For those who wish to maintain their independence and continue living at home as they grow older, taking certain steps to protect their physical, mental, and financial welfare is essential.
Carrie Conboy
Join attorney Colleen Bratkovich and guest speaker, Dan Bekavac from Bekavac Funeral Home, for a discussion of the different types...
Carrie Conboy
Attorney Carl Zacharia, licensed in both PA and Florida, will discuss all of the important considerations when contemplating a declaration...
Carrie Conboy
A new study reveals that 60 percent of family members who were taking care of loved ones with Alzheimer's disease exhibited symptoms of depression that worsened over time
Carrie Conboy
Medicaid Pending status means that your application or your parent’s application has not yet been approved or denied. Essentially, your application is in limbo.
Carrie Conboy
A federal court has ruled that hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries who were switched from inpatient to observation status can appeal the decision, making it easier for them to receive coverage for subsequent nursing home care.
Carrie Conboy
Vaccines can become less effective over time. Even individuals fully vaccinated as children may need to update their immunizations. Medicare Parts B and D offer vaccination coverage.
Carrie Conboy
Rising inflation due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic means that in 2022, Social Security benefits will go up 5.9 percent, the sharpest upsurge since 1983.
Carrie Conboy
As COVID-19 cases start to rise again due to the highly contagious Delta variant, nursing homes are considering requiring staff members to be vaccinated. Only 59 percent of nursing home staff are partially or fully vaccinated nationwide, and the percentages are much lower in some states.
Carrie Conboy
Medicaid long-term care benefits traditionally pay mainly for nursing home care, but the federal government can grant “waivers” to states allowing them to expand Medicaid to include home and community-based services. The downside is that receiving care in a nursing home is an entitlement, while getting care at home is not.
Carrie Conboy
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued new guidance on whether families can visit loved ones in nursing homes. The guidance allows indoor visitation even when the resident has not been vaccinated.
Carrie Conboy
Long-term care insurance prices have suddenly skyrocketed by as much as 66 percent in one year, according to the 2021 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index, an annual report from the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an industry group. The price increases apply to couples and single individuals.
Carrie Conboy
Medicare's Open Enrollment Period, during which you can freely enroll in or switch plans, runs from October 15 to December 7. Now is the time to start shopping around to see whether your current choices are still the best ones for you.
Carrie Conboy
Medicare beneficiaries who qualified for skilled nursing facility (SNF) coverage may be eligible for an additional 100 days of coverage. Whether beneficiaries can actually get the extended coverage is another question.
Carrie Conboy
How to find out if you are the owner of life insurance stock through your life insurance policy
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Carrie Conboy
Husbands usually don’t take survivor’s benefits into account when claiming benefits, according to a recent study, meaning that many widows will needlessly experience a significant drop in income.
Carrie Conboy
The coronavirus pandemic has forced nursing homes to place a number of restrictions on their residents. These constraints are having the unintended consequence of making it more difficult for nursing home residents to vote.
Carrie Conboy
Talking about estate planning is a difficult, emotional topic but it’s essential for every family. These eight tips can help you discuss the hard topics thoroughly and respectfully and prepare you for the road ahead.
Carrie Conboy
The coronavirus pandemic is having a profound effect on the current U.S. economy, and it may have a detrimental effect on Social Security’s long-term financial situation.
Carrie Conboy
Raising the minimum wage by as little as 10 percent would significantly improve the safety and health of nursing home residents, according to new research.
Carrie Conboy
Medigap policies that supplement Medicare’s basic coverage can cost vastly different amounts, depending on the company selling the policy, according to a new study. The findings highlight the importance of shopping around before purchasing a policy.
Carrie Conboy
Stay-at-Home Orders and fear of infection from COVID-19 have left many families struggling to manage the care needs of their...
Carrie Conboy
The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on those in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. This has raised questions about how the virus has influenced the costs and provision of long-term care insurance.
