Legal Assistance
Triage Cancer Legal Assistance Quick Guide
American Bar Association Lawyer Referral Programs
LawHelp
www.lawhelp.org/find-help
American Bar Association Free Legal Answers
www.freelegalanswers.org
Medical-Legal Partnerships
http://medical-legalpartnership.org/partnerships/
State Cancer Information
State Comprehensive Cancer Control Program
State Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan
State Health Care Coverage Facts
Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
https://ccf.georgetown.edu/state-childrens-health-facts/
Disability Insurance
Federal Disability Insurance (SSDI & SSI)
Social Security Administration
800.772.1213
www.ssa.gov
To find your local SSA office:
https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp
Employment
Federal Fair Employment Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
800.669.4000
info@eeoc.gov
www.eeoc.gov
Reasonable Accommodations
Job Accommodation Network
800.526.7234
jan@AskJAN.org
www.AskJAN.org
Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
U.S. Department of Labor
Wage & Hour Division
866.487.9243
www.dol.gov/whd
State Fair Employment Agency
Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities
860.541.3400
CHRO.webmaster@ct.gov
https://www.ct.gov/chro/site/default.asp
Vocational Rehabilitation
Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation
800.537.2549
https://portal.ct.gov/AgingandDisability/Content-Pages/Bureaus/Bureau-of-Rehabilitation-Services
Health Insurance
Connecticut Health Insurance Marketplace (a.k.a Exchange)
Access Health CT
855.805.4325
www.ct.gov/hix/site/default.asp
Health Insurance Consumer Assistance Program & External Appeals
Connecticut Office of the Healthcare Advocate
866.466.4446
healthcare.advocate@ct.gov
www.ct.gov/oha
Connecticut Insurance Department
860.297.3800 or 800.203.3447
www.ct.gov/cid/site/default.asp
COBRA
U.S. Department of Labor
Employee Benefits Security Administration
866.444.3272
www.dol.gov/ebsa
COBRA-Connecticut
Connecticut Department of Insurance
860.297.3800 or 800.203.3447
www.ct.gov/cid/site/default.asp
State Children’s Health Insurance Program
HUSKY Health
877.284.8759
https://portal.ct.gov/HUSKY
Find Health & Dental Coverage For Your Family
InsureKids.gov
https://www.insurekidsnow.gov/coverage/ct/index.html
Medicaid Programs
Triage Cancer Guide to Medicaid Expansion
Connecticut Medicaid Program (Title 19)
800.203.1234
www.myplacect.org/
Long-Term Services and Supports
Connecticut Department of Social Services
855.626.6632
www.ct.gov/dss/cwp/view.asp?a=2353&q=490480
State Medicaid Program for In-Home Care
Personal Care Assistance
https://ctcommunitycare.org/pca-medicaid-waiver-program
Community First Choice
https://ctmfp.com/
Medicare
Medicare
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
800.MEDICARE (633.4227)
www.medicare.gov
Medicare Assistance
State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)
Connecticut’s program for Health insurance assistance, Outreach, Information and referral, Counseling, Eligibility Screening (CHOICES)
800-994-9422
https://portal.ct.gov/AgingandDisability/Content-Pages/Programs/CHOICES-Connecticuts-program-for-Health-insurance-assistance-Outreach-Information-and-referral-Couns
Health Care Programs & Laws
Women’s Health & Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA)
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Sharing Medical Information with Family & Friends
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr/privacy/hipaa/
understanding/consumers/sharing-family-friends.pdf
Hill Burton Federally-Funded Health Centers
Federally Qualified Health Centers
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP)
Unemployment Resources
Unemployment Agency
Connecticut Department of Labor
860.263.6000
www.ctdol.state.ct.us/progsupt/unemplt/unemployment.htm
Agency: Connecticut Department of Labor
File here: http://www.filectui.com/. Claimants are advised of the importance of checking their email daily for updates after filing. For the weekly continued filing, go here: https://sso.ctdol.state.ct.us/English/CommonLogin/CommonLogin.aspx. Maximum weekly benefit for 2020 is $649. Benefits may be received for a maximum of 26 weeks. There is a dependency allowance of $15/week for up to five children you support financially under the age of 18 (or under 21 if a student or physically or mentally disabled). It is also possible to claim a dependency allowance for your spouse under certain circumstances. Payment is available via direct deposit or a debit card.
A comprehensive guide is available here: http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/progsupt/unemplt/claimant-guide/uc-288.pdf. A tutorial about how to apply is here: https://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/UI-OnLine/Guide%20for%20Filing%20CT%20Unemployment%20Claims.pdf. Assistance for claims is not available via phone, but you can call 860-263- 6975 or 203-455-2653 for general inquiries.
Updates related to Connecticut unemployment benefits and Covid-19: https://youtu.be/csPPtTCDdQ0 and https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Public-Health-Preparedness/Main-Page/2019-Novel-Coronavirus and http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/DOLCOVIDFAQ.PDF
State Clinical Trials Law
The ACA requires that most, non-grandfathered, group health plans provide coverage for the routine costs when participating in clinical trials. Some states have more consumer protections. Click here for more information about clinical trials.
Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. §§ 38a-483c, 38a-504a – 38a-504g, 38a-513b, 38a-542a – 38a-542g – The statutes apply to individual and group health insurance plans. These insurers must pay for routine patient care costs associated with cancer clinical trials. The statutes define “cancer clinical trial,” and specifically mention that prevention trials are covered only in Phase III and only if they involve “therapeutic intervention.”
The clinical trial protocol must be reviewed & approved by (1) NIH, (2) NCI cooperative group, (3) U.S. F.D.A. in the form of an investigational new drug application, (4) U.S. Dept. of Defense, or (5) U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Second, the insurer may require documentation of the likelihood of therapeutic benefit, informed consent, protocol information and test results, and/or a summary of the costs involved. (Current 6/2011)
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2001/act/Pa/2001PA-00171-R00SB-00325-PA.htm
Paid Family Sick Leave
Connecticut passed paid family leave legislation in 2019. Benefits will be available starting in January 2022.
- Who’s eligible? All private sector employees. Self-employed individuals and state/local collective bargaining units can opt in. Employees must also have earned at least $2,325 from one or more employers during the highest-earning quarter of the base period and have been employed by an employer in the previous 12 weeks before the claim.
- Who can be cared for? A family member with a serious health condition or an employee’s own serious health condition. Paid leave is also available for an employee serving as an organ or bone marrow donor. “Family member” is defined broadly and includes a child, parent, parent-in-law, spouse, grandparent, grandchild, sibling or another person who is related to an employee by blood or affinity whose close association the employee shows to be the equivalent of a family relationship.
- How much time is given? 12 weeks.
- How much is paid? The amount paid depends on the employee’s base pay. If the employee is paid less than or equal to Connecticut’s minimum wage, they will receive 95% of the worker’s average weekly wage. If the employee earns more than minimum wage, they will receive 95% of minimum wage + 60% of the worker’s wage that exceeds the Connecticut minimum wage. The maximum that can be received is equal to 60 times the Connecticut minimum wage.
- How do I apply? The program will be available for applications in 2022.