Do you know how to navigate Medicare Enrollment? Medicare can cause a lot of confusion, and since this is Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, we are focusing on how it fits into people’s lives. Medicare is a federal insurance for medical services, divided into parts A and B. Part A covers the hospital services;… Read more »
Do you know what to look for in a nursing home? A lot of people will ask, “How do I choose a nursing home and things like that?” We always say, “Choose one that is close to home, close to family, that as many people can visit as possible.” After doing those things, if you’re… Read more »
Are you exercising the right way as you age? You may work out or go to the gym, but are you exercising in a way that will benefit you as you age? There are unorthodox ways of staying active, that can help you do the little things later in life that make a… Read more »
If You Do Nothing Else for Yourself and Your Family: get a Financial Power of Attorney and a Medical Power of Attorney… If you do no other planning, you need to get disability documents in place. These are a Financial Power of Attorney, a.k.a. Durable Power of Attorney and a Medical Power of Attorney, a.k.a…. Read more »
Chris Berry, Michigan Elder Law Attorney reviews how the Medicaid Crisis Planning strategy known as a “half-loaf” Plan works to protect half of your assets if you were to need long term care in a nursing home. Hey, this is Chris Berry. Today we’re going to talk about the Medicaid Half-Loaf Plan. Medicaid is a… Read more »
Medicaid is a governmental program that can help pay nursing home care in Michigan, but there is a catch. That catch is that there is an asset test. A single individual can only have $2,000 in countable resources. Countable resources are everything, except for: Primary Residence Small Cash Value of Life Insurance An Automobile Pre-Paid… Read more »
Medicaid planning helps potential applicants and their families receive the benefits they need while protecting and preserving their hard-earned assets. The new 2017 Medicaid numbers are in. Medicaid Eligibility Rules in Michigan To be Medicaid eligible, a single individual is allowed $2,000 or less in countable assets. Married couples are treated differently. If there is one… Read more »
Insurance is one of those necessary things we all must have, for the ‘just in case’ scenarios in life. You have it for your car, your home, your health, but have you considered what to do if you or a spouse might need long term care? How are you going to afford the cost of… Read more »
Problems with the Five Wishes and Free Advanced Directives In my Michigan estate planning practice, I’ve had a ton of clients and financial planners bring up the Five Wishes as a way to handle end of life decisions. Everyone over the age of 18 in Michigan needs advanced directives (sometimes called medical powers of attorney)…. Read more »
As a Michigan Elder Law Attorney, I commonly hear from veterans and surviving spouses that they won’t ever need Medicaid because the VA will pay their nursing home care. However, that’s really not the case. Don’t make this mistake in your own estate planning if you are a Michigan Veteran. The VA will only pay for… Read more »
