TODD S. HAMMOND
ATTORNEY AND
COUNSELOR AT LAW

PHONE: 503.365.0659
FAX: 503.365.3823
EMAIL: Todd@ToddSHammond.Com

Our office is located at 1090 Liberty Street SE Salem, OR 97302

When you hire Todd S. Hammond, you are sending a message to the Government that you mean Business!!!  Todd S. Hammond is widely known for his personal philosophy that Winners find a way to WIN and do NOT give up.  Our exceptional cases won and benefits established record stands alone earning respect for the superior legal work that we produce along with being complemented for our consistent success at court. We stand up to those who would deny a rightful claim. We work as a team to protect, repair, and improve the lives and futures of our clients and their families. We earn our successes through strategic planning, one-on-one guidance, practical advice, aggressive negotiation, meticulous preparation, and scrupulous attention to the details of our cases. More than attorneys, we see ourselves as our clients' counselors, helping them overcome the challenges they face. We understand their personal challenges and stressors on their lives. We share their sense of urgency and we are committed to winning their cases.

Claim for Benefits--We will guide you through the coplicated process of appealing a denial of a SOCIAL SECURITY, VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, AND STATE OF OREGON OR FEDERAL WORKERS COMPENSATION CLAIM and ensure that you obtain all of the benefits to which you are entitled.  If your claim for disability BENEFITS is denied, or if you disagree with any part of the decision reached by the Government, Agency or Insurance Company, you may appeal. However, you only have a limited time to APPEAL the decision, and you may lose this right if you neglect to appeal in a timely fashion. It is important to talk with TODD S. HAMMOND right away to make sure you preserve your rights.

Many disabled workers have learned an unfortunate
paradox of dealing with a chronic disease-it often seems
that the sicker we get, the more adversarial our country's social
systems designed to protect us become. If your disease has
become severe enough for you to consider filing for
disability, the process of qualifying can be
overwhelming-often filled with complex regulations,
ambiguous interpretations, frequent disappointments, and
endless delays.  Do NOT give up; APPEAL.

Thank you for your service and Welcome Home.

When you served our nation in the armed forces, you entered
into an honored contract.  Your military commitment to our
country still entitles you to certain benefits should you
become disabled as a result of your military service. Our
Nation's Department of Veterans Affairs (formerly the VA or
Veterans Administration) pays for your loss of health or earning
ability with disability benefits in an effort to restore or make up
for your sacrifice for the nation. This federal system of
hospitals, claims offices and Vet Centers is intended to honor
this contract with those who sacrificed for the Nation.  When
you apply for Veteran's disability benefits, the VA determines your
degree of service connected disability and must grant the
appropriate monthly amount you are to be paid for disability.  
Even if you are not service connected, you may still be eligible for a
"pension" if you are disabled for non service-connected
reasons if you served during a period of wartime - even if you
did not actually serve in the combat zone.

Oregon Workers Compensation Board and Division (WCB & WCD)

injuries and occupational disease claims, aggravation
claims, accepted claims, denied claims, hearing
representation, reconsideration of scheduled disability
awards, Disputed Claim Settlements (DCS) and Claims
Disposition Agreements (CDA); Vocational Rehabilitation;
Preferred Worker Program (PWP)

Elder Law is a relatively new specialized field of law
that deals with the issues faced by the fastest growing
segment of the US population, the elderly. It combines
elements of Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts,
Conservatorship, Health Care Planning and
Medicare/Medicaid Planning.

For all practical purposes, in the United States the
only "insurance" plan for long-term institutional
care is Medicaid. Lacking access to alternatives
such as paying privately or Medicare, most people
pay out of their own pockets for long-term care
until they become eligible for Medicaid. Although
their names are confusingly alike, Medicaid and
Medicare are quite different programs. For one
thing, all retirees who receive Social Security
benefits also receive Medicare as their health
insurance. Medicare is an "entitlement" program.
Medicaid, on the other hand, is a form of welfare --
or at least that's how it began. So to be eligible for
Medicaid, you must become "impoverished"
under the program's guidelines.

Also, unlike Medicare, which is totally federal,
Medicaid is a joint federal-state program. Each
state operates its own Medicaid system, but this
system must conform to federal guidelines in
order for the state to receive federal money, which
pays for about half the state's Medicaid costs.
(The state picks up the rest of the tab.)

This complicates matters, since the Medicaid
eligibility rules are somewhat different from state
to state, and they keep changing.  Both the federal
government and most state governments seem to
be continually tinkering with the eligibility
requirements and restrictions. This has most
recently occurred with the passage of the Deficit
Reduction Act of 2005 (the DRA) which
significantly changed rules governing the
treatment of asset transfers and homes of nursing
home residents. The implementation of these
changes will proceed state-by-state over the next
few years. The rules for gaining eligibility to the
program are explained in detail in the Medicaid
section of this site. But to be certain of your rights,
set up a consultation with Todd S. Hammond.  He can guide you
through the complicated rules of the different
programs and help you plan ahead.

Those who are not in immediate need of long-term
care may have the luxury of distributing or
protecting their assets in advance. This way,
when they do need long-term care, they will
quickly qualify for Medicaid benefits. Giving
general rules for so-called "Medicaid planning" is
difficult because every client's case is different.
Some have more savings or income than others.
Some are married, others are single. Some have
family support, others do not. Some own their
own homes, some rent. Still, a number of basic
strategies and tools are typically used in Medicaid
planning.