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Brighton Office:  10299 Grand River, Suite N  |   Brighton, MI 48116  |  (810)229-0220
West Branch Office:  2116 M-55 | West Branch, MI 48661 | (989) 418-3500
 www.nawrockilaw.com 

December 2020

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A special message from Nancy Nawrocki of the Nawrocki Center:

Face to Face (almost) - It's Easy with ZOOM!

One of the most difficult parts of this pandemic is not being able to meet face-to-face with people due to the COVID restrictions.  Face-to-face meetings and discussions are important to all of us.  In a face-to-face discussion, we communicate through feelings, body language and other non-verbal cues, which help us understand other people and lead to building trust.  You just can’t communicate like this over the phone!

For me, face-to-face communication is almost essential... 

Our Seminar is Back - Virtually!
Due to the Coronavirus, we have not been able to hold our popular face-to-face seminars.  So we decided to hold it as a virtual seminar!
Our seminar "Maintain Your Legacy - How to Get Medicaid Coverage For Your Assisted LIving or Nursing Home Care - Without Going Broke or Selling Your Home!" will be held LIVE at these dates and times:  

Nawrocki Center Offers FREE Webinars
To help keep or clients and friends appraised of the latest developments in Elder Law, we are offering FREE Webinars on Elder Law topics of interest, at specific scheduled times,...

Nawrocki Center Masterclass: How to Find, Keep, and Pay For Long-Term Care without Losing Your Life Savings
This FREE online masterclass is for people who are worried about the rising cost of long-term care, who are concerned about the financial hardships that paying for this care may c...

A Modest Social Security Increase for 2021
The Social Security Administration has announced a 1.3 percent rise in benefits in 2021, an increase even smaller than last year’s.

How to Fix a Required Minimum Distribution Mistake
The rules around required minimum distributions from retirement accounts are confusing, and it’s easy to slip up. Fortunately, if you do make a mistake, there are steps you can take to fix the error and possibly avoid a stiff penalty.

Receiving an Inheritance While on Medicaid
For most people, receiving an inheritance is something good, but for a nursing home resident on Medicaid, an inheritance may not be such welcome news

Husbands Usually Don’t Consider Their Wives’ Future When Deciding When to Take Social Security Benefits
Husbands usually don’t take survivor’s benefits into account when claiming benefits, according to a recent study, meaning that many widows will needlessly experience a significant drop in income.

Seniors Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic Have More Time to Apply for Medicare or Change Plans
The closure of Social Security offices has affected unemployed seniors who need to apply for Medicare after losing their employer health coverage. These seniors now have more time to enroll in Medicare or change plans.

States Move to Immunize Nursing Homes from Liability During Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged long-term care facilities. In response, many states have moved to shield nursing homes, and in some cases assisted living facilities, from lawsuits related to the care they are providing during the pandemic.

Some Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Are Snatching Residents’ Pandemic Relief Checks, FTC Warns
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning residents of long-term care facilities and their families that some facilities may unlawfully require residents who are on Medicaid to sign over their $1,200 pandemic relief checks.

Medicare Now Covers Outpatient Treatment for Opioid Addiction
Recognizing the huge problems caused by opioid addiction in the United States, Medicare is adding a new outpatient opioid treatment benefit, paying for methadone and related treatment in certain facilities under Part B.

Caregivers Are Getting Younger, Making Planning for Long-Term Care Even More Important
As baby boomers age, more and more millennials are becoming caregivers. Many are taking on this role while just getting started in their own lives, leading to difficult decisions about priorities. Proper planning can help them navigate this terrain.

Home Care Costs Rise Sharply in Annual Long-Term Care Cost Survey
When it comes to long-term care costs, the charges for home care are now rising faster than those for nursing home care, according to Genworth's 2019 Cost of Care survey.

IRS Issues Long-Term Care Premium Deductibility Limits for 2020
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the amount taxpayers can deduct from their 2020 income as a result of buying long-term care insurance.

Medicare's Different Treatment of the Two Main Post-Hospital Care Options
Hospital patients who need additional care after being discharged from the hospital are usually sent to either an inpatient rehabilitation facility or a skilled nursing facility, and Medicare offers very different coverage for each.

Tips on Creating an Estate Plan that Benefits a Child with Special Needs
Parents want their children to be taken care of after they die. But children with disabilities have increased financial and care needs, so ensuring their long-term welfare can be tricky.

How Parents Can Provide for a Caregiver Child
Taking care of a parent can be a full-time job. Parents who want to compensate a child who takes on the burden of caregiving may do so in one of several ways.

Using a Donor-Advised Fund May Be a Way to Get a Charitable Tax Break Under the New Tax Law
Donor-advised funds are a growing trend in giving that may get more popular due to the new tax law.

Don't Wait Too Long to Purchase Long-Term Care Insurance
The older you get, the harder it is to qualify for long-term care insurance. If you are interested in buying this insurance, it is better to act sooner rather than later.

Costs of New Long-Term Care Insurance Policies Vary Considerably
We’ve all heard the advice “It pays to shop around,” but this has never been more true than with the current market for long-term care insurance. 

Guns and Dementia: Dealing With A Loved One's Firearms
Having a loved one with dementia can be scary, but if you add in a firearm, it can also get dangerous.  To prevent harm to both the individual with dementia and others, it is important to plan ahead for how to deal with any weapons. 

Why Not Just Use an Off-the-Shelf Power of Attorney Form?
A durable power of attorney is one of the most important estate planning documents you can have. It is important to get it right, so you shouldn't use a do-it-yourself form. 

The Best and Worst States for Protection Against Elder Abuse
The older the population gets, the greater the potential for elder abuse. States have laws in place designed to combat elder abuse, but some states are doing a better job than others.

Understanding Medicare's Hospice Benefit
Medicare's hospice benefit is one of the most comprehensive benefits and can be extremely helpful to both the terminally ill individual and his or her family, but it is little understood and underutilized. 

Be Careful About Putting Only One Spouse's Name on a Reverse Mortgage
A recent case involving basketball star Caldwell Jones demonstrates the danger in having only one spouse's name on a reverse mortgage.

For First Time, Median Cost of Private Nursing Home Room Hits Six Figures in Annual Survey
The median cost of a private nursing home room in the United States increased to $100,375 a year in 2018, up 3 percent from 2017, according to Genworth's annual Cost of Care survey.

Brighton Office:                      West Branch Office
10299 Grand River, Suite N     2116 M-55, Suite B

Brighton, MI 48116                   West Branch, MI 48661
Phone: 810-229-0220             Phone: 989-418-3500
               Website: www.nawrockilaw.com

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