Medicaid Planning

May 28, 2009

Nursing Home Residents May Keep $250 Stimulus Payment

Most people who receive payments for Social Security, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or a Railroad Retirement or Veterans Administration disability pension, will receive $250 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The extra payment is scheduled to arrive by the end of May.

Those who live in a nursing home and receive SSI are not eligible for the payment.

Medicaid-eligible long-term care facility residents and their families should know that the stimulus payment is not considered income and will not be counted as a resource for 10 months (including the month of receipt) in calculating benefits under Medicaid (or any other federal program or state program with some federal financing). The $250 will also not count as gross income for tax purposes. Recipients can save the payment if they want to, but they should make sure that it will not put their savings over the asset limit for any program benefits they may receive as of February 2010.

May 26, 2009

Lady Bird Deeds and stepped up basis (Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deeds)

by David M. Goldman

One of the most common questions people ask about Florida Lady Bird Deeds (Florida Enhanced Life Estate Deeds) is whether upon the death of the grantor, the contingent beneficiaries receive a stepped up basis like they would receive if the property was to transfer under a will.

Under Section 2036 of the IRS code, the life estate portion of the Lady Bird Deed causes inclusion in the estate of the decedent. Because of the taxable inclusion in the state there is stepped up basis under the Internal Revenue Code. It is possible that this section of the code might be changed at some time in the future and you should verify this with your tax professional.

May 7, 2009

Keeping Mom and Dad Safe at Home

by David M. Goldman

Generally, elderly parents want to remain living in their own home. However, remaining in the home becomes a concern when children see their parents slowing down, perhaps even having trouble with handling stairs and doing general daily activities. Yet, with parents’ mental and physical health currently not creating problems, there seems to be no imminent need to search out support services or other accommodations for aging parents.

This is now the time to evaluate the home to make it safe and secure for your loved ones — now and in the near future — in anticipation of aging disabilities that may occur. Help and support are available. The nation as a whole is more aware of elderly needs and services and products are becoming available at an outstanding pace.
Continue reading

April 20, 2009

Faith-Based Estate Planning

by David M. Goldman

David A. Atraus, a Nevada Estate Planning Lawyer, has published a book titled Faith-Based Estate Planning: Our Values and Valuables. The book was written after contacting hundreds of religious clergy throughout the nation, and took him several years to write.

Upon a first glance, I was very impressed. The book covers Estate Planning issues like living trusts, wills, medical directives, long-term care insurance and life insurance on many religions including Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity (10 denominations and branches), and 12 more religions from Roman Catholic to Judaism to Zoroastrianism.

It looks very comprehensive and I expect to write more on the book in the future.

April 15, 2009

Probate and Guardianship fees may increase by thousands in Florida

by David M. Goldman

SB 1718 & HB 5117 dealing with funding the court would create new filing fees in probate and Guardianship cases that would range from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the value of the estate of the person being protected.

The increase in filing fees is linked to probate cases but includes all guardianship proceedings. In addition to the current fee of $280, the additional fees will be tied to the person’s estate. Depending on the value of the estate and whether the House or Senate version of the legislation prevails, the additional cost could range from $1,000, to as high as $5,000 if the person being cared for has a large estate.

If you have been waiting to start a Florida Probate or Guardianship proceeding, now may be the time start before the fees increase.

April 13, 2009

Stop Florida Annuity Scammers from selling Life insurance as an investment

by David M. Goldman

The Palm Beach Post.com has an article which describes a recent trend in Annuities in which scammers sell and churn an insurance policy sold as an annuity in which there are very high surrender fees and limited access to the money for 10 or more years. These policies are being sold to 85 year old individuals as investments when they cannot touch the money for more than 10 years and have very high surrender fees if they do.

Most reputable annuity policies, they say, allow access to the money after just 90 days and require no more than a 5 percent surrender fee, and nothing after five years.

Senate Bill 2520 and House Bill 141 seek to protect Floridians who are 65 and over from annuity scam artists by easing access to the assets and decreasing excessive withdrawal payments. The legislation says that “senior consumers diagnosed as having a terminal illness that will result in death within two years after the diagnosis” could “withdraw all purchase payments from an annuity contract prior to the expiration of the surrender charge period without penalty.”

February 3, 2009

Medicaid Asset Protection Trust

by David M. Goldman

One very useful Medicaid planning technique involves the creation of an irrevocable Medicaid Asset Protection Trust. With a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust a person or couple can transfer some of their property to the trust to hold and manage for their benefit during their live with the remainder paid to their family after their death.

Example: David and Beth have assets in their savings and stock accounts of $250,000. They currently live off income from their investments, social security, and other retirement benefits. They are concerned that if they need nursing home care they will not have enough money to support their lifestyle and pay for the medical expenses for the remainder of their life.

Solution: David and Beth decide to transfer $150,000 to a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust. The trust provides that all income is paid to them while alive and in the event one needs nursing home coverage under Medicaid the income is paid to the other. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the trust will terminate and distribute the remainder to their children. By using this type of irrevocable trust their assets are protected and they receive an income stream for their lives.

February 3, 2009

Avoiding Probate, Taxes & Remaining Eligible for Medicaid

by David M. Goldman

As our population continues to age, more and more individuals are concerned about how they will pay for care as they get older. Often individuals and families find that they are unable to take care of themselves and need assistance.

As medical costs have continued to rise, so have the costs of home health care. As a result we are seeing more individuals need the assistance of Medicaid. Too often we find individuals who have received advise from family members, friends, and professionals who do not understand Medicaid and only deal with elder law or estate planning issues. While it may be great to avoid the costs and fees associated with probate, what if you end up being disqualified from Nursing home coverage. This could cost far more than the savings on probate.

Florida is a great state to live at the time you need Medicaid coverage because of the large exemption allowed on one’s home. Generally you can protect up to $500,000 of equity in a Florida homestead. Unfortunately in an effort to save a few thousand dollars many individuals transfer a partial ownership in the property to their children with rights of survivorship. Often this is done with a life estate deed.

January 20, 2009

Amber Alerts for Children – Silver Alerts for the Elderly

by David M. Goldman

First there were Amber Alerts, now Florida along with a dozen other states have adopted the Silver Alert. A Silver Alert is circulated when a person 60 or older who suffers from Alzheimer’s, dementia, or another cognitive impairment goes missing.There is legislation creating a national program that is pending in Congress. So far Florida has issued 19 bulletins and all 19 have been found. One feature of the Florida program is an automated phone call to every residence within a one-mile radius of the missing person’s home.

January 14, 2009

Appoint a Trust Protector For a Third-Party Created and Funded Special Needs Trust

by David M. Goldman

A third-party created and funded SNT can have a trust protector. At a minimum, the trust protector should can have the power to: (i) direct the trustee’s actions; (ii) receive financial-investment statements and accountings; (iii) terminate the trust (and have the assets be distributed to the remainder beneficiaries), (iv) remove and replace a trustee, and (v) direct or approve the reformation or amendment of the trust to reflect changes in the law and in order to comply with the settlor’s intent and purpose.

For tax reasons, a trust protector should not be “related or subordinate” to the settlor or the trust beneficiaries, within the meaning of IRC section 672(c).