Our Blog
Welcome to the blog of R. F. Meyer & Associates, where we share company news and informative articles related to our Elder Law, Probate and Estate Planning legal practice.
Medicaid Penalty Period Can Be ‘Cured’ by Returning a Gift
Anyone who gifted assets within five years of applying for Medicaid may be subject to a penalty period, but that penalty can be reduced or eliminated if the assets are returned. In order to be eligible for Medicaid, you cannot have recently transferred assets....
Elder Law information and news for a new year
This morning, we issued our January 2022 newsletter. If you did not receive it by email, please see the below link to open it in full PDF form from our website. Articles in our January 2022 New Year’s edition of the newsletter cover several topics of interest to our...
Long-Term Care Deductibility for 2022 Looks Familiar
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 deductibility figures are almost the same as in 2021. Many types of medical expenses are...
What It Means to Need ‘Nursing Home Level of Care’
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. Whether you are applying for nursing home coverage or through a Medicaid...
December 2021 newsletter ends year with news on four topics
Dear Clients and referral partners, This morning, we released our December 2021 Client E-newsletter from R. F. Meyer & Associates. If you did not receive a copy by email, find a link below to the full newsletter in PDF form. With the sands of the hourglass of 2021...
COVID vaccination rates added to Medicare’s nursing home info
Individuals who are researching nursing homes can now see staff and resident vaccination rates along with other quality and safety measure information at Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare website. The official Medicare website includes a nursing home rating...
Hiring a caregiver: Employ one yourself or go through an agency?
Most seniors prefer to stay at home as long as possible rather than move into a nursing home. For many families, this means eventually hiring a caregiver to look after an aging relative. There are two main ways to hire someone: directly or through a home health...
Better Than No Loaf: Medicaid ‘Half a Loaf’ Asset Strategies
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. Three so-called "half a loaf" approaches allow a Medicaid applicant to give...
Rise in Social Security payments will be biggest in 39 years
The year was 1983: The U.S. invaded Granada. A gallon of gas cost 96 cents. Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ video premiered. That year was also the last time that Social Security recipients saw a cost-of-living increase steeper than the one just announced for 2022. This...