President Biden has signed the latest COVID-19 relief bill, which in addition to authorizing stimulus checks, funding vaccine distribution, and extending unemployment benefits, also provides assistance to seniors in a number of ways.
Justin Ellis
Parents and other family members who want to pass on assets during their lifetimes may be tempted to gift the assets. Although setting up an irrevocable trust lacks the simplicity of giving a gift, it may be a better way to preserve assets for the future.
Carl Zacharia
President Biden has signed the latest COVID-19 relief bill, which in addition to authorizing stimulus checks, funding vaccine distribution, and extending unemployment benefits, also provides assistance to seniors in a number of ways.
Justin Ellis
Parents and other family members who want to pass on assets during their lifetimes may be tempted to gift the assets. Although setting up an irrevocable trust lacks the simplicity of giving a gift, it may be a better way to preserve assets for the future.
Carl Zacharia
Join attorney Christine Brown Murphy for a mini-webinar where she discusses pre-planning for long term care by utilizing an irrevocable…
Christine Brown Murphy
Join attorney Colleen Bratkovich to learn about the available monetary, health care and other valuable VA benefits that you or…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Attorney Jennifer Derby outlines some important considerations when estate planning for a loved one with special needs.
Jennifer Bittel Derby
Join attorney Christine Brown Murphy for this mini-webinar where she talks about strategies for protecting your assets and how to…
Christine Brown Murphy
Attorney Ben Urso discusses the difference between these taxes and how they might affect you.
Benjamin W. Urso
Join attorney Christine Brown Murphy for a mini webinar as she addresses the many important issues involved when looking to…
Christine Brown Murphy
As the second (and maybe third) round of stimulus checks go out, it is important to know that nursing home residents are not required to turn their checks over to their nursing home.
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Long-term care involves not only a loss of personal autonomy; it also comes at a tremendous financial price. Proper planning can help your family prepare for the financial toll and protect assets for future generations.
Christine Brown Murphy
Attorney Jennifer Derby discusses what you can do to help your loved ones achieve their Estate Planning goals as we…
Jennifer Bittel Derby
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
Long-term care is the care you need if you can’t perform daily activities on your own for an extended period of time. There are a number of different ways that this kind of care can be provided.
Carl Zacharia
Attorney Ben Urso shares some things to consider if you or a loved one are in need of long term…
Benjamin W. Urso
Attorney Justin Ellis discusses the latest round of stimulus checks and the rules concerning long term care facilities.
Justin Ellis
Attorneys Colleen Bratkovich and Jennifer Derby explain the Estate Administration and Probate process in Pennsylvania and share important information that…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Jennifer Bittel Derby
Buying long-term care insurance is one way to protect against the high cost of long-term care. However, this type of insurance may not be for everyone, so consider all your options.
Christine Brown Murphy
COVID vaccines are starting to roll out to nursing homes across the country, signaling the beginning of the end of the pandemic. Once your loved one has had both doses of the vaccine, you may be able to visit, but precautions are still necessary.
Jennifer Bittel Derby
The holidays are a time when families come together to celebrate the season. And while this year might look a…
Justin Ellis
As Medicare premiums rise, a Medicare Advantage plan can seem like an attractive option. But if you are considering switching from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, you need to know what to look for.
Benjamin W. Urso
If you are experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic, you may want to consider withdrawing money from your retirement account while you still can. The special exemption allowing early withdrawals without a penalty ends soon.
