Claim What’s Yours – Treasury Department’s Holding $3.2 Billion in Unclaimed Property
May 18, 2018
Are You Owed Unclaimed Property?
Unclaimed property is any financial asset that has been left inactive by the owner for a period of three years or more. The most common kinds of unclaimed property include savings and checking accounts, uncashed checks, unclaimed insurance benefits and items abandoned in forgotten safe deposit boxes. The amounts can range from a few dollars to a few thousand dollars. The Treasury is required to advertise the names and addresses of unclaimed property owners in their last known county of residence, but only if the property is valued in excess of $250. The names and addresses of unclaimed property owners appear in the newspaper only once per year, even though they may be owed multiple pieces of property. State officials are also cautioning individuals to be wary of services or “finders” that charge costly fees to help locate unclaimed property. There is no need to pay a private service to submit a claim when there is a FREE and more effective way to conveniently determine if the state is holding some of your money. To search Pennsylvania’s unclaimed property online database, go to the Treasury Department’s website, patreasury.gov, and follow the simple instructions. |
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| Veterans: Applying for Benefits Should Never Come with a Fee
Under both state and federal law, accredited veterans service organizations were authorized to provide free advice and assistance to veterans as they apply for veterans’ benefits. These veteran service officers are experienced, trained professionals who provide veterans with the best advice and assistance available at no cost. Accredited veteran service officers provide veterans and their dependents free assistance to identify, determine eligibility for and apply for a wide range of benefits on the local, state and federal levels. To locate your county director of veterans affairs or for more information on other veterans service organizations and to find out more about veterans benefits, visit the DMVA online at dmva.pa.gov and click on Veterans Affairs. |
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| Taking Care of New, Expectant Moms
In the United States, more women die from pregnancy complications than in any other developed country. Causes of death for expectant mothers include preventable conditions like preeclampsia and obstetric hemorrhage. Mental health conditions, including suicide and overdose, are also becoming the leading cause of maternal mortality in a number of states. A Maternal Mortality Review Committee will better identify pregnancy-related deaths, oversee the review of these deaths, recommend actions to help prevent future deaths and publish review results. This information will help clinicians and public health professionals better understand circumstances surrounding pregnancy-related deaths and enable them to take appropriate actions to prevent them. No cost will be associated with the committee since the department can absorb any administrative costs within its existing funding. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) monitors maternal mortality on a national level. Pennsylvania now becomes the 33rd state to have maternal mortality review committees either in operation or in development. In states where such committees already exist, there has been a significant decline in maternal mortality, as well as improvements in infant health with more babies making it to full term. |
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