Tag: Medicare

What your state lets you keep, effective 1/1/2024

This is a table that shows the minimum assets and income each state allows nursing-home residents and their spouses to keep.

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The Secret Medicare Plan that No One Tells You About

Saving Money

Medicare supplement plan – most out-of-pocket could be $25-$32 a month

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The Partnership for Long-Term Care

The idea of the Long-Term Care Partnership is to provide a way for the Medicaid program to work together with private long-term care insurance to help those people who are caught in the middle: they can’t afford to pay the cost of the care or even the cost of a long-term care insurance policy with unlimited benefits, yet their assets are too high to qualify for Medicaid to pay their long-term care expenses. Many middle-income workers and retirees find themselves in this position.

Participating insurance companies in the Partnership recognize the needs of these middle-income Americans by providing LTC insurance policies that have built-in consumer protection benefit standards, and participating states cooperate by allowing these policyholders to access Medicaid without spending down their assets almost to poverty level if the insurance benefits run out.

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The Duckett Family

The story of my dear clients, Vernon and Helen Duckett.

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Seeking Solutions with Suzanne

Suzanne sits down with Phyllis Shelton, President of LTC Consultants and author of “Protecting Your Family with Long-Term Care Insurance” to discuss long-term care. Long-term care is provided when people need help getting through the day. It can become necessary for many reasons including strokes, MS, Parkinson’s and accidents. Often, it is the only thing …

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What Does the Supreme Court’s Decision to Nullify DOMA Mean for Medicaid LTC Benefits?

Publicity around the Supreme Court’s decision to nullify the Defense of Marriage Act on June 26, 2013 has centered around the ability to file joint tax returns and collect survivor social security benefits. My first reaction was “What about the ability to take advantage of the spousal impoverishment benefits under Medicaid?”

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My new book will tell you why 2013 is the year to get LTC insurance!

You’re not sure LTC insurance is the best solution for you? No problem. After you read this book, you will know enough to make an informed decision and I will have done my job.

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What Happened to the New Government Program That Was Supposed to Pay for Long-Term Care?

The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act was a provision in the 2010 health care reform act (Public Law 111-148) that was supposed to provide an average benefit of $50 a day depending on the level of impairment with a lifetime (unlimited) benefit period. This benefit would grow each year based on Urban …

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Long-Term Care Insurance Tax Deduction for Greater Than 2% Shareholders of S-Corporations

For those who have wondered how the long-term care insurance self-employed tax deduction works for owners of S-Corporations, this straightforward explanation clears it up.

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The CLASS Act (YES, You Still Need Long‐Term Care Insurance!!)

The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act is a provision in Section 8002 of the new health care reform bill (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111‐148) enacted March 23, 2010. The CLASS Act is supposed to provide a small cash benefit of an average of $50 a day with a lifetime benefit period depending on the level of impairment. For example, needing help with four Activities of Daily Living vs. two would result in an increased benefit. This benefit is guaranteed issue and is designed to help people with limitations stay in the community instead of going to a nursing home. The program is supposed to be funded solely by premiums paid by employees who do not opt out via payroll deductions by the employers who choose to participate.

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