Elder Law News

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the amounts taxpayers of different ages can deduct from their 2022 income as a result of buying long-term care insurance, and the figures are almost the same as in 2021.

Medicare premiums are rising sharply next year, cutting into the large Social Security cost-of-living increase. The basic monthly premium will jump 15.5 percent, or $21.60, from $148.50 to $170.10 a month.

When applying for Medicaid’s long-term care coverage, in addition to the strict income and asset limits, you must demonstrate that you need a level care typically provided in a nursing home.  

When the SSA closed its offices at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it failed to provide practical ways for the elderly and people with disabilities to demonstrate their eligibility or challenge its decisions, according to a class-action lawsuit.

My dad married a woman two years ago, but they have kept all of their financial stuff separate, even when filing taxes. He is in an assisted living facility, and I take care of all of his finances and bills. When it comes time for him to apply for Medicaid, will they include her assets even though his name is not on anything?

Rising inflation due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic means that in 2022, Social Security benefits will rise 5.9 percent, the sharpest upsurge since 1983. 

While it is preferable to conduct long-term care planning well in advance of needing care, if you haven’t planned ahead, there are some strategies available to avoid spending all your assets. 

I have a friend whose sister is in the hospital. This friend is elderly and cannot handle her sister when she is released from the hospital. What can she do? Is she legally responsible for her sister? Where would the sister be sent if she cannot go to her sister’s house?