Most people will qualify for Medicare when they reach the age of 65. This is well and good, but Medicare will not pay for a stay in a nursing home or assisted living community. For this reason, the majority of the long-term care that is received by seniors in the United States is paid for by the Medicaid program. Medicaid Planning Medicaid is a government health insurance program that is jointly administered by the federal government along with each respective state. It is intended to provide …
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Guardianship?
People are living longer and longer lives, and this is fantastic on the one hand. On the other hand, when you reach an advanced age, incapacity becomes a very real possibility. If you want to be comprehensively prepared, you should take action in advance to brace yourself for possible incapacity late in your life. Guardianship People who are close to you could petition the state to appoint a guardian to act on your behalf if they feel as though you can no longer handle your affairs on your …
How Do You Find an Elder Law Attorney?
Everyone should discuss the future with an elder law attorney. There are certain contingencies that you may face during the latter stages of your life. You may not be aware of the facts, and negative consequences can result if you don't act because of a lack of information. Long-Term Care: Who Needs It? We are all aware of the existence of nursing homes and assisted living communities. However, when you are younger and capable of handling all of your activities of daily living on your own, …
What Is Medicaid?
The Medicaid program is a health insurance safety net for people who have very limited financial resources. If you can prove that your resources are within Medicaid income and asset limits, you can qualify for the program, regardless of your age. Medicare, Medicaid & Senior Citizens Medicare is also a government health insurance program. Unlike Medicaid, Medicare is for the most part intended for senior citizens. (It should be noted that some people with disabilities who are not …
How Do You Find the Right Elder Law Attorney?
Before we get into the question that serves as the title of this post, we should explain a few things about elder law in general. Elder law is the area of the legal field that is dedicated to the interests of senior citizens. When you are younger you may not understand why you would need legal advice with regard to the eventualities of aging, but there are some serious issues to consider. One of these is the matter of long-term care. Before you look into all of the facts, you may feel rather …
Connecticut Case Instructive for Those Entering Nursing Homes
There was a court case decided in Connecticut back in 2011 that is instructive to anyone who is arranging for a parent to enter a nursing home. The case that we are referring to is that of Cook Willow Health Center v. Judy Andrien. In this case Ms. Andrien arranged for her mother to enter Cook Willow Health Center, which is a nursing home. There is a law on the books that prohibits nursing homes from requiring that a third-party guarantee payment before allowing the patient to enter the …
New MetLife Market Survey: Long-Term Care Costs Continue to Rise
Long-term care costs are continuing to spiral upward according to the MetLife Mature Market Institute. Each year the Institute conducts a survey that probes the cost of assisted living throughout the United States. The 2012 statistics are in and the news is not especially encouraging. Throughout the country as a whole the average charge for a month-long stay in an assisted living community in 2011 was $3477. If you multiply this figure by the number of months in a year the annual expense …
Your Rights When Shopping for Funeral Services
A funeral may be the last big purchase you make in life. It's not unusual for a funeral today to cost more than $12,000. Like any product or service, it is important to shop around and know your legal rights as a consumer. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, enforces a "Funeral Rule" that governs funeral planning and the obligations of funeral homes. The Rule is designed to prevent funeral homes from forcing you to buy a "package" funeral that may include …
A Popular Misconception Regarding Living Assistance
More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Those who eat well, exercise regularly, and steer clear of things like smoking and drinking too much often times avoid serious health problems and live longer lives. The above having been stated, some people who live a healthy lifestyle automatically assume that they don't need to worry about budgeting for long-term care. This may be a mistake. First of all it should be noted that there are indeed individuals …
What Is the Five Year Medicaid Look Back?
Medicaid is a government health insurance program that will pay for long-term care. Because it is a need-based program there are upper asset limits. You cannot qualify if your countable assets exceed $14,550.00 in value. Medicaid may not seem relevant to you if you expect to qualify for Medicare coverage as a senior citizen. Medicaid and Medicare do pay for many of the same types of medical expenses, so this is not an unreasonable assumption. However, Medicare won't pay for long-term care. …
Living Trust vs. Medicaid Trust: What’s the Difference?
One of the most commonly utilized vehicles of asset transfer is the revocable living trust. These trusts are very popular because they facilitate the transfer of assets outside of probate. When you use a last will to direct the transfer of your assets the will must be admitted to probate. Probate is the legal process of estate administration. The heirs to the estate don't receive their inheritances until the estate has been probated and closed. We should emphasize the fact that probate is not …
Broader Estate Plan Addresses the Eventualities of Aging
People sometimes have the proverbial moment of clarity, and they realize that they should take action and put an estate plan in place. Estate planning is absolutely essential for all responsible adults, but you should also take the eventualities of aging into consideration when you are looking ahead toward the future. One of the eventualities of aging is the possible need for living assistance. If you are reasonably confident that you will live to the age of 65 as most of us are you should …
See Larger Map
Get Directions