South Florida Estate Planning News
Recent Posts and Articles
Problems With Guardianship System Is Focus of John Oliver Show
John Oliver recently highlighted problems with the guardianship system on his HBO show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The comedian provided a scary and funny explanation of how guardianship works, ending with a public service announcement by William Shatner, Lily Tomlin and others explaining steps you can take to…
Read More Are Medicare Advantage Plans Steering Enrollees to Lower-Quality Nursing Homes?
A new study has found that people enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan were more likely to enter a lower-quality nursing home than were people in traditional Medicare. The study raises questions about whether Medicare Advantage plans are influencing beneficiaries’ decision making when it comes to choosing a nursing home.…
Read More How to Appeal a Medicare Prescription Drug Denial
If your Medicare drug plan denies coverage for a drug you need, you don’t have to simply accept it. There are several steps you can take to fight the decision. The insurers offering Medicare drug plans choose the medicines — both brand-name and generic — that they will include in…
Read More Long-Term Care Insurance Policyholder Wins Suit Against Company for Hiking Premiums
A long-term care policyholder has successfully sued her insurance company for breach of contract after the company raised her premiums. At age 56, Margery Newman bought a long-term care insurance policy from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. She chose an option called “Reduced-Pay at 65” in which she paid higher premiums…
Read More New Federal Law Puts Focus on Preventing Elder Abuse
A new federal law is designed to address the growing problem of elder abuse. The law supports efforts to better understand, prevent, and combat both financial and physical elder abuse. The prevalence of elder abuse is hard to calculate because it is underreported, but according to the National Council on…
Read More Dispute Between Brothers Demonstrates Need to Plan for Long-Term Care
A recent New Jersey appeals court case demonstrates how important it is for families to come up with a long-term care plan before an emergency strikes. The case involves two brothers who got into a fight over whether to place their mother in a nursing home – a dispute that…
Read More Avoid Sibling Disputes Over Caregiving By Putting It in Writing
Caring for an elderly parent can be stressful for families. Siblings may disagree over how to provide care or where a parent will live, and if these squabbles escalate into a guardianship battle, it can cost the family thousands of dollars. To avoid this, lawyers have begun drafting sibling agreements…
Read More A Guidebook to Planning for Old Age
Joy Loverde. Who Will Take Care of Me When I’m Old? Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age. New York, NY: Da Capo Press, 2017. 313 pages. Click here to order book via IndieBound.org Millions of Americans are facing old age essentially alone. One in three…
Read More Estate Planning and Retirement Considerations for Late-in-Life Parents
Older parents are becoming more common, driven in part by changing cultural mores and surrogate motherhood. Comedian and author Steve Martin had his first child at age 67. Singer Billy Joel just welcomed his third daughter. Janet Jackson had a child at age 50. But later-in-life parents have some special…
Read More Congrats! Your child is accepted to college… now what?
Preparing to send your son or daughter to college is one of the most exciting, and nerve-wrecking times for a parent! You’ll worry whether they will eat properly, study enough, and get enough sleep. While you can’t help these everyday concerns, you can prepare for the big ones: if your…
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