It isn’t easy to assess all the options: Seniors and other beneficiaries must weigh short-term savings in premiums against long-term costs in co-pays or limited benefits. It is important to consider developing health concerns and how easily they can get access to a favorite doctor or specialist. With ever-changing co-pays, premiums, and the list of…
While choosing the right Medicare can be maddening, a beefed-up federal five-star rating system for Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans may make the choice a whole lot easier this year. The annual eight-week window allows newly minded seniors — Michigan’s baby boomers who turned 65 this past year — to sign up for policies…
Enhance your career with the FREE Elder Law Boot Camp for Social Workers! Earn up to seven CE Credit Hours in this one-day session offered Friday, October 19 by the Michigan Elder Law Center. Join Witzke, Berry, Carter & Wander PLLC at the Auburn Hills Marriott at Centerpoint. Christopher J. Berry is a partner with Witzke, Berry,…
Enhance your career with the FREE Elder Law Boot Camp for Social Workers! Earn up to seven CE Credit Hours in this one-day session offered Friday, October 19 by the Michigan Elder Law Center. Join Witzke, Berry, Carter & Wander PLLC at the Auburn Hills Marriott at Centerpoint. By attending this seminar, you will learn…
The last several years of life are often the most expensive due to out-of-pocket expenses that are not covered by Medicare. A new study by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan documents the significant financial burden on individuals and families as result of out-of-pocket costs for older adults at the close of their…
In 2000 their father, then 80, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and their struggle began. By the summer of 2007 his condition deteriorated to the point that he had become confused, scared, and unwilling to take his medication. Finding in-home care was a struggle as he grew agitated and leery of help from strangers. Their…
Americans are relentlessly aging and with the exponentially growing cost of care facilities — the national average is $78,000 for a semi-private room — there’s a looming crisis in long-term-care because our model for funding is crumbling under the weight of multiple demands and inexorable demographic shift, yet we are doing close to nothing to…
A recent decision involving a Pennsylvania state appeals court ruling, that a son of a nursing home resident is responsible for her unpaid $93,000 bill has elder care lawyers wondering if this is the beginning of a trend. Pennsylvania is one of 30 states with filial responsibility statutes that impose a duty on children to…
It is not contended whether Americans understand the value of insurance — routinely they buy it for cars, homes, health and in some special cases, even pets and boats. All varieties of insurance are widely accepted as a necessity to well being and security as we plan to protect ourselves and the ones we love, with the…
So, why complicate things with a trust? Why not just keep the planning as simple and inexpensive as possible? The short answer is that gift transaction costs are only part of what needs to be considered. Many important benefits that can result from gifting in trust are forfeited by outright gifting. These benefits are what give value to using irrevocable trusts in Medicaid planning.