Attorney Colleen Bratkovich and Lynn Doehring, President of Bridge Insurance Group, share information at the start of Medicare Open Enrollment…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
October 19, 2020 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
September 30, 2020 Join attorney Colleen Bratkovich and Deanna Guarnaccio from Life Pittsburgh as they talk about the valuable services provided by Life…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
October 20, 2020 Attorney Colleen Bratkovich and Lynn Doehring, President of Bridge Insurance Group, share information at the start of Medicare Open Enrollment…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
October 19, 2020 Join attorney Colleen Bratkovich and Rachel Mound, Hospice Medical Social Worker from Interim Healthcare as they discuss the role of…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
October 20, 2020 Join attorney Christine Brown Murphy as she discusses strategies to protect your assets from long term care.
Christine Brown Murphy
October 19, 2020 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
September 30, 2020 Zacharia Brown Founder Carl Zacharia is licensed in Pennsylvania and Florida and he can discuss the benefits of declaring Florida…
Carl Zacharia
October 19, 2020 Carl Zacharia
October 19, 2020 How to find out if you are the owner of life insurance stock through your life insurance policy
Colleen D. Bratkovich
September 16, 2020 Important information on how you can protect your home when applying for Medicaid.
Justin Ellis
September 16, 2020 The basics of what you should know about Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax.
Jennifer Bittel Derby
September 16, 2020 Please join Lisa Story from Hope Grows, Christine Haythorn from The Parkinson’s Foundation, and Jennifer Derby from Zacharia Brown as…
Jennifer Bittel Derby
October 5, 2020 Join attorneys Christine Brown Murphy and Colleen Bratkovich and host Morgan Traffican from The Residences of Whitehall and Bethel Park…
Christine Brown Murphy
October 5, 2020 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
September 30, 2020 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
September 10, 2020 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
September 10, 2020 Learn how you may be able to qualify for In Home Medicaid Waiver services by creating a plan to spend…
Benjamin W. Urso
August 26, 2020 Attorney Christine Brown Murphy and Elder Care Coordinator Heather Wagner discuss the various options for Care at Home as the…
Christine Brown Murphy
August 17, 2020 Learn about the ways to protect your family home when planning to pay for long term care.
Colleen D. Bratkovich
August 17, 2020 We are happy to provide informational webinars and virtual workshops for your employees or groups. Reach out to us at…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
August 14, 2020 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
August 7, 2020 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
August 7, 2020 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
July 2, 2020 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
July 2, 2020 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
June 11, 2020 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
June 8, 2020 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
June 8, 2020 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
June 8, 2020 During this pandemic, many COVID-19 Cyber Scams have emerged and have specifically targeted our vulnerable elderly population. Please advise your…
Jennifer Bittel Derby
April 30, 2020 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
April 30, 2020 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
April 30, 2020 The economic impact stimulus payments approved by Congress have begun to be sent out by the IRS. Find out who…
Justin Ellis
April 23, 2020 If you are contemplating giving a gift or some other type of financial assistance to help out a loved one…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
April 21, 2020 There are several key documents that make up an individual’s estate plan. A Last Will and Testament is a legal…
Benjamin W. Urso
April 21, 2020 The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was passed into law on March 27, 2020 and is a…
Jennifer Bittel Derby
April 21, 2020 Zacharia Brown is an Elder Law and Estate Planning Firm dedicated to helping families and their loved ones plan, pay…
Carl Zacharia
April 21, 2020 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
April 9, 2020 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
April 9, 2020 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
April 9, 2020 The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was passed into law on March 27, 2020 and is a…
Carrie Conboy
March 31, 2020 At Zacharia Brown, we recognize our clients concerns about the spread of COVID-19. As a result, we are offering video…
Christine Brown Murphy
March 17, 2020 Medicare.gov recently published the following guidance so that you and your loved ones understand your rights and benefits during this…
Carrie Conboy
March 16, 2020 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
March 9, 2020 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
March 9, 2020 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
March 9, 2020 Medicare does not offer much in the way of dental benefits, but advocates for Medicare beneficiaries are arguing for that to change.
