Retirement Account Changes for 2016 #retirementaccount
As the population continues to age and we see the next generation of seniors coming through our office there are differences in the profile of an aging senior today vs. what we saw 15 or 20 years ago. One change is in the amount of retirement assets that we
Nursing Home Resident with Personal Injury Claim (Part 2) #Medicaid
Last week I was telling you about Mary who received a personal injury settlement while on Medicaid. Because she is over age 65 she can’t protect the money by placing it in a special needs trust #SpecialNeedsTrust for her own benefit. What other option does she have? What we examine
Nursing Home Resident with Personal Injury Claim #Medicaid
A personal injury attorney called me recently for assistance. Melissa had settled a claim for damages resulting from the negligence of a nursing facility in which her client, Mary had been living. Mary’s net settlement after paying her legal fees and the costs of the lawsuit is approximately $100,000.
529 Plans and Medicaid (Part 2) #Medicaid
Last week I was telling you about the problem 529 plans pose for Medicaid. Maria called me to handle her dad, George’s Medicaid application. George had set up 529 plans for Maria’s daughters. Are those accounts countable assets subject to Medicaid’s spend down rules? Last week I explained that
529 Plans and Medicaid #Medicaid
Maria asked me to handle the Medicaid application that needed to be filed on behalf of her father, George. We went over the assets he has left to spend down. That’s when Maria told me that George had set up 529 plans for his granddaughters. “Do we have to
What is Palliative Care? #palliativecare
Human life expectancy in the past 100 years has been substantially lengthened as a result of advances in medical science. However, as we know the quality of an extended life span isn’t always great. Many people live with serious illnesses such as COPD, heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s Disease etc.
Correcting a Medicaid Mistake from 15 Years Ago (Part 2) #Medicaid, #MondayMorningBlog
Last week I was telling you about Monica’s dilemma. She thought the home she and her husband, Paul bought together with her mom had been retitled to them 15 years ago with Mom retaining a legal right to live there for her life time. But, that’s not what happened.
Correcting a Medicaid Mistake 15 Years in the Making #MondayMorningBlog
I received a call the other day concerning the following dilemma. Monica and her husband, Paul had bought a home together with Monica’s mom 30 years ago. The home was held as tenants in common, meaning if, for example, Mom died her share would pass by way of her
Do-It-Yourself Wills #doityourselfwill
Do a search online and you can quickly find advertisements for websites and software that will help you prepare your own will and other legal documents. Some choose this option to save the legal fees. But is this being “penny wise but pound foolish”? Estate planning is as much
Don’t Fall Victim to Elder Fraud (Part 2) #MondayMorningBlog
Last week I was sharing with you the most common scams that target the elderly. This week let’s talk about tips to help avoid these scams, provided courtesy of the National Council on Aging. Never sign blank insurance claim forms. Never give blanket permission to a medical provider to bill for