What is Memory Care and What Are its Benefits?

Memory care is specialized care for patients living with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other conditions that cause memory loss. Hospitals and nursing homes may have memory care units or a separate entity dedicated to this service. Memory care provides seniors with Read More …

Beware Of Predatory Medicare Advantage Marketers

The number of people enrolling in Medicare Advantage programs offered through Medicare-approved private companies has increased over time. Based on this trend, more than half of all Medicare recipients may be enrolled in Medicare Advantage programs by 2025. As alternatives to traditional Read More …

What Are Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts?

Elder Law Attorney Cleveland to help protect assets from Medicaid

Medicaid is a state- and federally funded health program for lower-income persons of all ages. For applicants who fall into certain categories, Medicaid imposes specific rules on how much income and resources they can have and still qualify for benefits. Read More …

Qualify For Medicaid With a “Miller” Trust

Miller Trust Attorney Cleveland

In order to qualify for Medicaid, the applicant’s income must fall below a certain level. Most states allow individuals to spend down any income above this level on their care until they reach the state’s income standard. But in some Read More …

Qualify For Medicaid While Supporting Your Child With Disabilities

If you have a child with a disability, providing for them into the future will likely stand among your top priorities. However, if you also wish to apply for Medicaid to cover your own long-term care expenses, first consider establishing Read More …

Southwood Case Reminds Us That Incapacity Planning is Important

Estate Planning Attorney Cleveland

What is Mental Incapacity or Incapacitated? As we age, our likelihood of mental incapacity increases. After all, our bodies and minds deteriorate as we age. Mental incapacity could result from dementia, stroke, brain injury, or other illness. What is mental Read More …

Home Health Aide Costs See the Sharpest Increase in Annual Long-Term Care Survey

Long-Term Care Planning Avon

Long-term care costs climbed again in 2021, with rates for home health aides and homemakers seeing the sharpest rises, according to Genworth’s annual Cost of Care Survey. The coronavirus pandemic continues to contribute to cost increases. In the past year, Read More …

IRS Issues Long-Term Care Premium Deductibility Limits for 2022

Long-Term Care Deductions

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the amounts taxpayers of different ages can deduct from their 2022 income as a result of buying long-term care insurance, and the figures are almost the same as in 2021. Many types of Read More …

Medicare’s Limited Nursing Home Coverage

Many people believe that Medicare covers nursing home stays. In fact Medicare’s coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. Medicare covers up to 100 days of “skilled nursing care” per illness, but there are a number of requirements that Read More …

Lock in the Current Estate Tax Exemption to Benefit Your Spouse

Selling a House After Spouse DIes

With the fate of the estate tax exemption uncertain, you may want to use the current large exemption to transfer assets to a trust to benefit your spouse. A spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT) can help transfer assets outside of Read More …

What It Means to Need ‘Nursing Home Level of Care’ for Medicaid Eligibility

Medicaid Qualifications

When applying for Medicaid’s long-term care coverage, in addition to the strict income and asset limits, you must demonstrate that you need a level care typically provided in a nursing home. Whether you are applying for nursing home coverage or Read More …

Social Security Shortfalls Are Predicted to Begin a Year Earlier Due to the Pandemic

Social Security Planning Attorney Cleveland

The Social Security trustees are projecting that due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic the Social Security trust fund will be depleted in 2033 — one year earlier than the previous estimates. Once the fund is depleted, Social Read More …

Medicare Open Enrollment: Review Your Choices

Coronavirus Estate Planning Attorney

Every year Medicare gives beneficiaries a window of opportunity to shop around and determine if their current Medicare plan is still the best one for them. During Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period, which runs from October 15 to December 7, beneficiaries Read More …

Keep the Cost of Long-Term Care from Depleting Your Estate

Estate Planning Attorney Avon Lake Ohio Elder Law Joe Motta Attorney long term care and medicare planning

One of the greatest concerns of seniors and their families is the cost of long-term care, especially the cost of nursing home care. Long-term care refers to a range of services necessary to meet your personal needs. Most long-term care Read More …