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Medicaid Is Under Attack!

Medicaid Is Under Attack! - VJ Russo Law As in years past, the government continues to look for ways to restrict Medicaid eligibility and benefits. This year has been no different. There were proposals to further restrict Medicaid eligibility and coverage. As part of the governor’s annual budget, the New York State Senate and Assembly were presented with a plan to:

  • Eliminate or reduce spousal refusal;
  • Reduce the community spouse resource allowance; and
  • Limit what services Medicaid would pay for.

Fortunately, both houses rejected these proposals. But this may not be the end of the story.

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Why You Should NOT HIRE the Nursing Home Attorney to File a Medicaid Application

Why You Should NOT HIRE the Nursing Home Attorney to File a Medicaid ApplicationFor most seniors, obtaining Medicaid to pay for nursing home care is a must. Very few people can afford to pay privately for extended long-term care, which is not covered by Medicare.

The nursing home may provide you with a list of attorneys to assist with the filing of a Medicaid application. It is suggested that you obtain three attorney references in writing.

A key question for the family to ask is: Do any of the attorneys on the list currently represent the nursing home?

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Estate Planning and Ironman: What’s the Connection?

Estate Planning -- Like an Ironman! by Deanna M. Eble

Estate Planning and an Ironman event…what does one have to do with the other you ask? EVERYTHING!

As a proud wife of a first-time Ironman and an elder law attorney, I can explain.

Step 1: Hire a Coach

  • Most first-time Ironmen striving to cross that finish line after 140.6 miles of swimming, biking and running need direction on how to build up their endurance for such a long race.
  • Most people doing estate planning for the first time need a plan to protect their assets. Elder law attorneys know what needs to be done to protect your assets from your future long-term care costs.
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Safeguarding Clients from Long-Term Care Costs

*This article has been re-posted from AccountingToday.com with permission from the author, Henry Montag. Click here to see the source article.

As your clients’ most trusted adviser, how can you protect them from the financial threat and high costs of long-term care?

You basically have two initial choices. Let’s assume your client is under age 75, relatively healthy and understands that an unexpected, unreimbursed long-term care expense is a real threat that can unravel their and their spouse’s retirement plans and lifestyle. You can talk about “what if” scenarios, including the purchase of a long-term care insurance policy. Or you can avoid the fact that costs for care at home or in an assisted living community are in the $60,000 to $75,000 range, and that costs in a skilled nursing facility are in the $125,000 to $175,000 range and are both increasing by 4 percent annually.

Should you have this unpleasant, difficult conversation with your clients? Since the odds of this problem affecting a client over age 80 is approximately 70 percent, it could make a great deal of sense to get your clients thinking about a solution to a problem they may one day likely face. Where will the necessary funds come from to pay for these costs? Is there a readily accessible source of sufficient funds that will not trigger a large unnecessary taxable event when liquidated? Should the client self-insure against this threat or would it make more economic sense to purchase a long-term care insurance contract from one of the major insurers?

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