It’s a common misconception that you don’t need an elder law lawyer until after retirement. Like all good planning, it’s wise to invest time and energy into planning upfront so that your only ongoing concerns are updates if your life requires changes to your elder law documents. Elder law issues can be very complex, and… Read More »
Posts Categorized: Medicaid
What Does a Medicaid Planner Do?
Qualifying for Medicaid is a very complicated prospect. Although Medicaid is a federal program, it is administered at the state level. There might also be different programs within each state and the application and review process is time-consuming. Mistakes made on a Medicaid application or the failure to plan in advance regarding Medicaid qualification can… Read More »
Understanding Medicaid’s Five Year Look Back Period
Congress has established a variety of rules about ineligibility for Medicaid. In addition to these federal rules, there are also issues you should be aware of at the state level. The ineligibility period for Medicaid is also referred to as a penalty period. This specifically relates to applicants who transferred assets shortly before applying in… Read More »
What Services Does an Elder Law Attorney Provide?
There are several reasons you might want to form a relationship with a lawyer who has experience in both estate planning and elder law. As your life evolves, what you need from an attorney could change, especially as you look towards retirement. Most elder law attorneys help you with a variety of legal concerns related… Read More »
Longevity & You: Planning is Essential
What you need to consider about new longevity numbers: Most people in the Baby Boomer generation are already confronting the possibility that they could live longer than they expected. This can raise a lot of questions about what it means to truly plan for your future, and whether or not you have enough assets set… Read More »
Medicare, MassHealth, And Planning For Long-Term Care
Many people are confused about the difference between Medicare and MassHealth as it pertains to the challenge of paying for expensive long-term care. This is not surprising. The two programs sound similar and both provide for medical care. Let’s start with a brief definition of each program. Medicare is an entitlement program. Everyone who reaches… Read More »
Bill’s Blog: “I made it to the Supreme Judicial Court!”
The public doesn’t realize that only a small percentage of attorneys regularly appear in court. Still fewer ever appear before their state supreme courts. For a good part of my career I did appear quite regularly in courts, but only irregularly in the Appellate Court of Massachusetts, once in a Federal Appeals Court, but never… Read More »
Tips for Managing Finances During Your Golden Years
Ensuring that you have the appropriate assets set aside for your retirement is not just about caring for the day-to-day expenses or paying off your mortgage. It is also critical to think carefully about end of life care. It is not always easy to answer the pertinent questions surrounding quality end-of-life care but it is… Read More »
Most Federal Employees Aren’t Prepared for Long-Term Care Costs
Even though most senior citizens will eventually need some kind of extended care, only 3 out of every 10 federal employees have considered a plan for covering long-term care costs. This according to a new study conducted by Government Executive magazine. In fact, a full quarter of federal employees over 45 say they would currently… Read More »
A Basic Breakdown of Medicaid for Massachusetts
We talk a lot about elder law, elder care, and Medicaid on this website, and for many of our readers, those terms are part of everyday life. What if you’re a newcomer to the world of Medicaid, though? Or maybe you’re a family member trying to learn a little more so you can help an… Read More »