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Four Provisions People Forget to Include in Their Estate Plan

Even if you’ve created an estate plan, are you sure you included everything you need to? There are certain provisions that people often forget to put in in a will or estate plan that can have a big impact on your family.

1. Alternate Beneficiaries

One of the most important things Continue reading

The Use of Immediate Annuities in Medicaid Planning for Married Couples

mmediate annuities can be a useful tool to protect the spouse of a nursing home resident who applies for Medicaid. These types of annuities allow the nursing home resident to spend down assets and give the spouse a guaranteed income. But immediate annuities may not work in every state, Continue reading

Many Skilled Care Providers Still Unaware of New Medicare Rules

Even though Medicare is now covering skilled care for beneficiaries who are not improving, many are still being denied coverage, according to Judith Stein, director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy.  Stein told Reuters columnist Mark Miller that despite a nationwide educational Continue reading

Observation Stays in the Hospital: The Impact on Medicare Beneficiaries

By Judith Stein, Esq.

In December 2013, Ms. M., 99, was found on the floor in her assisted-living apartment. She was sent to the hospital and treated for a broken shoulder. She stayed at the hospital for three nights, but instead of being deemed an “inpatient,” she was considered Continue reading

Nursing Home Debt Collector’s Filial Support Lawsuit Against Family Does Not Violate Fair Debt Collection Law

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit holds that a law firm that was attempting to collect a debt from a nursing home resident’s family did not violate debt collection law when it filed a lawsuit against the family based on Pennsylvania’s filial support law. Eades v. Kennedy, Continue reading