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We’ve all heard that it’s better to give than to receive, but if you think you might someday want to apply for Medicaid long-term care benefits, you need to be careful because giving away money or property can interfere with your eligibility.  Under federal Medicaid law, if you transfer certain assets within five years before applying for Medicaid, you will be ineligible for a period time (called a transfer penalty), depending on how much money you transferred. Even small transfers can affect eligibility.

Come out to the Winter Park Community Center on September 13th at 6:00 pm to hear Heather C. Kirson, Esq. and Patti Fuller, Esq., B.C.S. speak on topics such as Medicaid Planning, VA benefits and Estate Planning. If you or someone you know is having to face the issue of how to pay for long-term care, this could be the perfect opportunity to learn how you can get help to pay for it! This is a free event and is open to the public. Please call (407) 422-3017 for more information.

Provided by Elderlawanswers: Disagreements with a nursing home can arise regarding any number of topics, including the quality of food, troublesome roommates, lack of privacy, or services not meeting what was promised. Many disputes can be resolved by speaking with a nursing home staff member, supervisor, or moving up the chain of command. But if you can’t resolve things within the nursing home, your next step should be to contact the local ombudsman assigned to the nursing home.

Provided by Elderlawanswers:

You had a loving relationship with your mother and she always said she would leave everything to you and your siblings, but after she died, you discover she had recently written a new will, leaving everything to her housekeeper. Is there anything you can do? If you believe a loved one’s will is not valid, you may be able to contest it.

Last Updated: 8/24/2012 4:08:57 PM by ElderLawAnswers

How Republican Mitt Romney’s vice presidential pick would change Medicare has been getting a lot of attention, but Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) proposed cuts to the Medicaid program, which Mr. Romney has embraced in concept, are bigger and arguably more drastic.Although most Medicaid recipients are poor children and their families, the program also covers the cost of nursing home and other long-term care for more than 4.4 million Americans, most of them elderly.

Provided by Elderlawanswers. Last Updated: 8/17/2012 2:41:12 PM

Last year, we reported that House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) proposed a budget that would radically reshape Medicare and shift more costs to seniors and the disabled. At the time, we noted that “the plan may well become the Republican Party’s de facto platform in 2012.” Little did anyone know that the plan’s architect would become Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s choice as his running mate, putting the Ryan plan for Medicare center-stage less than three months before the election.

October 12th, 2011 by Ken Coughlin

Choosing a nursing home for a family member can be one of the most difficult decisions anyone ever has to make. The fact that the family member needs to move to a nursing home means that he or she is in a vulnerable state and will be dependent on the care provided in the facility. Following are 44 questions (we counted them so you don’t have to!) that should help a family choose the best facility in an unfortunate situation:

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has announced his support for raising the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67. However, research suggests that such a move would increase out-of-pocket costs for younger seniors and raise health care costs overall. Making baby boomers wait two more years before they’re covered by the highly popular Medicare program would indeed save the federal government $5.7 billion in 2014, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. But at the same time, Kaiser says the change would mean that 65- and 66-year-olds, their employers, other Medicare enrollees, and states would have to cough up an extra $11.4 billion.

Important information everyone should know about Advance Directives! Provided  by Elderlawanswers. A durable power of attorney and a health care proxy are two very important estate planning documents. Both allow other people to make decisions for you in the event you are incapacitated. Because the individuals chosen will have to coordinate your care, it is important to pick two people who will get along. A power of attorney allows a person you appoint — your agent or “attorney-in-fact” — to act in your place for financial purposes when and if you ever become incapacitated.

Have you ever wanted to try your chance at blackjack, roulette or craps, but didn’t want to lose your hard earned money? Now’s your chance to gamble for a great cause at the Best Buddies Casino Night on Saturday, November 17th at The Mezz. Tickets are now available over the phone at 407-898-0787 x 107, online purchase option coming soon! Individual tickets are $100 or $175 for a pair. Ticket prices include drinks, parking, first round of gambling chips, passed hors d’oeuvres and much more. All proceeds benefit students and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Central Florida community.