What Do I Need besides a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare?

Elder Care, Estate Planning, Medicare, Power of Attorney / Caregiving, Elder Care, Medicare, Power of Attorney, St. Petersburg Estate Planning Attorney

A medical power of attorney (POA) is a durable power of attorney for healthcare. This document lets a trusted friend or family member serve as your agent to make important and necessary healthcare decisions, if you become incapacitated or unable to communicate or participate in care.

Forbes’s recent article entitled “For Medicare, Having A Power Of Attorney Is Not Enough” explains that with COVID-19, this is very important. The risk for severe illness from this disease increases with age, and hospitals aren’t permitting visitors. This lack of access can create some major challenges in managing a family, dealing with critical business issues and paying bills.

Here’s one more: powers of attorney don’t stand alone, when it comes to dealing with Medicare issues. Medicare requires a beneficiary’s written permission to use or provide personal medical information for any purpose not defined in the privacy notice contained in the Medicare & You handbook. A competent person can complete the form, call the “1-800-MEDICARE Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information.” When needed, the representative is then authorized to talk with Medicare, research and choose Medicare coverage, handle claims and file an appeal.

Make sure that you’ve authorized Medicare to release information to a family member or an agent. You should also see if the authorization applies for a specified period of time or if it applies indefinitely. You must mail the completed form to Medicare. You can revoke this authorization at any time. For those who are no longer able to give consent, their personal representative can complete the form and attach a duly executed power of attorney.

There’s another authorization to address. It concerns individual Medicare plans – Medicare Advantage, Part D prescription drug, or Medicare supplement. Every plan has an authorization form that gives the authority to speak to plan representatives about claims or coverage, update contact information and more, depending on the individual plan.

To begin this process, check the plan’s member information or talk to a customer service representative.

You never know what’s in the future, so take the time now to prepare. You should take these three important steps.

Establish or update your financial and medical powers of attorney
Identify and name an authorized Medicare representative; and
Contact your Medicare plan(s) and fill out the authorization forms.

Reference: Forbes (August 4, 2020) “For Medicare, Having A Power Of Attorney Is Not Enough”

What Do I Do with My Late Mom’s Stimulus Check?

Elder Care, Estate Planning, Financial Planning / Elder Care, Elder Law Attorney, Financial Planning, St. Petersburg Estate Planning Attorney

What do you do with a stimulus check delivered to your loved one who has passed away?

The word is that these checks will have to be returned. However, right now there’s been no official guidance on how to go about doing this.

U.S. Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying heirs should be returning money sent in the name of someone who passed away.

However, that’s it. No one has elaborated, says KOMO’s April article entitled “Heirs may have to return stimulus money sent to the deceased, but how and when?”

Payments to the dead have been trouble ever since the stimulus checks started to be sent out. The federal government isn’t telling anyone the number of dead people who got the checks, but consumers are reporting them from across the U.S.

Even with the published reports that the government would like heirs to return the economic impact payments sent to the deceased, there’s still been no official comment and no information addressing the issue on either the U.S. Treasury or the IRS websites.

Add to this, the fact that some people are receiving conflicting information from tax professionals about their rights to the money.

Some people say they were informed that if the person was living as of January 2, then their survivors could keep the cash. However, in a transcript of an April 17 White House briefing, President Trump was asked about checks to dead people.

Trump said, “we’ll get that back.”

If you still have stimulus money sent to someone who has passed away, don’t spend it. Keep it and monitor the IRS and Treasury websites for instructions on what to do with the stimulus check.

Reference: KOMO (April 29, 2020) “Heirs may have to return stimulus money sent to the deceased, but how and when?”

Planning for Long-Term Care

Elder Care, Estate Planning, Financial Planning, Health Care, Living Will, Long Term Care Planning, Power of Attorney / Advance Directive, Caregiving, Cognitive Decline, Continuing Care Community, Elder Care, Estate Plan, Long Term Care, Nursing Facility, Retirement Savings, St. Petersburg Estate Planning Attorney

Starting to plan for elder care should happen when you are in your 50s or 60s. By the time you are 70, it may be too late. With the median annual cost of a private room in a nursing facility coming in at more than $100,000, not having a plan can become one of the most expensive mistakes of your financial life. The article “Four steps you can take to safeguard your retirement savings from this risk” from CNBC says that even if care is provided in your own home, the annual median cost of in-home skilled nursing is $87.50 per visit.