Carrie Conboy
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning residents of long-term care facilities and their families that some facilities may unlawfully require residents who are on Medicaid to sign over their $1,200 pandemic relief checks.
Carrie Conboy
The closure of Social Security offices has affected unemployed seniors who need to apply for Medicare after losing their employer health coverage. These seniors now have more time to enroll in Medicare or change plans.
Carrie Conboy
When can you expect your coronavirus relief payment and how much will it be? The answer to the first question has been changing on an almost daily basis, but finally seems to have come into focus. Here’s the latest word.
Carrie Conboy
With the coronavirus pandemic hitting nursing homes and assisted living facilities especially hard, families are wondering whether they should bring their parents or other loved ones home.
Carrie Conboy
With coronavirus dominating news coverage and creating alarm, it is important to know that Medicare and Medicaid will cover tests for the virus.
Carrie Conboy
The federal government is broadly expanding coverage of Medicare telehealth services to beneficiaries and relaxing HIPAA enforcement, which will give doctors the ability to provide more services to patients remotely.
Carrie Conboy
The spread of the coronavirus to nursing home residents has caused the federal government to direct nursing homes to restrict visitor access. Families are having to find new ways to stay in touch.
Carrie Conboy
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was passed into law on March 27, 2020 and is a...
Carrie Conboy
Medicare.gov recently published the following guidance so that you and your loved ones understand your rights and benefits during this...
Carrie Conboy
For years people have been worried about Social Security’s future, but what is the actual outlook? According to the federal government, unless Congress acts to intervene, Social Security shortfalls are expected beginning in 2035.
Carrie Conboy
The Trump administration will allow states the option to cap Medicaid spending using block grants. While this change does not directly affect nursing home residents on Medicaid, it could result in significant service cuts to other beneficiaries.
Carrie Conboy
The basic Medicaid rule for nursing home residents is that they must pay all of their income, minus certain deductions, to the nursing home.
Carrie Conboy
Medicare does not offer much in the way of dental benefits, but advocates for Medicare beneficiaries are arguing for that to change.
Carrie Conboy
A spending bill signed into law by the President contains major changes to retirement plans. The bipartisan legislation is designed to provide more incentives to save for retirement, but it may require workers to rethink some of their planning.
Carrie Conboy
The federal government has released the 2020 federal guidelines for how much money the spouses of Medicaid recipients may keep, as well as related Medicaid figures.
Carrie Conboy
When it comes to long-term care costs, the charges for home care are now rising faster than those for nursing home care, according to Genworth's 2019 Cost of Care survey.
Carrie Conboy
After small or no increases the past couple of years, Medicare’s Part B premium will rise sharply in 2020. The basic monthly premium will increase $9.10, from $135.50 a month to $144.60.
Carrie Conboy
Nursing home residents do not automatically have to sell their homes in order to qualify for Medicaid, but that doesn't mean the house is completely protected.
Carrie Conboy
A new report finds that almost no retirees are making financially optimal decisions about when to take Social Security and are losing out on an average of more than $100,000 per household in the process.
Carrie Conboy
Reports of elder financial abuse continue to increase, and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to scams or to financial abuse by family members in need of money.
Carrie Conboy
With careful Medicaid planning, you may be able to preserve some of your estate for your children or other heirs while meeting the Medicaid asset limit.
Carrie Conboy
Raising a grandchild can be tough financially, but grandparents in this situation should be aware that there is a tax credit available that could help them.
Carrie Conboy
If you move to a different state or split your time between one or more states, you should make sure your advance directive is valid in all the states you frequent.
Carrie Conboy
In order to be eligible for Medicaid, you cannot have transferred assets recently. Congress does not want you to move into a nursing home on Monday, give all your money to your children (or whomever) on Tuesday, and qualify for Medicaid on Wednesday.
Carrie Conboy
There are circumstances in which transferring a house will not result in a Medicaid penalty period, and one of those is if the Medicaid applicant transfers the house to a "caretaker child."
