Tucked in the federal spending bill that passed at the end of December 2020 are some changes aimed at simplifying Medicare enrollment and addressing coverage gaps. But Congress chose not to deal with the biggest problem. Currently, Medicare enrollment begins three months before the month of your 65th birthday and continues for three months after your birthday month (for
All long-term care costs rose sharply in 2020, but assisted living facility costs increased the most, according to Genworth’s latest annual Cost of Care Survey. The across-the-board rises were due in part to increased costs brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. In the past year, assisted living facility rates grew 6.15 percent for a median
Medicaid planning can be a difficult and confusing process. The following are some common mistakes people make when planning to apply for Medicaid. Thinking it's too late to plan. It's almost never too late to take planning steps, even after a senior has moved to a nursing home. Giving away assets too early. First,
Do you need an attorney for even "simple" Medicaid planning? This depends on your situation, but in most cases, for Medicaid planning assistance the prudent answer would be "yes." The social worker at your mother's nursing home assigned to assist in preparing a Medicaid application for your mother knows a lot about the program,
Buying long-term care insurance is one way to protect against the high cost of long-term care. However, this type of insurance may not be for everyone, so consider all your options. Long-term care – care in a nursing home or at home -- may be paid for in four main ways: Out-of-pocket. If you have
Many employers offer critical illness insurance as part of their benefit package. What is this insurance and is it worth purchasing? Before paying for a plan, you should read the fine print and consider alternatives. While a regular health insurance plan usually offers comprehensive coverage for all types of illnesses, many plans have high deductibles
Pets are members of the family, so it is important to consider how to provide for them in your estate plan just as you would the human family members. While we may think of pets as part of our family, the law considers them to be property. This means that you cannot leave anything in
As Medicare premiums rise, a Medicare Advantage plan can seem like an attractive option. But if you are considering switching from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan, you need to know what to look for. Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurers, unlike Original Medicare, which the federal government operates, although the medical
In some circumstances, immediate annuities can be ideal Medicaid planning tools for spouses of nursing home residents. Careful planning is needed to make sure an annuity will work for you or your spouse. An immediate annuity, in its simplest form, is a contract with an insurance company under which the consumer pays a certain amount
Just as we create estate plans for our eventual demise, we also need to plan ahead for the possibility that we will become sick and unable to make our own medical decisions. Medical science has created many miracles, among them the technology to keep patients alive longer, sometimes indefinitely. As a result of many well-publicized
