2026 National Conference on Special Needs Planning and Special Needs Trusts

Main Conference
Friday, October 23, 2026

8:00 a.m.-8:05 a.m. 

Welcome and Announcements
Becky Morgan

8:05 a.m.-8:50 a.m.

Medicaid Update
Alice Burns
In this session, Alice Burns, PhD, Associate Director of KFF’s Medicaid and Uninsured Program will provide an overview of the possible changes to the Medicaid program stemming from Congressional action and the implications for states. Dr. Burns will describe how to access KFF's state-level resources and share state-level data for participants to access information about their state’s program.

8:50 a.m.-9:40 a.m.    

What Now?
Moderator Craig Reaves, Eric Einhart, Ethan Ordog, David Goldfarb, Crystal West Edwards
[Description coming soon]

9:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.

Break and Visit with Sponsors and Exhibitors
Sponsored by InterActive Legal

9:55 a.m.-10:45 a.m.

Medicare Updates
David Lipschutz
The health care and Medicare landscape continues to rapidly shift at the federal level.  This presentation will provide the latest updates on changes in law and policy, including the impact of H.R. 1, Medicare Advantage and Part D issues and ongoing barriers to care.

10:45 a.m.-11:35 a.m.

From Supplemental to Essential: When the Special Needs Trust Becomes the Safety Net
Tara Anne Pleat
Special needs trusts were traditionally designed to supplement public benefits, not replace them. Increasingly, however, families and trustees find that these trusts are functioning as the beneficiary’s primary financial safety net. This program explores how attorneys should counsel clients when a “supplemental” trust must realistically support housing, care, and long-term stability while still navigating the complex rules governing public benefits.

11:35 a.m.-12:25 p.m. 

The Update
Elizabeth Friman and Robert Fechtman
A review the year’s most significant, interesting and/or quirky cases, and statutory or regulatory changes. Join us for a fast-paced review of a bumpy year.

12:25 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Lunch
Sponsored by Advocacy Trust

1:30 p.m.-2:20 p.m.     Breakout Session 1

• Unexpected Expenses When Immigration Status is at Issue
  Megan Kelly
  [Description coming soon]
• Don’t Bring a Hammer When You Need a Screwdriver: Choosing the Right AI Tool 
  Crystal West Edwards
  [Description coming soon]
• Beneficiary Quality of Life and Fiduciary Duties
  Eric Einhart
  [Description coming soon]

2:25 p.m.-3:15 p.m.     Breakout Session 2

• When Is the Trust a (Joint) Employer? 
  Jason Bent
  Think your trust is not the employer? Think again. In this session, Professor Bent will address the times when the trustee hires a person to provide services to the beneficiary. Does this create an employment relationship? If the trustee hires a payroll and employment services provider, are the trustee and the services provider “joint employers?” Trustees need to consider the independent contractor/employee distinction and the joint employer tests under relevant employment laws. Potential employment law implications include payroll tax withholding, workers’ compensation insurance, immigration status, accommodations, and more.
• [Title coming soon]
  Elizabeth Moran
  [Description coming soon]
• Compliance is Foundational, Not Aspirational
  Gentry Byrnes
  [Description coming soon]

3:15 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

Break and Visit with Sponsors and Exhibitors
Sponsored by InterActive Legal 

3:30 p.m.-4:20 p.m.     Breakout Session 3

• Working Beneficiaries
  Michael Pierce and Travis Finchum
  NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) isn’t just for big time college athletes. With social media and creative ways to make money, SNT beneficiaries with disabilities are being “followed” and are “influencing” their way to paychecks. Trustees need to understand the myriad of ways our beneficiaries are making money these days and how trust assets can support and protect our beneficiaries in these endeavors.  Join an expert on NIL and a SNT Trustee with over 25 year of experience in this discussion.
• Modern Drafting for Third-Party Supplemental Needs Trusts: Autonomy, Oversight, and Structural Flexibility
  Tara Anne Pleat
  A deep dive into modern drafting strategies for third-party SNTs, including ABLE coordination, beneficiary-centered language promoting autonomy and well-being, prioritizing primary beneficiaries over remainder interests, trust protector design and authority structures, decanting and modification provisions, situs flexibility, accounting and notice considerations, and liability limitations. The session will compare alternate drafting approaches and address practical considerations in administration.
• [Title coming soon]
  Ethan Ordog
  [Description coming soon]