Carrie Conboy
Hospice care is supposed to help terminally ill patients maintain their quality of life at the end of their life, but two new government reports find that serious problems in some hospices may be actually causing harm to hospice patients.
Carrie Conboy
The Trump administration is officially rolling back a ban on the use of arbitration agreements by nursing homes, once again allowing nursing facilities to ask families to give up their right to sue over patient injuries or deaths.
Carrie Conboy
It may become harder for Medicare beneficiaries to find home health care due to a new rule from the Centers...
Carrie Conboy
A New York trial court rules that a son who received his mother’s assets without consideration, leaving her insolvent, is...
Carrie Conboy
Thinking about your funeral may not be fun, but planning ahead is helpful. It both lets your family know your wishes and assists them during a stressful time.
Carrie Conboy
Hospital patients who need additional care after being discharged from the hospital are usually sent to either an inpatient rehabilitation facility or a skilled nursing facility, and Medicare offers very different coverage for each.
Carrie Conboy
After a Medicaid recipient dies, the state must attempt to recoup from his or her estate whatever benefits it paid for the recipient's care. There are steps you can take to protect your home.
Carrie Conboy
When creating advance directives in order to plan for the possibility that you may one day be unable to make your own medical decisions, there can be confusion about the difference between a living will and a "do-not-resuscitate" order.
Carrie Conboy
This week, we are happy to share a blog post from Aaron Stevenson , the the founder of Snooze EZ....
Carrie Conboy
Parents want their children to be taken care of after they die. But children with disabilities have increased financial and...
Carrie Conboy
A new report that combines nursing home quality data with a survey of family members ranks the best and worst...
Carrie Conboy
At the end of last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) finalized new rules that made it more difficult...
Carrie Conboy
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2019 federal guidelines for how much money the spouses...
Carrie Conboy
A durable power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents you can have. It allows you...
Carrie Conboy
With the aging population becoming increasingly tech savvy, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has moved a lot of services online....
Carrie Conboy
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has finalized new rules that make it more difficult to qualify for long-term care...
Carrie Conboy
A power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents, but when one sibling is named in...
Carrie Conboy
Congress has expanded benefits for Medicare recipients with chronic conditions in its latest budget bill. The law gives some Medicare...
Carrie Conboy
As we make our way through the hottest month of the year, it is a perfect time to review some...
Carrie Conboy
Although a nursing home cannot require a child to be personally liable for their parent’s nursing home bill, there are circumstances...
Carrie Conboy
The federal government has begun mailing new Medicare cards to 59 million Americans. You should keep track of when your...
Carrie Conboy
With high school graduations just behind us and college on the horizon, you may already feel as though you are...
Carrie Conboy
Arizona and Florida are the latest states to request a waiver from the requirement that states provide three months of...
Carrie Conboy
This week we are happy to share with you a guest blog post from Hope Grows. Caregiving for aging parents...
Carrie Conboy
While the execution of wills requires formalities like witnesses and a notary, the reality is that most property passes to...
Carrie Conboy
A new study has found that people enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan were more likely to enter a lower...
Carrie Conboy
With tax time upon us again this year, it is a good time to discuss which expenses and costs you...
Carrie Conboy
The announcement of the 2018 Medicare premium is good news for some beneficiaries and bad news for many others. The...
Carrie Conboy
The federal government is issuing new Medicare cards to all Medicare beneficiaries. To prevent fraud and fight identity theft, the...
Carrie Conboy
Medicaid law imposes a penalty period if you transferred assets within five years of applying, but what if the transfers...
Carrie Conboy
A new federal law is designed to address the growing problem of elder abuse. The law supports efforts to better...
Carrie Conboy
After staying the same for five years, the amount you can give away to any one individual in a particular...
Carrie Conboy
Older parents are becoming more common, driven in part by changing cultural mores and surrogate motherhood. Comedian and author Steve...
Carrie Conboy
Medicare is supposed to provide up to 35 hours a week of home care to those who qualify, but many...
