A Do It Yourself Will Gone Bad – Part 1
I recent call I received from Mary illustrates the risks of do it yourself estate planning. In this case Mary and john, her husband prepared their wills using Quicken’s Willmaker software which can be purchased online for less than $100. It couldn’t be easier, right? Hiring an estate planning attorney could cost several hundred to a
Stimulus Checks Issued to Deceased People
A few weeks ago I wrote about Stimulus checks, the part of the CARES Act that gives one time payments of $1200 to every American whose adjusted gross income is $75,000 or less (and a smaller amount for those with income between $75,000 and $99,000). Since then, some people have received the payments direct
Is it Still Possible to Probate a Will?
Last week, I heard the statistic reported that the number of Covid-19 related deaths has now exceeded the number of people who died in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War, of course, spanned 11 years while the current pandemic has been ongoing for a few months at this point. The compressed
Covid Medicare Coverage
What we know about the Coronavirus is that seniors are at a higher risk of serious illness than younger age groups. So how has Medicare, the primary health insurance program for Americans over 65, responded?
Is the Stimulus Payment Counted by Medicaid
Last week I gave you an overview of the CARES Act and specifically how it affects seniors. A few days later people began to receive their $1200 stimulus payments directly deposited into their bank accounts, the part of the aid package that gives a one time payment to anyone who had $75,000 or less
CARES Act – An Overview for Seniors and Their Families
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump last month. It is a $2 trillion aid package with a lot to it. Because of the speed with which it was written and passed, there is much confusion about what’s
Should I Move My Loved One?
As the current Covid-19 pandemic continues and experts predict that the peak in the number of new cases is expected to be reached sometime this month we have been taking calls from family members who want to know whether they should consider moving their loved one to another facility or to their own home.
Document Signing During Covid-19 Crisis
As of this writing we are in the midst of a pandemic the likes of which none of us living today has ever experienced. Historians tell us that the Spanish Flu epidemic from 1918 to 1919 comes the closest. Government shutdown of nonessential businesses has caused widespread disruptions and affected people and businesses in
Problems When Renewing Medicaid – Part 1
I have written a few times about the problem of keeping Medicaid once you have been approved. There are a number of rules and regulations that – if violated – could cause the loss of benefits. A recent case in our office illustrates another way that we haven’t previously experienced. We applied for Medicaid for
Thoughts on the Coronavirus
With the spread of the Coronavirus (named COVID-19) in the news and changing seemingly by the minute I decided to devote this week’s post to the topic. People are understandably nervous. It can seem impossible at times to sort through the information, especially when one government official says one thing but then almost immediately