Who Can Serve as Executor?
One important reason to have a will is to be able to name your executor (also called a personal representative). An executor is the person responsible for managing the administration of your estate after you die.
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Will My Advance Directive Work in Another State?
If you move to a different state or split your time between one or more states, you should make sure your advance directive is valid in all the states you frequent.
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New Rule May Make It Harder for Medicare Beneficiaries to Receive Home Care
It may become harder for Medicare beneficiaries to find home health care due to a new rule. Although the rule changes the way home health care providers are reimbursed, it could affect patient care as well.
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Medicaid’s Asset Transfer Rules
In order to be eligible for Medicaid, you cannot have transferred assets recently. Congress does not want you to move into a nursing home on Monday, give all your money to your children (or whomever) on Tuesday, and qualify for Medicaid on Wednesday.
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Does Your Will Name an Alternate Beneficiary?
What will happen to your estate if your primary beneficiary does not survive you? If your will does not name an alternate beneficiary, your estate will be divided according to state law, which may not be what you want.
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Powers of Attorney Come in Different Flavors
A power of attorney is a very important estate planning tool, but in fact there are several different kinds of powers of attorney that can be used for different purposes.
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Medicaid’s Gift to Children Who Help Parents Postpone Nursing Home Care
There are circumstances in which transferring a house will not result in a Medicaid penalty period, and one of those is if the Medicaid applicant transfers the house to a “caretaker child.”
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Should You Sell Your Life Insurance Policy?
Older Americans with a life insurance policy that they no longer need have the option to sell the policy to investors. These transactions, called “life settlements,” can bring in needed cash, but are they a good idea?
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Reports Find Hospice Deficiencies Go Unaddressed
Hospice care is supposed to help terminally ill patients maintain their quality of life at the end of their life, but two new government reports find that serious problems in some hospices may be actually causing harm to hospice patients.
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New Rule Once Again Allows Nursing Home Arbitration Agreements
The Trump administration is officially rolling back a ban on the use of arbitration agreements by nursing homes, once again allowing nursing facilities to ask families to give up their right to sue over patient injuries or deaths.
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