There are fewer and fewer insurance companies that offer long-term care insurance policies, and even with a policy, there are many out-of-pocket expenses that also have to be paid. People often fail to prepare for the indirect cost of caregiving, which primarily impacts women who are taking care of older, infirm spouses and aging parents.

The best time to start planning for the later years is around age 60. That’s when most people have experienced their parent’s aging and understand that planning and conversations with loved ones need to take place.

Living Transitions. Do you want to remain at home as long as is practicable, or would you rather move to a continuing care retirement community? If you are planning on aging in place in your home, what changes will need to be made to your home to ensure that you can live there safely? How will you protect yourself from loneliness, if you plan on staying at home?

Driving Transitions. Knowing when to turn in your car keys is a big issue for seniors. How will you get around, if and when you are no longer able to drive safely? What transportation alternatives are there in your community?

Financial Caretaking. Cognitive decline can start as early as age 53, leading people to make mistakes that cost them dearly. Forgetting to pay bills, paying some bills twice, or forgetting accounts, are signs that you may need some help with your financial affairs.

Healthcare Transitions. If you don’t already have an advance directive, you need to have one created, as part of your overall estate plan. This provides an opportunity for you to state how you want to receive care, if you are not able to communicate your wishes. Not having this document may mean that you are kept alive on a respirator, when your preference is to be allowed to die naturally. You’ll also need a Health Care Power of Attorney, a person you name to make medical decisions on your behalf when you cannot do so. This person does not have to be a spouse or an adult child—sometimes it’s best to have a trusted friend who you will be sure will follow your directions. Make sure this person is willing to serve, even when your documented wishes may be challenged.

Reference: CNBC (Jan. 31, 2020) “Four steps you can take to safeguard your retirement savings from this risk”

Florida Addressing Elder Abuse in Troubled Guardianship Program

Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Guardian / Conservators, Do Not Resuscitate, Elder Abuse, Elder Affairs, Guardianship, Wards

Legislators and officials from Governor DeSantis’ administration met with judges, guardian trade groups, state attorneys and representatives from the Elder Law section of the Florida Bar to discuss how to protect seniors from exploitive and neglectful guardians, as reported in the article “DeSantis, Florida lawmakers consider changes in troubled guardianship program” from the Orlando Sentinel.

The Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Richard Prudom said that more must be done to enhance the accountability of guardians and be sure they are acting in the best interest of their wards. He added that the matter extends beyond the Department of Elder Affairs, and that families, communities and public officials need to work together.

This past summer reports surfaced about a professional guardian who was responsible for more than 400 wards. She reportedly signed “Do Not Resuscitate” orders for clients against their wishes. She also double-billed a healthcare company for nearly $4 million over a ten-year period.

Florida has 550 registered guardians.

Some of the suggestions made included capping the number of wards a person could take on and requiring a judge to approve a DNR order. Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and Rep. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland said that increased standards for guardians and more thorough monitoring was called for.

More stringent penalties for guardians who violate the law may be in the works. However, judges would have to approve the removal of any guardian from the state registry, which could be appealed.

Lawmakers said that more money to address the caseload isn’t the issue. Monitoring of guardians needs to be increased, said Passidomo.

As yet, there is no concrete plan in place to address this issue.

The Department of Elder Affairs houses the Office of Public and Professional Guardians, which currently has four employees. Prudom took charge of the department when the agency’s director, who was in charge when the guardian mentioned above, was asked to resign.

The governor’s administration will publish a budget request for the Department of Elder Affairs, which could include more funds for investigators to review complaints.

