Elder Law News

A recent court case involving a power of attorney demonstrates the problem with using online estate planning forms instead of hiring an attorney who can make sure your documents are tailored to your needs.  

A new survey has found that motivated in part by the coronavirus pandemic, younger adults are now more likely to have a will than middle-aged adults. Nevertheless, the overall percentage of Americans with a will has dropped over the past several years.  

Medicare prescription drug plans can have a coverage gap—called the “donut hole”–which limits how much Medicare will pay for your drugs until you pay a certain amount out of pocket.

We have been waiting for an answer from Medicaid about home care for our mother. We have sent in every type of documentation they have asked for, but each time we do, they come up with more that they need and wait days before telling us. We call constantly and they ignore us. This has been going on for three months. Today, we tried to get ahold of a supervisor and they hung up on us. Our mom cannot be alone, so we have depleted her savings to pay someone to be with her. The cost is unsustainable. How can we get a decision on whether Medicaid will cover the cost of her care? 

Medicare prescription drug plans can have a coverage gap—called the “doughnut hole”–which limits how much Medicare will pay for your drugs until you pay a certain amount out of pocket.

Five elder advocacy groups are calling on Congress to eliminate Medicaid estate recovery after a congressional advisory commission concluded the practice recoups a tiny percentage of Medicaid spending while contributing to generational poverty and inequity.

President Biden has introduced a plan to spend $400 billion over eight years on home and community-based care for the elderly and people with disabilities. The money would go to expand access to care and support higher-paying caregiving jobs. 

My mother is in a nursing home. Her guardian refuses to communicate with me about her condition and well-being. I am her youngest son. Is this appropriate conduct?

My dad is in a nursing home and qualified for Medicaid nearly three years ago. My mom still lives in their home in Pennsylvania. The deed was transferred into her name alone during Medicaid’s “spend down” period. She was planning to take out a home equity loan, but she has been told it might jeopardize my dad’s Medicaid eligibility. Is this true?

In a profanity-laced episode of his HBO show that is by turns hilarious and deeply disturbing, comedian John Oliver delivers one of his trademark rants, this one exposing the “abuse and neglect” that he contends are all-too-prevalent in our system of long-term care.