Carrie Conboy
January 22, 2020 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
January 22, 2020 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
January 22, 2020 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
December 5, 2019 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
December 5, 2019 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
December 5, 2019 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
October 31, 2019 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
October 31, 2019 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
October 31, 2019 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
October 1, 2019 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
October 1, 2019 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
October 1, 2019 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
August 28, 2019 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
August 28, 2019 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
August 28, 2019 It may become harder for Medicare beneficiaries to find home health care due to a new rule from the Centers…
Carrie Conboy
August 23, 2019 A New York trial court rules that a son who received his mother’s assets without consideration, leaving her insolvent, is…
Carrie Conboy
August 1, 2019 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
July 25, 2019 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
June 25, 2019 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
June 25, 2019 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
June 25, 2019 This week, we are happy to share a blog post from Aaron Stevenson , the the founder of Snooze EZ….
Carrie Conboy
June 7, 2019 Parents want their children to be taken care of after they die. But children with disabilities have increased financial and…
Carrie Conboy
May 30, 2019 A new report that combines nursing home quality data with a survey of family members ranks the best and worst…
Carrie Conboy
February 13, 2019 At the end of last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) finalized new rules that made it more difficult…
Carrie Conboy
January 31, 2019 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2019 federal guidelines for how much money the spouses…
Carrie Conboy
January 15, 2019 A durable power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents you can have. It allows you…
Carrie Conboy
January 5, 2019 With the aging population becoming increasingly tech savvy, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has moved a lot of services online….
Carrie Conboy
November 28, 2018 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has finalized new rules that make it more difficult to qualify for long-term care…
Carrie Conboy
October 15, 2018 A power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents, but when one sibling is named in…
Carrie Conboy
September 25, 2018 Congress has expanded benefits for Medicare recipients with chronic conditions in its latest budget bill. The law gives some Medicare…
Carrie Conboy
August 20, 2018 As we make our way through the hottest month of the year, it is a perfect time to review some…
Carrie Conboy
August 8, 2018 Although a nursing home cannot require a child to be personally liable for their parent’s nursing home bill, there are circumstances…
Carrie Conboy
August 1, 2018 The federal government has begun mailing new Medicare cards to 59 million Americans. You should keep track of when your…
Carrie Conboy
July 16, 2018 With high school graduations just behind us and college on the horizon, you may already feel as though you are…
Carrie Conboy
June 19, 2018 Arizona and Florida are the latest states to request a waiver from the requirement that states provide three months of…
Carrie Conboy
June 5, 2018 This week we are happy to share with you a guest blog post from Hope Grows. Caregiving for aging parents…
Carrie Conboy
May 23, 2018 While the execution of wills requires formalities like witnesses and a notary, the reality is that most property passes to…
Carrie Conboy
May 1, 2018 A new study has found that people enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan were more likely to enter a lower…
Carrie Conboy
April 25, 2018 With tax time upon us again this year, it is a good time to discuss which expenses and costs you…
Carrie Conboy
April 16, 2018 The announcement of the 2018 Medicare premium is good news for some beneficiaries and bad news for many others. The…
Carrie Conboy
April 9, 2018 The federal government is issuing new Medicare cards to all Medicare beneficiaries. To prevent fraud and fight identity theft, the…
Carrie Conboy
March 26, 2018 Medicaid law imposes a penalty period if you transferred assets within five years of applying, but what if the transfers…
Carrie Conboy
March 19, 2018 A new federal law is designed to address the growing problem of elder abuse. The law supports efforts to better…
Carrie Conboy
March 12, 2018 After staying the same for five years, the amount you can give away to any one individual in a particular…
Carrie Conboy
March 8, 2018 Older parents are becoming more common, driven in part by changing cultural mores and surrogate motherhood. Comedian and author Steve…
Carrie Conboy
February 19, 2018 Medicare is supposed to provide up to 35 hours a week of home care to those who qualify, but many…
Carrie Conboy
February 12, 2018 With the new year officially underway, we have been busy with lots of exciting developments at Zacharia Brown! We have…
Carrie Conboy
