Excerpt from: Digital Journal (click for full article)
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), along with the Special Needs Alliance and the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA), filed a brief of amicus curiae in support of appellees, Zackery D. Lewis, et al., against the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare in Lewis v. Alexander, involving pooled special needs trusts (Case no. 2:06-cv-03963-JD, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit).
“Pooled special needs trusts let people with disabilities who have modest savings — as little as $5,000 — hold onto them without losing their Medicaid benefits,” said NAELA board member Ron M. Landsman, CAP, the principal author of the NAELA amicus curiae.
A person with disabilities receiving Medicaid benefits can use funds from a special needs trust to purchase items not covered by Medicaid, such as:
- Going to the movies or theater;
- Clothing;
- Personal care items, such as haircuts, shampoo, and sunscreen;
- Computers and other electronics; and
- Vacations and travel expenses.
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