Most seniors who took a retirement quiz did not score high. Not long ago I wrote on a Wall Street Journal debate where one side said there is no retirement crisis and the other said there was. My point was that neither party addressed the potential need for long-term care and increasing medical expenses. Had… Continue Reading
Author Archives: John
Elder Law Planning: Definitely Worth Pursuing
Many people have the false impression that Elder Law planning is not worth finding out about because they think they are not eligible for Medicaid. They feel they have too much income, money or other assets to qualify, or believe that some specialized trust strategies used for asset protection are only for rich people. With… Continue Reading
Hospitals Must Provide Notice About Observation Status
All hospitals must now give Medicare recipients notice when they are in the hospital under observation status. The notice requirement is part of a law enacted in 2015 but that just took effect. Signed by President Obama in August 2015, the law was intended to prevent surprises after a Medicare beneficiary spends days in a… Continue Reading
Deduct Long-Term Care Premiums From Your Income
Taxpayers with long-term care insurance policies can deduct some of their premiums from their income. Whether you can use the deduction requires comparing your medical expenses to your income in a complicated formula. Premiums for qualified long-term care insurance policies are tax deductible to the extent that they, along with other unreimbursed medical expenses (including… Continue Reading
Do You Need a Living Trust? A Few Ways to Avoid Probate Without One
Do you need a living trust? The short answer is probably not. For those who promote the use of living trusts, the general logic is that this is the single, best document that will help you avoid costly probate proceedings when passing assets to your heirs. And while this technically may be true, in most… Continue Reading