Carrie Conboy
With the new year officially underway, we have been busy with lots of exciting developments at Zacharia Brown! We have...
Carrie Conboy
In 2018, Social Security recipients will get their largest cost of living increase in benefits since 2012, but the additional...
Carrie Conboy
Are you happy with your current Medicare plan or plans? Now is the time to think about whether you are...
Carrie Conboy
The median cost of a private nursing home room in the United States has increased to $97,455 a year, up...
Carrie Conboy
No one truly wants to think about his or her own death, however, a little preparation in the form of...
Carrie Conboy
Many seniors and their families don’t use a lawyer to plan for long-term care or Medicaid, often because they are...
Carrie Conboy
A new report finds that states have made incremental improvements in providing long-term care, but need to make more improvements...
Carrie Conboy
When we’re young we believe that we’re invincible, which makes it harder to admit as we age that our bodies...
Carrie Conboy
Have you or a loved one been denied Medicare-covered services because you’re “not improving”? Many health care providers are still...
Carrie Conboy
Every year at this time, many anxious parents are helping their high school graduates gather items they need to take...
Carrie Conboy
Last week we identified a type of relief that is being offered from Medicare’s Part B late-enrollment penalty for certain...
Carrie Conboy
Medicare is offering relief from penalties for certain Medicare beneficiaries who enrolled in Medicare Part A and had coverage through...
Carrie Conboy
In continuing with our theme of current events for the month of June, this week we will examine how a...
Carrie Conboy
New Obama-era rules designed to give nursing home residents more control of their care are gradually going into effect over...
Carrie Conboy
After initially delaying a rule intended to prevent financial advisers from steering their clients to bad retirement investments, the Department...
Carrie Conboy
In honor of Memorial Day, we’d like to introduce you to some of the benefits available to Veterans’ and their...
Carrie Conboy
The Veterans Administration offers two disability programs for eligible veterans. The first benefit is disability compensation which is only available...
Carrie Conboy
The Veteran’s Administration (VA) offers a pension benefit to low-income veterans (or their spouses) who are in nursing homes or...
Carrie Conboy
Last month we took a closer look at Medicaid, asset protection planning and the rules concerning qualification for Medicaid benefits....
Carrie Conboy
The phrase “life estate” often comes up in discussions of estate and Medicaid planning, However, when we meet with individuals...
Carrie Conboy
This particular question is one that we hear from our clients all of the time. The short answer is, if...
Carrie Conboy
In the world of Medicaid, one of the phrases that many people are familiar with is the 5 year look-back...
Carrie Conboy
Although their names are confusingly alike, Medicaid and Medicare are quite different programs. Both programs provide health coverage, but Medicare...
Carrie Conboy
This week, we kick-off a month long discussion about Medicaid Benefits and Planning. Medicaid, also known as Medical Assistance or...
Carrie Conboy
Over the past month, we have examined the uses of and differences between Revocable Trusts, Living Trusts, Testamentary Trusts, and...
Carrie Conboy
In last week’s blog post, we took a closer look at the Revocable Living Trust and explored some reasons that...
Carrie Conboy
As we discussed last week, there are a number of different types of trusts that can be employed when creating...
Carrie Conboy
In the world of Estate and Elder Law Planning, there are many reasons why we may want to utilize a...
Carrie Conboy
This past month, we have discussed the many considerations to be weighed when researching long term care options for your...
Carrie Conboy
When a loved one gets ill, most families are venturing into unchartered waters. The options for long term care are...
Carrie Conboy
Last week, we discussed the importance of creating a Life Care Plan to assist families in finding an appropriate Long...
Carrie Conboy
In the area of Estate Planning, one common misconception many people share is that the entirety of their assets will...
Carrie Conboy
In the estate planning world, many people seek our counsel with regard to creating or updating their Will or Trust....
Carrie Conboy
At the start of a new year, it is inevitable that people will make one or several resolutions to accomplish...
Carrie Conboy
