The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled a one-to-five star rating system for nursing homes to help consumers evaluate a nursing home’s quality when selecting a facility. The ratings appear on the agency’s Nursing Home Compare Website ...   more »

When creating an estate plan, an important decision is who to name as your fiduciary. A fiduciary is a fancy legal term for the person who will take care of your property for you if you are unable to do ...   more »

The Department of Veterans Affairs, stung by criticism that its slow action has forced some severely disabled veterans to spend themselves into poverty, has moved to implement a two-year-old law requiring it to reimburse such veterans for the cost of ...   more »

Valuation discounts (particularly of the minority and marketability type) can significantly reduce what might otherwise have been the estate and gift tax values of transferred property. In contrast, the IRS often takes the position, on audit and in litigation, that ...   more »

House Ways and Means Committee member Pomeroy (D-ND) has introduced H.R. 436, “Certain Estate Tax Relief Act of 2008,” a bill that would freeze the lifetime estate tax exemption at $3.5 million per decedent (the 2009 level) and would retain ...   more »

Many people think that estate plans are for someone else, not them. They may rationalize that they are too young or don't have enough money to reap the tax benefits of a plan. But as the following list makes clear, ...   more »

Certainly, the current economic downturn is not going to affect the needs of some seniors for help with activities of daily living. But it could affect where that help is provided -- at home, in assisted living or in a ...   more »

A recent tax law change designed to help address the financial burden facing those who have seen their IRAs or 401(k)s shrink is expected to be signed by President Bush, officially making it law, shortly. Depending on your particular situation, ...   more »

Daily benefit. The daily benefit is the amount the insurance pays per day toward long-term care expenses. If your daily benefit doesn’t cover your expenses, you will have to cover any additional costs. Purchasing the maximum daily benefit will assure ...   more »

As nursing home and long-term care costs continue to rise, the Deficit Reduction Act has made it more difficult to qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing home costs. Long-term care insurance can help cover expenses, but long term care ...   more »

The new numbers for 2009 for Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and other figures that are of interest to the elderly and their families have been released. In an attempt not to overwhelm everyone, we will publish the updated numbers in ...   more »

The Internal Revenue Service has announced the 2009 limitations on the deductibility of long-term care insurance premiums from taxes.

Premiums for "qualified" (see explanation below) long-term care policies are tax deductible provided that they, along with other unreimbursed medical expenses, ...   more »

Very recently, “The Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008" was signed by President Bush extending an excellent charitable planning opportunity for both 2008 and 2009. This act permits an IRA owner aged 70 ½ or older ...   more »

Just when America was warming up to the idea of purchasing long term care insurance to protect family assets from the devastating costs of custodial care, the three largest insurance companies have shaken up the market by raising prices on ...   more »

How to Enroll for Health Benefits
You can fill out the form to enroll for health benefits online at https://www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez or you can receive the form by calling 1-877-222-VETS (8387). Once you complete and sign the form, mail it to ...   more »