HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently released $25 million in grants to help older people, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers apply for special assistance through Medicare, and an additional $5 million for a national resource center to support these important efforts.

These grants, made possible by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), will provide valuable support at the state and community levels for organizations involved in reaching and providing assistance to people likely to be eligible for the Low-Income Subsidy program (LIS), Medicare Savings Program (MSP), the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program and in helping beneficiaries to apply for benefits. This initiative...

Small businesses suffering financial hardship as a result of the slow economy may be eligible to receive temporary relief to keep their doors open and get their cash flow back on track through to a new loan program announced recently by SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills.

Beginning on June 15, SBA will start guaranteeing America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) loans. ARC loans are deferred-payment loans of up to $35,000 available to established, viable, for-profit small businesses that need short-term help to make their principal and interest payments on existing qualifying debt.

 

ARC loans are interest-free to the borrower, 100 percent guaranteed by the SBA , and have no SBA fees associated with them....

While in Ohio, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis recently announced nearly $18 million in funds that will assist this state's workers affected by recent layoffs. Of that amount, $16 million represents newly authorized Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) funds to assist workers who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade. The remaining $1,657,746 is an increase modification to an existing grant to assist approximately 700 additional workers affected by layoffs at the Chrysler Twinsburg Stamping Plant.

"The increase in Trade Adjustment Assistance funds will provide vital assistance to more Ohio workers who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade," said Secretary Solis. "The grant increase will allow affected workers..."