February 5, 2018 In 2018, Social Security recipients will get their largest cost of living increase in benefits since 2012, but the additional…
Carrie Conboy
October 24, 2017 Are you happy with your current Medicare plan or plans? Now is the time to think about whether you are…
Carrie Conboy
October 16, 2017 The median cost of a private nursing home room in the United States has increased to $97,455 a year, up…
Carrie Conboy
October 2, 2017 What happens if you are a high-income Medicare beneficiary who is paying a surcharge on your premiums and then your…
redtree_admin
September 25, 2017 Many grandparents may be tempted to leave an IRA to a grandchild because children have a low tax rate, however,…
redtree_admin
September 18, 2017 No one truly wants to think about his or her own death, however, a little preparation in the form of…
Carrie Conboy
August 21, 2017 Many seniors and their families don’t use a lawyer to plan for long-term care or Medicaid, often because they are…
Carrie Conboy
August 14, 2017 A new report finds that states have made incremental improvements in providing long-term care, but need to make more improvements…
Carrie Conboy
August 7, 2017 When we’re young we believe that we’re invincible, which makes it harder to admit as we age that our bodies…
Carrie Conboy
July 31, 2017 Have you or a loved one been denied Medicare-covered services because you’re “not improving”? Many health care providers are still…
Carrie Conboy
July 24, 2017 Every year at this time, many anxious parents are helping their high school graduates gather items they need to take…
Carrie Conboy
July 17, 2017 Last week we identified a type of relief that is being offered from Medicare’s Part B late-enrollment penalty for certain…
Carrie Conboy
July 3, 2017 Medicare is offering relief from penalties for certain Medicare beneficiaries who enrolled in Medicare Part A and had coverage through…
Carrie Conboy
June 26, 2017 In continuing with our theme of current events for the month of June, this week we will examine how a…
Carrie Conboy
June 19, 2017 New Obama-era rules designed to give nursing home residents more control of their care are gradually going into effect over…
Carrie Conboy
June 12, 2017 After initially delaying a rule intended to prevent financial advisers from steering their clients to bad retirement investments, the Department…
Carrie Conboy
June 5, 2017 In honor of Memorial Day, we’d like to introduce you to some of the benefits available to Veterans’ and their…
Carrie Conboy
May 29, 2017 The Veterans Administration offers two disability programs for eligible veterans. The first benefit is disability compensation which is only available…
Carrie Conboy
May 22, 2017 The Veteran’s Administration (VA) offers a pension benefit to low-income veterans (or their spouses) who are in nursing homes or…
Carrie Conboy
May 15, 2017 Last month we took a closer look at Medicaid, asset protection planning and the rules concerning qualification for Medicaid benefits….
Carrie Conboy
May 8, 2017 The phrase “life estate” often comes up in discussions of estate and Medicaid planning, However, when we meet with individuals…
Carrie Conboy
May 1, 2017 This particular question is one that we hear from our clients all of the time. The short answer is, if…
Carrie Conboy
April 24, 2017 In the world of Medicaid, one of the phrases that many people are familiar with is the 5 year look-back…
Carrie Conboy
April 17, 2017 Although their names are confusingly alike, Medicaid and Medicare are quite different programs. Both programs provide health coverage, but Medicare…
Carrie Conboy
April 10, 2017 This week, we kick-off a month long discussion about Medicaid Benefits and Planning. Medicaid, also known as Medical Assistance or…
Carrie Conboy
April 3, 2017 Over the past month, we have examined the uses of and differences between Revocable Trusts, Living Trusts, Testamentary Trusts, and…
Carrie Conboy
March 27, 2017 In last week’s blog post, we took a closer look at the Revocable Living Trust and explored some reasons that…
Carrie Conboy
March 20, 2017 As we discussed last week, there are a number of different types of trusts that can be employed when creating…
Carrie Conboy
March 13, 2017 In the world of Estate and Elder Law Planning, there are many reasons why we may want to utilize a…
Carrie Conboy
March 6, 2017 This past month, we have discussed the many considerations to be weighed when researching long term care options for your…
Carrie Conboy
February 27, 2017 When a loved one gets ill, most families are venturing into unchartered waters. The options for long term care are…
Carrie Conboy
February 19, 2017 Last week, we discussed the importance of creating a Life Care Plan to assist families in finding an appropriate Long…
Carrie Conboy
February 13, 2017 With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the month of February is a perfect time to think about care for our elderly…
redtree_admin
February 6, 2017 Estate Administration or Probate in Pennsylvania is a legal process that occurs after a person has passed away. As part…
redtree_admin
January 30, 2017 In the area of Estate Planning, one common misconception many people share is that the entirety of their assets will…
Carrie Conboy
January 18, 2017 In the estate planning world, many people seek our counsel with regard to creating or updating their Will or Trust….
Carrie Conboy
January 17, 2017 At the start of a new year, it is inevitable that people will make one or several resolutions to accomplish…
Carrie Conboy
January 8, 2017
