Highlights from this year’s “Upping Your Practice” program…   A Deep Dive into Special Needs Planning: SSI, Medicaid and Special Needs Trusts, with David Lillesand, was the first such instruction on the newest rules promulgated and published (5/1/2018) by the Social Security Administration.  David is a charter member of the national Academy of Special Needs Planners, National Organization of Social Security Claimant Representatives (NOSSCR), author and frequent lecturer on special needs trusts.   Irrevocable Medicaid-Planning Trust: Understanding, Drafting and Deployment – an intense study and Q & A with this subject’s acknowledged expert, Bernard Krooks.  Mr. Krooks is a nationally-recognized … Continued

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) has been the law of the land since March 23, 2010 and has been fully implemented since January 1, 2014. On Friday, the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA for the second time, thereby assuring the ACA’s future ability to provide effective and affordable health care to all Americans. But what does this mean to you? To your parents? To people with disabilities? To all Americans who have a hard time affording to stay healthy? If you are not already conversant with the law and your rights, now … Continued

With the Supreme Court extending marriage equality to same sex couples, comes all of the majesty, blessing and challenges of marriage. What does this new constitutional precedent mean for seniors? For elder rights, this means that same sex spouses will now join other married couples in enjoying the following rights, among others: 1. The right of a spouse to receive their deceased spouse’s social security check if it be the larger of the two. 2. The right to have precedence in appointment as guardian if the other spouse becomes mentally incapacitated. 3. Inheritance “elective share” rights which, in most states, … Continued