Category: Blog

Freeing the Data for New York State Public Benefit Applicants

Written in collaboration with Erin Mackay of GetMyHealthData.

Finally, some health care news worth celebrating. Last month, Governor Cuomo signed into law a bill guaranteeing free access to medical records for people applying for government benefits or programs. This is an advocacy victory for all New Yorkers and people with disabilities.

If you’ve tried it, you know: getting medical records is tough. Too difficult in our modern, connected world, and yet essential to our ability to take care of our health, or care for a loved one. New Yorkers trying to document their eligibility or claim for public benefits are required to submit medical records.

The Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY (CIDNY) and GetMyHealthData, a project of the National Partnership for Women & Families, have worked together to help New Yorkers understand and exercise their rights to their own health information. We commend New York lawmakers for this step in the right direction. Effective immediately, this new legislation will remove one critical barrier for applicants trying to access benefits that support their health, well-being, and economic security.

Our advocacy work is informed by stories from real people struggling to navigate the health care system efficiently. At GetMyHealthData, we have documented how difficult it is for people to get health information for themselves or a family member. We have heard time and again that cost is a major barrier for people who need their health records. People reported costs for accessing information via patient portals and per-page fees for electronic copies of records. Some said they faced “surprise” charges of hundreds of dollars, with no estimate provided in advance.

CIDNY has heard similar stories. In New York, health care providers can charge up to 75 cents per page for copies of paper medical records, which can number in the hundreds of pages – per doctor. These fees can become an insurmountable barrier for low-income New Yorkers and people with disabilities. It can keep people from submitting successful applications for Social Security and Medicaid benefits, as well as some Veteran’s benefits. Without these records, eligible applicants are denied. With wait times for appeals of Social Security benefits and Veterans benefits of more than a year, a denial at the application stage often means the difference between keeping or losing your home.

We encourage more states to follow New York’s lead and eliminate financial barriers to accessing medical records so more of us can use and share the information we need to get and stay healthy.

Share your experience trying to get medical records or other health information in the comments and at getmyhealthdata.org/share.

Welcome to Our New Website!

We are so pleased to welcome you to the new Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (or CIDNY) website!

We hope that you will enjoy the new design and features. We think that it will make it easier to find the information that you are looking for.

Site Navigation

We have reorganized the content and look of the site. There are now multiple ways to access the content that you need and there are more visuals and other breaks in the text. We included more icons for people with low English language literacy to be better able to access information and services.

Fresh Content

Our site now features more images, our social media feeds, a new blog, and updated content so that you can better understand what we’re up to and engage with us. 

Accessibility

We created the site using Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines. All of the images have alt text for screen readers. Our staff has done multiple rounds of testing of the site on desktop computers, mobile devices, computer monitor stand, and in JAWS screen reader, MAGic screen magnification software, and ZoomText magnifier and screen reader. If you encounter any issues or need a document on the site in an alternate format, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jpowers@cidny.org.

Translation

We included a Google translate widget so that pages can be translated into other languages, including the 23 languages other than English that are spoken by our team. 

Search

You can now search throughout the website for the information and resources that you need.

Tell Us What You Think

Please take a moment to complete this feedback survey so we can continue to make our site more valuable for our visitors.

Youth Transitions Program: Preparing for the Future

CIDNY’s youth transition program for youth with disabilities helps high school or college students plan their transition into adult life. We use the Next Step program, a six to nine week curriculum to teach students the soft skills needed for success. These include effective communication, managing a budget, and how to advocate for themselves as they continue on to college and the working world.

For students who want to work right after high school, we help them prepare their resumes, learn how to interview, and give them an opportunity to interact in a work environment. We treat the classroom like a workplace, with teachers as bosses or supervisors and classmates as fellow co-workers. Students are taught how to speak and act with different people.

M.D., a high school student in Queens, was very quiet and tended to mumble when answering questions at the start of the program. As the Next Step program progressed, he started sounding more confident when answering questions. At the mock interview workshop towards the end of the program, he came dressed for an interview, spoke clearly, and was prepared to answer questions about himself. M.D. said he’s interested “in rapping” but also “in mechanics or painting (like contractor work.)” He’s now enrolled in a vocational program at Co-op Tech. 

For youth with disabilities who see college as an option, we provide information on how to prepare for it. Activities create an awareness of the laws that exist to protect people with disabilities. This is critical for successful independent living. 

The Next Step program’s workshops and presentations are tailored to the needs of the youth with disabilities we serve. We provide support so they can start their life after high school or college with confidence and awareness of the laws that protect people with disabilities. 

In the 2016-2017 school year, we delivered the Next Step program workshops to 126 youth with disabilities in nine different high schools, including a residential school in Queens. We also helped 18 college students at two Queens area colleges. With the help of ASL interpreters, the Next Step program was also delivered to a group of six Deaf students during the summer.      

CIDNY’s youth transition program is gearing up to deliver workplace readiness and/or college preparation workshops for the new school year.

For more information, please contact Shireen Khan at skhan@cidny.org or 646-442-1521.

You might also enjoy this video featuring the Director of CIDNY Queens, Don Rickenbaugh, sharing his advice for youth with disabilities.

New Program at CIDNY: NY Connects

NY Connects helps people with disabilities and seniors understand their long-term care options.

CIDNY recently hired 23 new staff members to complete our NY Connects team. The NY Connects team includes: a program director, an education and training coordinator, one program support, four borough managers, an outreach coordinator, two outreach workers, and 13 benefits counselors.

Our NY Connects team members speak 12 languages other than English. These include: Spanish, Greek, Arabic, ASL, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, and Romanian.

The staff identify with several disabilities, including but not limited to: learning disabilities, visual, hearing, and physical disabilities. Their backgrounds include: law, social work, human services, outreach, counseling, education, and emergency management.

CIDNY’s NY Connects Program’s goal is to link disabled New Yorkers with the resources to help meet their long term care needs. Benefits counselors will offer peer-centered counseling and connect disabled New Yorkers in each borough to local services and programs.

Through a comprehensive screening process, NY Connects benefits counselors provide personalized counseling. They help participants make informed decisions. They can assist in accessing available services and support options that meet existing or future long term needs.

CIDNY’s NY Connects partners with several ILCs throughout the city so we can have a physical presence in every borough. We also partner to get the word out about what NY Connects can do to serve the disabled population in our city.

CIDNY’s NY Connects is a trusted service to get free information about the range of supports that can help a person with disabilities (PWD) remain independent. This is available whether they want to live in their home, a nursing home, or other residential setting.

Who We Serve 

NY Connects serves individuals of all ages and income levels who want to learn more about long term services and supports in New York City. We serve:

  • Adults of all ages living with a long term disability
  • Adults with a disability regardless of income source(s)
  • Younger adults living with a long term disability
  • Caregivers of adults and parents of children with a disability
  • Professional service providers who work with someone in need of long term services and supports.

How to Contact Us for Help with Long Term Care Goals

Launching on September 1st 2017, the NY Connects benefits counselors can be reached at  844-862-7930.

Locations

Benefits counselors are available to help at our offices in Queens (80-02 Kew Gardens Rd, #400, Queens, NY 11415) and Manhattan (841 Broadway, Suite 301, New York, NY 10003).

We are partnering with other organizations to have convenient locations throughout the city:

In the Bronx at 4419 3rd Ave, Suite 2C, Bronx, NY 10457

In Brooklyn at 27 Smith Street, Suite 200, Brooklyn, NY 11201

In Staten Island at 56 Bay Street, Staten Island, NY 10301