2024 VA Aid and Attendance Numbers
In this week’s post I will review the updated numbers for 2024 for the VA program that provides a benefit to wartime veterans and their spouses. Known as the VA Aid and Attendance program, this benefit provides a special pension to eligible applicants who need long term care. The maximum pension amount
2024 Medicaid Numbers
Last month in this blog I updated you on some of the new Social Security and Medicare numbers for 2024. The recently announced cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 3.2% has resulted in a much smaller benefit increase than the past 2 years. Many other federal programs are tied to the Social
Another Medicaid Cautionary Tale – Part 3
In my blog post last week, I explained that John was unsuccessful in his attempts to obtain Medicaid benefits for his mom. He then ended up being sued by the facility for the amount of unpaid bills which were not covered by Medicaid. But why did his repeated attempts fail? From my conversation
Another Medicaid Cautionary Tale – Part 2
In my blog post last week I told you about John’s call to our office. John had made several unsuccessful attempts to obtain Medicaid for his mom who was in a nursing facility. He called because he had been sued by the nursing home where his mom had been residing. The facility was
Another Medicaid Cautionary Tale – Part 1
We received a call some weeks ago from a caller named John, whose mother was in a nursing facility. He had attempted several times to qualify her for Medicaid. Each attempt was unsuccessful. After the last unsuccessful attempt he took his mother home to “regroup”. John called our office when he received a summons
2024 Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment
When we get to the end of the year, it’s time to look ahead to what numbers may change in 2024 for the government programs from which our clients receive benefits. It starts with the Social Security Administration, which announces its cost of living adjustment (COLA). Other government programs then adjust their
Why Does Estate Administration Take So Long? Part 5
In this last post of 5 I explain the reasons why the estate administration process takes as long as it does - why it isn’t as simple as getting appointed administrator and closing out all the decedent’s accounts and distributing them in a matter of days or weeks. This week we
When Does Estate Administration Take So Long? Part 4
In my post last week, I covered the complications that can arise if there is no personal representative named - either because there is no will or because none of the named executors in the will are able to serve. This week I discuss the difficulties when there are no clearly
Why Does Estate Administration Take So Long? Part 3
In this week’s post explaining why estate administration takes so long, I cover the scenario when there is no will. New Jersey law establishes who has the first right to serve as administrator and who inherits the estate. Often, however, identifying the correct individuals is not easy. An administrator is tasked with the
Why Does Estate Administration Take So Long? (Part 2)
In my post last week I addressed a common question concerning the process of administering the estate of someone who has died. Why does it take so long? On average it can take 9 to 12 months for most estates to be completed although I did explain last week that easier estates