Elder Law and Estate Planning Attorney
Choosing the correct home care provider for your aging parents is a huge responsibility. This person will be looking after the needs of those who taught you to walk, talk, and care for yourself. To ensure your parents are well Read More …
Recent research by the Kaiser Family Foundation examined the differences between traditional Medicare Vs. Medicare Advantage. While people in either program were similarly satisfied with their care and overall care coordination, some distinctions became apparent. Traditional Medicare’s Strengths Traditional Medicare Read More …
Nursing home evictions, or involuntary discharges or transfers, disrupt the lives of residents, leading to homelessness, separation from familial support systems, and loss of care. As federal law covers all federally funded nursing home residents, nursing home evictions are legal only in Read More …
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 …
To qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a federal program that provides people with disabilities a monthly stipend, individuals must conform to very strict income and asset limits. Often, SSI beneficiaries who could hold a job opt not to because they worry about Read More …
Federal law requires the state to attempt to recover the long-term care benefits from a Medicaid recipient’s estate after the recipient’s death. If steps aren’t taken to protect the Medicaid recipient’s house, it may need to be sold to settle the claim. For Read More …
Affordable, safe housing is one of the most crucial aspects of a person’s life, especially if that person has a disability. Parents and guardians must plan for this as early as possible to make sure their loved one has a Read More …
Medigap premiums for plans from insurance companies offering the same benefits vary widely, so it pays to be a smart shopper. Federal law requires that each insurance company offers the same benefits for each of the Medigap plans lettered A Read More …
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 …
While Medicaid helps pay for nursing home care, being admitted to a nursing home as a Medicaid recipient is not always easy. There are several ways to navigate the process, depending on your situation. With the median cost of a nursing Read More …
How frequently you should review your estate plan depends on how old you are and whether there has been a significant change in your circumstances. If you are over age 60 and you haven’t updated your estate plan in many Read More …
Medicaid Snapshot Date When a married couple applies for Medicaid, the Medicaid agency must analyze the couple’s income and assets as of a particular date to determine eligibility. The date that the agency chooses for this analysis is called the Read More …
The Biden administration has announced far-reaching nursing home reforms, targeting staffing and accountability at facilities with deficient care. Advocates are calling the proposals, which include the first-ever federal minimum staffing levels, the most significant reforms in decades. Nursing homes have Read More …
When loved ones pass away, there are lots of considerations, including what happens to their Social Security. The decedent’s payments need to be stopped, but survivor’s benefits may be available to the spouse or, in certain cases, children. Social Security Read More …
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 …
To qualify for Medicaid coverage of long-term care, you must satisfy very complicated financial eligibility rules—rules that often can be traps for the unwary. One of the most significant traps is Medicaid’s right to recover its expenses from your estate Read More …
This month’s Northeast Ohio Boomer magazine features an article written by Joseph Motta. Understanding Long-Term Care 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 Read More …
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 …
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 …
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 …
