The Long Term Care (LTC) Blog
Irrevocable Burial Trusts for Family Members Not a Divestment Court Rules
In a Fond Du Lac courtroom on January 18th, 2013 the court ruled that a person funding irrevocable burial trusts for children and spouses of children is not a divestment for Medicaid purposes. For years insurance agents have used irrevocable burial trusts instead of final expense life insurance policies as the trusts are outside the…
Read MoreWhy is the Partnership Program Kept Secret in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin, and most other states, have a program with an incentive to encourage purchase of LTC insurance. It is a form of bribery, actually, and here is how it works: You purchase a Partnership LTC insurance policy. It must have inflation on the benefit amount to qualify (actually, buying this insurance without inflation is like…
Read MoreThe “Fiscal Cliff” and Long Term Care
The “Fiscal Cliff” legislation everyone has been talking about that passed in the dead of night has some changes for LTC in America. Initially the PPACA health care bill had a provision to start a Federal LTC insurance program. However, it was completely unsustainable as it would accept everyone, healthy or not, and would be…
Read MoreWhy Do People Buy LTC Insurance?
Many insurance agents believe it’s to protect assets and to leave an estate to heirs. However, that reason is given by only one third of the people actually purchasing this coverage. Other, possibly more important reasons are, the desire to avoid dependence on others and to protect their living standards. The US Department of Health…
Read MoreAnti-Nursing Home Insurance?
Why is it called “Anti-Nursing Home Insurance?” Because having it gives you a really good chance of never seeing the inside of a nursing home. If you can pay for home care and/or assisted living type facilities, you may be among the 85% of those needing Long Term Care who never enter a nursing home.…
Read MoreAlzheimer’s is The 6th Leading Cause of Death in U.S.
More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease and that number only continues to grow. It is also the only cause of death among the top 10 without a way to prevent, cure, or even slow its progress. The Alzheimer’s Association would like your donation to fund research, contribute at www.ALZ.org However, be…
Read MoreWho Will Care For You When Your Health Changes?
Do you remember Ozzie and Harriet from the fifties? How about Leave it to Beaver? What did June Cleavers and Harriet both wear? Dress, heels, apron and pearl necklace. What did she do during the days when husband was at work and children in school? She had the time, space, and energy to have parents…
Read MoreTime Your Loved One(s) Need Care?
A weekend Wall Street Journal article suggests paying close attention to your parents during holiday visits this year. Is the normally tidy house now neglected? Is there hoarding? Do you notice memory problems or physical unsteadiness? It might be time to gather the family and assess what things they might need help with. There are also…
Read MoreFinancial Advisors Struggle with Health Care Planning
This is a common concern I hear from financial planners. Many financial planners do a wonderful job of advising their clients on how to invest their money, when to collect Social Security, how to pay less in income taxes, etc. They manage money and most do a very fine job of it. The problems start…
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