Are you happy with your Medicare coverage? It is time to review whether your plan or plans are working for you. 

My father has been in a nursing home since April. His Medicaid application was approved and Medicaid is paying for his stay. My mom, who lives in their home, gets to keep his check because she has no income and she cared for him at home for six years. Their home is in a rural area and my sister and I would like her to sell the home and move closer to us and the nursing home so she can visit him every day. My question is, can she sell their home and buy another home without messing up his Medicaid? And if so, how much after the sale and purchase of the new home is she allowed to keep, or how does that work? 

What is the time limit for Medicaid to collect from an estate after the death of the patient? For example, how long should we leave a bank account open or keep stock, so they can recoup. It's been over eight months, and we'd like to close these down.

My mother spent four days in the hospital and Medicare approved 100 days of skilled nursing facility care after her stay. After 48 days, the nursing home cut off her therapy and ended her Medicare benefits, without notifying us either in writing or by phone. She was not discharged from the nursing home, however, and we have received a bill for the final 51 days of care. This was our first notification that the nursing home was no longer billing Medicare. The physical therapist said that my mother has reached the level she was at prior to her hospital stay, but she is still receiving treatment at the nursing home for the same condition she was hospitalized for. The nursing home said it's too late to appeal their decision because we are outside the 30 days. Is this legal? The therapists said Medicare would deny any further treatments because she regained the ability to feed herself and to push her wheelchair with her feet. Is that true?

My mom transferred $50,000 to me two years ago. If I now pay for part of her assisted living expenses, will the amount I pay be considered repayment (or partial repayment) of the original gift for Medicaid eligibility purposes, assuming she would otherwise qualify for Medicaid within the five-year look back period? 

My mother-in-law is 85 and suffered a stroke for which she now receives medication. The stroke left her occasionally incontinent, with some confusion and weakness. We are looking for an in-home care person and wondered whether Medicare would compensate some or all of the cost. Also, her husband was a veteran who served at the end of World War II. Are there military benefits available to her? The in-home care has been medically recommended.

A federal appeals court has ruled that Medicaid officials must accept applicants' short-term annuities, providing more certainty for Medicaid applicants' use of this important planning tool. 

If you are able to continue working while receiving Social Security benefits, you can increase your overall benefit. In addition, although your benefits may be reduced due to your work, you can recoup those lost benefits.

A recent court decision in Minnesota serves as a cautionary reminder to anyone thinking of changing their estate plan on their own. 

Some parents, fearful of how a large inheritance will affect their heirs, set up what are known as “incentive trusts” that ensure that the trust funds support positive behavior and discourage unproductive activities.