

Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.hhs.gov/

The Cabinet-level Department of Health, Education and Welfare, was created under President Eisenhower, officially coming into existence April 11, 1953. In 1979, the Department of Education Organization Act was signed into law, providing for a separate Department of Education. HEW became the Department of Health and Human Services, officially arriving on May 4, 1980. It is the principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, including programs focused on income security, financial assistance, mental and substance abuse, domestic violence, and aging.

Elder Law Resource Center, Dickinson School of Law<
http://www.dsl.psu.edu/clinic/elderresource.cfm

Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University maintains an online Elder Law Resource Center. At the heart of this on-line resource is the Bibliography, which provides direct links to elder law resources available on the Internet.

USA.gov for Seniors
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml

USA.gov for Seniors is a portal site of FirstGov, the U.S. Government's official web site.

Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Information
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MDFraudAbuseGenInfo/

This Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) site provides information and materials of interest to a wide range of audiences about Medicaid fraud and abuse.

Medicare
http://www.medicare.gov

This is a new official government site for Medicare information. This site contains general information about Medicare, managed care, and wellness programs, publications, and a list of federal and state agencies to contact for further information.

Medicare Nursing Home Compare
http://www.medicare.gov/NHCompare/Include/DataSection/Questions/SearchCriteria.asp?version=default&browser=IE%7C7%7CWinXP&language=English&defaultstatus=0&pagelist=Home&CookiesEnabledStatus=True

This site provides detailed information about the past performance of every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.

Medicare and Medicaid Program Manuals, Transmittals & Program Memos
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/manuals/

This CMS web site provides links to program information and manuals on Medicare, Medicaid, HIPAA, and more.

National Institute on Aging
http://www.nih.gov/nia/ or http://www.nia.nih.gov

The National Institute on Aging, one of the National Institutes of Health, was established in 1974 as a result of the Research in Aging Act and amendments to the Public Health Services Act. Its mission is to promote healthy aging by conducting and supporting biomedical, social, and behavioral research and public education. A variety of information can be found at the web site including: press releases, news concerning the research efforts with other NIH institutes and federal agencies, and links to related sites.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
http://www.niams.nih.gov/default.asp

NIAMS is responsible for supporting research on the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, for training scientists to carry out this research, and for disseminating information on such research.

Senate Special Committee on Aging
http://aging.senate.gov

The Senate Special Committee on Aging was first established in 1961 as a temporary committee, and was granted permanent status on February 1, 1977. Throughout its existence, the Special Committee on Aging has served as a focal point in the Senate for discussion and debate on matters relating to older Americans.

Social Security Administration
http://www.ssa.gov/ or http://www.socialsecurity.gov

Social Security Online, the official web site of the Social Security Administration, contains information about Social Security benefits, press releases, Congressional testimony, employer information, forms (PEBES), legislation and regulations, publications, and links to other sites.

Social Security Administration Rulings
http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/rulings/rulings.html

This SSA web site provides information about social security rulings and acquiescence rulings on Federal Old-Age, Survivors, Disability, Supplemental Security Income, and Black Lung benefits.

SSA How To Guide
http://www.ssa.gov/howto.htm

A quick reference guide to questions on applying for benefits, replacing social security cards, contacting the SSA, and much more.