If a beneficiary disagrees with a decision, there are reconsideration and appeals procedures within the Medicare program. Medicare approvals can be tough at times, and some may find their claims come up with the big "D" – denial. So what happens when Medicare denies a beneficiary’s claim for care? While…
Conversions from regular IRAs to Roth retirement accounts increased more than nine times in 2010, rising to $64.8 billion from $6.8 billion in 2009, according to data released [January 3rd] by the Internal Revenue Service. As reported in Bloomberg on the day of an IRS announcement, conversions from traditional to…
… Make sure that you understand what is in your trust. Other issues, particularly those related to tax issues, will require consulting with an estate planning professional. Do you have a trust? Trusts are powerful estate planning tools, those of which should be properly established and properly maintained. When it…
"It seems like there seems to continue to be confusion about what it means to die using neurologic criteria," said Cynda Hylton Rushton, professor of clinical ethics at Johns Hopkins University. Two recent medical cases are making headlines over the often blurry lines between life, death, medical ethics and the…
People who take good care of their children take good care of their money, and people who take good care of their money take good care of their children. Money can bring about both the good and the bad, depending on how one uses it. So you can imagine how…
“Hopefully, older adults who previously were unable to afford to see a therapist will now be more likely to do so,” said Andrea Callow, a policy lawyer with the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Now that 2014 is officially here, it's time to start reviewing the Obamacare provisions that went into…
Estate planning is a difficult topic to address because it requires you to think about a world without you in it. No one likes to reflect on their own demise, which is why many people simply put estate planning off for another day and only get around to it when…
“Money can be divided pretty evenly, but the teacup that grandma always used? Maybe there’s only a $2 value associated with that teacup, but because of the sentimental value and the emotions around it, that causes the controversy.” While it is easier to think about an inheritance as money or…
One big advantage of the trusteed IRAs: IRA owners can prevent their beneficiaries from spending down the accounts right away. An IRA is a very powerful tool, if you use it right. Your IRA can essentially serve estate planning purposes beyond simple retirement funding in the form of a “trusteed…
If your beneficiaries are out-of-date, when you die, your assets could go [to] the wrong people – a former spouse, for example – no matter what your will says. Often, the biggest mistakes we can make when it comes to our estate planning are also some of the easiest to…