How Do I Talk about End-Of-Life Plans?

June 18, 2020

With the coronavirus pandemic motivating people to think about what they prioritize in their lives, experts say you should also take the time to consider how to talk about end-of-life plans.

Queens News Service’s recent article entitled “How to have the hardest conversation: Making end-of-life decisions” reports that in this coronavirus pandemic, some people are getting scared and are realizing that they don’t have a will. They also haven’t considered what would happen, if they became extremely ill.

They now can realize that this is something that could have an impact upon them.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 70% of Americans say they’d prefer to die at home, while 70% of people die in a hospital, nursing home, or a long-term care facility. This emphasizes the importance of discussing end-of-life plans with family members.

According to a survey of Californians taken by the state Health Care Foundation, although 60% of people say that not burdening their loved ones with extremely tough decisions is important, 56% have failed to talk to them about their final wishes.

“Difficult as they may be, these conversations are essential,” says American Bar Foundation (ABF) Research Professor Susan P. Shapiro, who authored In Speaking for the Dying: Life-and-Death Decisions in Intensive Care.

“Now is a good time to provide loved ones with the information, reassurance and trust they need to make decisions,” Shapiro says.

Odds are the only person who knows your body as well as you do, is your doctor.

When thinking about your end-of-life plans, talk with your doctor and see what kind of insight she or he can provide. They’ve certainly had experience with other older patients.

If you want to make certain your wishes are carried out as you intend, detail all of your plans in writing. That way it will be very clear what your loved ones should do, if a decision needs to be made. This will eliminate some stress in a very stressful situation.

Even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, everyone will still need a will.

Talk with an experienced elder law or estate planning attorney to make certain that you have all of the necessary legal documents for end-of-life decisions.

Reference: Queens News Service (May 22, 2020) “How to have the hardest conversation: Making end-of-life decisions”

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Is Long-Term Care Insurance a Good Idea?

May 12, 2020

Is long-term care Insurance a good idea? Forbes’ recent article entitled “Is Long-Term Care Insurance Right For You?” says that a big drawback for many, is the fact that LTCI is expensive. However, think about the costs of long-term care. For example, the current median annual cost for assisted living is $43,539, and for a private room in a nursing home, it’s more than $92,000.

Another issue is that there’s no way to accurately determine if in fact you’ll even need long-term care. Much of it depends on your own health and family history. However, planning for the possibility is key.

Remember that Medicare and other types of health insurance don’t cover most of the cost of long-term care—what are known as “activities of daily living,” like bathing, dressing, eating, using the bathroom and moving. Medicare will only pay for medically necessary skilled nursing and home care, such as giving shots and changing dressings and not assisted-living costs, like bathing and eating. Supplemental insurance policies generally don’t pay for this type of care.

Those with a low net worth might qualify for long-term care provided under Medicaid.

Shop around, because policies and prices are different. Check the policy terms and be sure you understand:

The things that are covered, such as skilled nursing, custodial care, and assisted living
If Alzheimer’s disease is covered as it’s a leading reason for needing long-term care
If there are any limitations on pre-existing conditions.
The maximum payouts
If the payments are adjusted for inflation
The lag time until benefits begin
How long benefits will last
If there’s a waiver of premium benefit, which suspends premiums when you are collecting long-term care benefits
If there’s a non-forfeiture benefit, which offers limited coverage even if you cancel the policy
If the current premiums are guaranteed in future years, or if there are limits on future increases
How many times rates have increased in the past 10 years
If you purchase a group policy through an employer, see if it is portable (if you can take it with you if you change jobs).

Typically, when you are between 50 to 65 is the most cost-effective time to buy LTCI, if you’re in good health. The younger you buy, the lower the cost. However, you will be paying premiums longer. Premiums usually increase as you get older and less healthy. There’s a possibility that you’ll be denied coverage, if your health becomes poor. Therefore, while it’s not inexpensive, buying LTCI sooner rather than later may be the best move. Speak with your elder law attorney to see if long-term care Insurance a good idea.

If you would like to learn more about long-term care insurance, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: Forbes (April 17, 2020) “Is Long-Term Care Insurance Right For You?”

Using Medicaid for Nursing Home Care

April 17, 2020

Medicaid provides several programs funded through a state-federal agreement, explains the article “Planning a must: Medicaid and paying for nursing homes” from The Dallas Morning News. One of the programs provides long-term nursing home care benefits to pay for nursing home or approved residential care facilities. However, requirements to qualify for Medicaid vary widely from state to state. If you plan on using Medicaid to pay for nursing home care costs, it’s best to speak with an elder law attorney who will be able to help you plan in advance.

Let’s take Texas as our example. To qualify in the Lone Star state, you must have a medical need and fall under the income and asset caps, which change yearly. In 2020, the income limit for an individual is $2,349 and the asset (resource) amount is $2,000. For a married person, your spouse can have income and resources that are protected, $25,728 is the minimum SPRA (the minimum resource protected amount) and the maximum is $128,640. The monthly maintenance needs allowance for a spouse is $3,216.50. If they sound like low levels, they are. However, there are some assets that Texas does not count. The well spouse may continue to maintain the family home, as long as its value is less than $595,000. A car, burial plots and prepaid funeral arrangements are also permitted.

For most people, this presents a bad situation. Their assets are too high to qualify for Medicaid, but they don’t have enough money to pay for nursing home care. That’s where Medicaid planning with an elder law attorney comes in. The attorney will know where assets can be shielded to protect the well spouse and how to work within the Medicaid requirements.

A word of advice: Don’t start giving away assets because you think that you can do this yourself. The first rule: there is a five-year lookback period, and if assets have been distributed within a five year period of the person applying for Medicaid, their eligibility will be delayed. The rules about gifting assets are complicated and mistakes are non-negotiable.

Be careful of elder exploitation. Planning for Medicaid is one thing, being convinced to impoverish yourself so someone else can have a luxurious lifestyle is another. There’s a fine line between the two. Be aware of the difference. An attorney can play an important role here, since they have a legal and ethical responsibility to protect their client’s interests.

Be certain that you have a Durable Power of Attorney in place. Why? If you become incapacitated during the process of Medicaid planning, your agent will be able to help with Medicaid planning and file for the Medicaid application.

Don’t sell your home. In most states, the primary residence is a protected asset for Medicaid. Once it is sold, however, the proceeds of the sale are considered a personal asset and will be counted.

If you plan on using Medicaid to pay for nursing home care costs, it’s also important to understand that Medicaid does not pay for all nursing home stays. Medicaid pays for a nursing-home designated “Medicaid bed” in a semi-private room. Depending on where you live, there may not be as many Medicaid beds as there are people who need them.

An elder lawyer will be able to help you and your family with planning for Medicaid, and with an application. You’ll be better off relying on the help of an experienced attorney. If you would like to learn more about Medicaid, please visit our previous posts.

Reference: The Dallas Morning News (March 15, 2020) “Planning a must: Medicaid and paying for nursing homes”

Category: Assisted Living

How Do I Talk about End-Of-Life Plans?

Is Long-Term Care Insurance a Good Idea?

Using Medicaid for Nursing Home Care

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