The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has announced its 2019 rate increases for certain non-serviced connected disability wartime military veterans, not dishonorably discharged or their surviving spouses to help pay for care costs ranging from being housebound to long-term care costs. However, since these benefits...
An elderly client, whose husband lives in a skilled nursing home due to his lack of mental capacity, retains us to apply for long-term Medicaid for her husband so that the government will help pay for his cost of care. However, to be eligible for...
As many of you know, Texas is an income cap state in connection with long-term care (most commonly used for nursing home care) Medicaid eligibility. Presently, if an applicant for nursing home Medicaid has “countable” income (certain income is exempt or excluded) over $2,250 per...
Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics co-creator of superheroes such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Fantastic Four and the Hulk, recently died at age 95 after experiencing a mental decline. Predators such as his caregiver, daughter and business associates all tried to gain control of his assets...
The great majority of Americans who were able to get a tax deduction for giving to charities in prior years may no longer itemize and take advantage of such deduction in year 2018 and thereafter. This is a result of the doubling of the standard...
The IRS announced last month that the estate and gift tax exemption will be $11.4 million per individual (up from $11.18 million) as of January 1, 2019. In other words, there is no federal estate tax for heirs of a person who is single if...
As of January 1, 2019, the equity limit for a homestead applicant (who is single) for either the nursing home Medicaid program or “waiver” home care Medicaid program has increased to $585,000. Thus, if the home equity (the difference between the appraised value and any...
The following case is an example of how an entire estate was preserved for the benefit of an ill spouse and then for the children after her passing. The planning was done years ago, but the total savings were realized as of the date of...
Social Security beneficiaries will receive the highest increase (2.8%) in benefits in seven years based on the cost of living adjustment (COLA) due to inflation in changes for housing, clothing, transportation, energy, medical care, recreation and education – which is the Consumer Price Index for...
Financial powers of attorney are commonly used to give authority to a trusted individual (the “Agent”) to handle assets of the one who signed (the “Principal”) the power of attorney. The power of attorney is an important estate planning document especially if the Principal should...
