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.…

Although a nursing home cannot require a child to be personally liable for their parent's nursing home bill, there are circumstances in which children can end up having to pay. This is a major reason why it is important to read…

New York was the only state that didn’t have a look-back period for Medicaid home care, but that is now changing. New York Medicaid applicants will no longer be eligible for home care if they gave away assets within 30…

While Medicare would cover a coronavirus vaccine approved through normal channels, if the Food and Drug Administration approves the vaccine through an emergency use authorization (EUA), Medicare will not cover it unless the government acts. As we previously reported, the CARES Act…

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly devastating for nursing homes and their residents.  Aside from the tragically disproportionate loss of life, care for surviving residents has been delayed or interrupted due to infection, facility lockdowns or other health system disruptions.  In…

More and more transactions are done digitally, but estate planning has lagged behind technology. That may be changing, though. Even before the coronavirus pandemic made social distancing necessary, electronic wills were gaining legitimacy. An electronic will (or “e-will”) is a…

Medicare's Open Enrollment Period, during which you can freely enroll in or switch plans, runs from October 15 to December 7. Now is the time to start shopping around to see whether your current choices are still the best ones…

People generally become eligible for Medicare at age 65, when they can receive benefits under Part A (hospital coverage), Part B (medical coverage) and Part D (prescription drug coverage).  But Medicare doesn’t want you to delay enrollment.  If only those who needed insurance signed…

The coronavirus pandemic has forced nursing homes to place a number of restrictions on their residents. These constraints are having the unintended consequence of making it more difficult for nursing home residents to vote.  Hundreds of thousands of nursing home…

We all know we are supposed to do estate planning, but not all of us get around to it. So what happens if you don't have a will when you die? Your estate will be distributed according to state laws,…