While the Affordable Care Act attempted to “bend the cost curve”, the cost of long-term care remains high and is projected to skyrocket in the future. In Illinois, the median annual cost for a nursing home with a private room was $125,732. (Genworth Financial, Inc., survey). Figuring out how to…
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New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
The Truth About Medicaid “Estate Recovery” Concerns
The New York Medicaid system is the primary source of funding for many seniors in need of long-term care at nursing homes. Medicare does not cover these extensive stays, and the out-of-pocket costs are tremendous. As a result, many seniors enroll in the program to pay for their care. Payments…
Is There a Future in Outsourcing Elder Care?
A somewhat bizarre story out of Europe is leading a few elder care experts in the United States to question whether “shipping away” seniors may be part of the future of long-term care for some families. As reported by the BBC, one adult daughter in Switzerland ignited an ethical debate…
Understanding Social Security Benefits for Seniors
The words “Social Security” remain synonymous with retirement benefits for seniors. Earlier generations grew up with the understanding that Social Security would provide an income net in their golden years, allowing a modest but safe retirement. However, the current generation does not have nearly the same picture of the system.…
Did You Prepare for That?
Screenwriter and director Woody Allen once said, “There are worse things in life than death.” Becoming incapacitated and unable to make medical treatment decisions for yourself may be one of those things. The case of Terry Schiavo is a perfect example of the problems that can arise when one does…
Former New York State Medicaid Inspector General Sets His Sights on Charity Regulation
There will soon be a new chief in town when it comes to monitoring the activities of New York charitable organizations. According to a report last week in the Wall Street Journal, James Sheehan was named the head of a state agency known as the Charities Bureau. This entity may…
New York Medicaid “Look-Back” Period & Proper Records
The price of nursing home care in New York is staggering. It is not uncommon for a stay to cost upwards of $15,000 – $20,000 per month. This is a burden that many New York seniors can not afford to pay. After all , many local residents are only living…
Do-It Yourself Estate Planning Problems: Transferring Real Estate
There are some tasks where the “do-it-yourself” approach makes sense. This includes tightening a leaky pipe under the sink or changing the headlight bulb on your old car. With those tasks, it is clear right away if your skills were up to the challenge and you did it correctly. If…
Disorganization & IRA Inheritances
Many New Yorkers invest a sizeable portion of theirs assets into IRAs–retirement accounts to fund their golden years after their work life is over. Of course, no one knows exactly what their future holds, and so it is common for IRAs to contain significant funds upon one’s passing. Deciding who…
Avoiding Senior Isolation: The Julie Harris Case
Elder law and estate planning often involve overlapping issues. This is not just because seniors are those in need of elder law support (like Medicaid planning) and also the one’s most likely to think seriously about estate planning. Instead, issues connected to securing proper senior care and thriving in one’s…