12201 Merit Drive Suite 230 Dallas, TX 75251 | (214) 720-0102 Fax: (214) 754-0936 | www.dallaselderlawyer.com
Personal Message

Welcome to the February issue of the

Texas Elder Law E-letter


Our next free "Estate Planning Essentials" Workshop is scheduled for Saturday March 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  We are currently at our limit for this workshop and have a waiting list. Our "Estate Planning Essentials" Workshop for April will be held on Thursday, April 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. To sign up for the April Workshop or any Bonus Workshop (described below), you may call us at (214) 720-0102 or sign up online at http://www.dallaselderlawyer.com or click here to register online. There has been a waiting list for the last several Workshops. So, if interested (or you know someone interested), it is probably best to sign up sooner rather than later.

We will be having a bonus workshop on Thursday, March 23 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. given by Neetu Patil of New York Life on the topic “Guaranteed Lifetime Income – what will last longer-you or your money”.  Neetu Patil is an agent with New York Life and has always been in the business of serving people and preserving their dreams.

 

Michael B. Cohen will be speaking on the topic “How to Deal with the Transition Between VA and Medicaid – Don’t Show me the Money?” at the State Bar’s Advanced Elder Law 2017 conference at the Westin Memorial City Hotel in Houston on April 6, 2017.

 

Please note the new schedule for Michael B. Cohen’s radio show "Know Your Legal Rights". The program is now on Mondays at 2:00 p.m., Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. and on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. on KAAM 770 AM. Podcasts of the shows are available on our website at www.dallaselderlawyer.com. If you want a question to be addressed on a future show, please mention the same on our website and we'll try to discuss the relevant topics.

 

Also, special thanks to Cathy DeWitt Dunn for having Michael B.Cohen as a guest earlier this month on her “Safe Money Talk Radio Show” heard on 101.1 FM WRR, 660 AM “The Answer”, 820 AM WBAP and 740 AM KTRH (Houston). Podcasts should also soon be available on our website at www.dallaselderlawyer.com.

CONGRESS CONSIDERING REFORMING MEDICAID WITH A PER CAPITA ALLOTMENT

At the present time, the federal government matches (in some states up to 70%) state funds budgeted for Medicaid. This is an incentive for states to allot more of their budget on Medicaid and be inefficient in their spending.

Read More
PUBLIC BENEFITS COULD BE JEOPARDIZED WHEN YOU CREATE CROWDFUNDING (SUCH AS GOFUNDME) ACCOUNTS

In recent years, numerous crowdfunding platform websites (such as GoFundMe, Indiego and Crowdrise) have grown rapidly raising millions of dollars (generally online) for various causes and individuals.

Read More
THE “STATE AGE RATING FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 2017” SHOULD BE CALLED THE “AGE TAX OF 2017”

Federal law presently limits charging older adults (generally between 50 and 64 since many get Medicare at age 65) who need health insurance policies no more than three times the amount they charge other people the same products.

Read More
LIFE INSURANCE BENEFITS TO YOUR ESTATE PLAN

Life insurance can be beneficial in numerous ways to estate plans – even for those who are older with less means. Here are but a few ways it can be helpful:

Read More
DEED SCAMS STILL ALIVE AND WELL

If you have recently recorded a deed with the county clerk (and perhaps even if you haven’t), don’t be surprised if you get a letter that looks very official stating that they will provide you a copy of your deed (usually for a little more than $80).

Read More
Preventing a Will Contest

It may be impossible to prevent relatives from fighting over your will entirely, but there are steps you can take to try to minimize squabbles and ensure your intentions are carried out.

More
New Medicare Rule Encourages Doctors to Test for Alzheimer's Disease and Offer Care Planning

A new Medicare rule will promote earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Medicare will now reimburse primary care doctors who conduct an Alzheimer's evaluation and offer information about care planning to elderly patients with cognitive impairment.

Details
Watch Out for Mistakes in the List of Doctors Covered by Your Medicare Advantage Plan

Medicare Advantage plans are a popular alternative to regular Medicare because the plans often offer lower out-of-pocket costs, but buyers need to make sure they know what they are paying for.

Read On
How to Deduct Long-Term Care Premiums From Your Income

Taxpayers with long-term care insurance policies can deduct some of their premiums from their income. Whether you can use the deduction requires comparing your medical expenses to your income in a complicated formula.

Full Story