The cost of care in a nursing home can quickly devastate the finances of a married couple. When I first began to practice elder law, the situation was dire. A married couple could spend all of their savings paying for the care of the person who was institutionalized. The spouse at home would then have […]
The Infamous Medicaid Look Back Rule… Why Does it Matter and What Does it Mean?
There are a lot of misconceptions out there as to this illusive Medicaid Look Back Rule and what it actually means. With this article, I hope to demystify this rule and give you some helpful information which you can apply to your lives moving forward. This discussion is based on the current (June 2018) Medicaid […]
My mother has Medicare. Won’t that take care of the nursing home bills?
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older and certain younger people with disabilities or specific diseases. Payments by Medicare for nursing home care, if any, are only provided on a limited basis, and not for long-term needs. There are many limitations. For example, Medicare requires a qualifying in-patient […]
The Big Financial Risk facing Pennsylvania Seniors
Recently I wrote about how death taxes impact Pennsylvania residents and their heirs. The conclusion was that for most of us, federal death taxes are not an issue. And Pennsylvania’s inheritance tax can take a modest bite from our accumulated wealth. [See my recent article Death Taxes For Pennsylvania Residents] For many Pennsylvania seniors a […]
Disinheriting your Spouse – Can it be Done in Pennsylvania?
A question that comes up more frequently than one may expect in our practice is: can I disinherit my spouse. The simple answer to that question is No, you cannot just disinherit your spouse but you can sure try… Although technically you cannot disinherit your spouse under Pennsylvania law, you can always try to leave […]
Medicaid Penalty Divisor Set at $330.19 per day for 2018
For many Pennsylvania families qualification for Medicaid long-term care benefits is critical to meeting the cost of care for a frail family member. But, an applicant for this government assistance may be made ineligible for benefits if he or she has disposed of assets for less than fair market value during a five year look-back […]
Should I Update My Will If My Spouse Needs Long Term Care?
You should consider updating your will if your spouse is receiving long term care either at home or in a facility. Here is why: Many married couples have simple “I love you wills” that leave everything outright to the surviving spouse. This is logical for a healthy couple whose primary goal is to provide for each other […]