Of Alzheimer’s Disease and Government Shutdowns
A new survey by the MetLife Foundation indicates that Alzheimer’s Disease is more feared by adult Americans than any other disease except cancer – and in a few years that just might change. Approximately 1000 Americans were interviewed last fall. 31% indicated they most feared Alzheimer’s Disease, ahead of heart
Failing To Tie Up Loose Ends
Tying up legal loose ends is so important. Mary and John had been divorced 15 years ago. They had split their assets, with John keeping his retirement account and Mary keeping the house. John now needs nursing home care. “It shouldn’t be a problem”, I told Mary. “He’ll need to
But Mom Won’t Live to 100 – or Will She? (Part 2)
Last week we were discussing Mary and her mom. Mary opted not to do long term care planning for her mom at age 95. At age 100 she called me again. We met and Mary asked me, again about long term care planning. I told her that Mom would need
“But Mom Won’t Live to 100 – Or Will She?”
Quite often when explaining long term care planning to the family member of an aging senior, specifically when I mention the 5 year Medicaid look back, the person will tell me that “Mom won’t live that long”. Of course, no one can predict the future with any certainty so, logically,
Medicaid – The State’s Bizarro World
You may be a fan of Superman or, like me, Seinfeld, and so are familiar with the term “bizarro” or “bizarro world”. The term is part of popular culture. Wikipedia’s definition is a weirdly mutilated version of anything. I am fond of telling clients that entering the “Medicaid world” means
The Danger of Acting on the Wrong Information
If you have ever struggled through the long term care system you know that getting accurate information is one of the most frustrating aspects. It seems the more people you talk to the more confusing and contradictory the process becomes. Acting on the wrong information can be costly. A call
No Money, No Transfers, No Medicaid – What Gives?
I received a call the other day from Mary who was at her wits end. Last year her dad’s Medicaid application had been denied. Dad’s finances were quite simple. He had no money to his name. What little he had in savings he had spent down for his care and
The Long Term Care Perfect Storm
Two articles in the local paper last week reminded me again of how a number of forces are combining in the coming months and years to really make the long term care issue an acute problem for many Americans, creating a “perfect storm” to use a popular phrase of recent
The Right Way and the Wrong Way to Reduce a Medicaid Penalty
There are many reasons why the Medicaid program is so confusing to the general public. Perhaps, the greatest source of misunderstanding is the Medicaid penalty. And that mystification can cost literally thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Allow me to explain. The Medicaid penalty is actually a period of months
How Does Medicaid View Long Term Care Insurance?
Mary cared for her husband, John, at home. John had long term care insurance to help pay for a home health aide. However, over time, keeping John at home simply became impossible and Mary was forced to place him in a nursing facility. She applied the insurance towards the cost