Christine Brown Murphy
Please join Attorney Carl Zacharia as he discusses 10 essential planning details that you and your loved ones need to…
Carl Zacharia
Zacharia Brown Attorney Colleen Bratkovich talks with Lynn Doehring of Bridge Insurance Group about things to consider when choosing a…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Attorney Christine Brown Murphy shares important information to consider when planning your estate if you have a loved one with…
Christine Brown Murphy
Join Attorney Christine Brown Murphy as she discusses planning strategies for married couples when looking to attain Medicaid eligibility for…
Christine Brown Murphy
Join Attorney Christine Brown Murphy as she discusses the importance of a well drafted estate plan when planning to pay…
Christine Brown Murphy
Join Attorney Carl Zacharia as he discusses the important “state of residency” considerations for those individuals who split their time…
Carl Zacharia
Please join attorney Colleen Bratkovich and social worker Diane DeSarno, MSW, LSW to learn about locating resources for care at…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Join Attorney Christine Brown Murphy as she discusses strategies for attaining Medicaid eligibility, planning to pay for long term care…
Christine Brown Murphy
Join attorneys Christine Brown Murphy and Colleen Bratkovich from Zacharia Brown and Morgan Traffican from the Residences at Whitehall &…
Christine Brown Murphy
Join Jennifer Derby, Esquire from Zacharia Brown and Ryan P. Neupaver CFP® from Santori and Peters as they discuss contingency…
Jennifer Bittel Derby
Join attorney Colleen Bratkovich and Deanna Guarnaccio from Life Pittsburgh as they talk about the valuable services provided by Life…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Join attorney Colleen Bratkovich and Rachel Mound, Hospice Medical Social Worker from Interim Healthcare as they discuss the role of…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Join attorney Christine Brown Murphy as she discusses strategies to protect your assets from long term care.
Christine Brown Murphy
Attorney Colleen Bratkovich and Lynn Doehring, President of Bridge Insurance Group, share information at the start of Medicare Open Enrollment…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
Carl Zacharia
Zacharia Brown Founder Carl Zacharia is licensed in Pennsylvania and Florida and he can discuss the benefits of declaring Florida…
Carl Zacharia
Join attorneys Christine Brown Murphy and Colleen Bratkovich and host Morgan Traffican from The Residences of Whitehall and Bethel Park…
Christine Brown Murphy
Please join Lisa Story from Hope Grows, Christine Haythorn from The Parkinson’s Foundation, and Jennifer Derby from Zacharia Brown as…
Jennifer Bittel Derby
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
The basics of what you should know about Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax.
Jennifer Bittel Derby
Important information on how you can protect your home when applying for Medicaid.
Justin Ellis
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
Learn how you may be able to qualify for In Home Medicaid Waiver services by creating a plan to spend…
Benjamin W. Urso
Attorney Christine Brown Murphy and Elder Care Coordinator Heather Wagner discuss the various options for Care at Home as the…
Christine Brown Murphy
Learn about the ways to protect your family home when planning to pay for long term care.
Colleen D. Bratkovich
We are happy to provide informational webinars and virtual workshops for your employees or groups. Reach out to us at…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
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
During this pandemic, many COVID-19 Cyber Scams have emerged and have specifically targeted our vulnerable elderly population. Please advise your…
Jennifer Bittel Derby
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
The economic impact stimulus payments approved by Congress have begun to be sent out by the IRS. Find out who…
Justin Ellis
If you are contemplating giving a gift or some other type of financial assistance to help out a loved one…
Colleen D. Bratkovich
There are several key documents that make up an individual’s estate plan. A Last Will and Testament is a legal…
Benjamin W. Urso
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was passed into law on March 27, 2020 and is a…
Jennifer Bittel Derby
Zacharia Brown is an Elder Law and Estate Planning Firm dedicated to helping families and their loved ones plan, pay…
Carl Zacharia
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
At Zacharia Brown, we recognize our clients concerns about the spread of COVID-19. As a result, we are offering video…
Christine Brown Murphy
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
What happens if you are a high-income Medicare beneficiary who is paying a surcharge on your premiums and then your…
redtree_admin
Many grandparents may be tempted to leave an IRA to a grandchild because children have a low tax rate, however,…
redtree_admin
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
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the month of February is a perfect time to think about care for our elderly…
redtree_admin
Estate Administration or Probate in Pennsylvania is a legal process that occurs after a person has passed away. As part…
redtree_admin
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