Reference: Orlando Sentinel (September 16, 2019) “DeSantis, Florida lawmakers consider changes in troubled guardianship program”

Planning for the Unexpected

Elder Care, Estate Planning, Health Care, Power of Attorney, Wills / Beneficiaries, elder law, Estate Planning Attorney, Life Insurance, parents, Retirement Accounts, St. Petersburg Estate Planning

Sadly, this is not an unusual situation. The daughter spoke with her mother once or twice a week, and the fall happened just after their last conversation. She dropped what she was doing and drove to the hospital, according to the article “Parents” in BusinessWest.com. At the hospital, she was worried that her mother was suffering from more than fractures, as her mother was disoriented because of the pain medications. She had no idea whether her mother had done any planning for unexpected events such as this.

planning for the unexpected — Without taking time to plan for unexpected events, things can get complicated…quick.

The conversation with her brother and mother about why she wasn’t notified immediately was frustrating. They “didn’t want to worry her.” She was worried, and not just about her mother’s well-being, but about her finances, and whether any plans were in place for this situation.

Her brother was a retired comptroller, and she thought that as a former financial professional, he would have taken care of everything. That was not the case.

Despite his professional career, the brother had never had “the talk” with his mother about money. No one knew if she had an estate plan, and if she did, where the documents were located.

All too often, families discover during an emergency that no planning for unexpected events has taken place.

The conversation took place in the hospital, when the siblings learned that documents had never been updated after their father had passed—more than 20 years earlier! The attorney who prepared the documents had retired long ago. Where the original estate planning documents were, mom had no idea.

For this family, the story had a happy ending. Once the mother got out of the hospital, the family made an appointment to meet with an estate planning attorney to get all of her estate planning completed. In addition, the family updated beneficiaries on life insurance and retirement accounts, which are now set to avoid probate.

Both siblings have a list of their mother’s assets, account numbers, credit card information and what’s more, they are tracking the accounts to ensure that any sort of questionable transactions are reviewed quickly. They finally have a clear picture of their mother’s expenses, assets and income.

If your family’s situation is closer to the start of the story than the end, it’s time to contact a qualified estate planning attorney who is licensed to practice in your state and have all the necessary preparation done. Don’t wait until you’re uncovering family mysteries in the hospital.

Reference: BusinessWest.com (Aug. 1, 2019) “Parents”

What Does an Elder Law Attorney Really Do?

Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning / Elder Care, Elder Law Attorney, Estate Planning, Long-Term Care Planning, Paying for a Nursing Home, Special Needs Trust, St. Petersburg Estate Planning

A knowledgeable elder law attorney will make certain that he represents the best interests of his senior client in a variety of situations that usually occur in an elderly person’s life.

An elder care attorney will also be very knowledgeable about several different areas of the law.

The Idaho Falls Spokesperson’s recent article, “What is an Elder Law Attorney and What Can They Do for You?” looks at some of the things an elder care attorney can do.

Elder care attorneys address long-term care issues, housing, quality of life, independence and autonomy—which are all critical issues concerning seniors.

Your elder law attorney knows that one of the main issues senior citizens face is sound estate planning. This may include planning for a minor or adult child, as well as probate proceedings, which is a process where a deceased person’s assets are collected and distributed to the heirs and creditors.

The probate process may also involve the Uniform Probate Code (UPC). The UPC is a set of inheritance rules written by national experts. A major responsibility of the probate process is to fully administer the entire estate, including appointing executors and ensuring that all assets are disbursed properly.

An experienced elder law attorney can also assist your family to make sure that your senior receives the best possible care arrangement, which may become more important as his or her medical needs increase.

An elder care law attorney also helps clients find the best nursing home to fully satisfy all their needs. Finally, they often will also work to safeguard assets to prevent spousal impoverishment, when one spouse must go to a nursing home.

A qualified elder care attorney can be a big asset to your family, as you journey through the elder care planning process. Working with an attorney to set up contingency plans can provide peace of mind and relief to you and your loved ones.

Reference: Idaho Falls Spokesperson (May 20, 2019) “What is an Elder Law Attorney and What Can They Do for You?”

Stan Lee’s Former Manager Arrested on Elder Abuse Charges

Elder Care, Elder Law, Estate Planning / Elder Abuse, Elder Care, Financial Abuse, St. Petersburg Estate Planning Attorney

District Attorney of Los Angeles County Jackie Lacey has leveled elder abuse charges against Stan Lee’s former business manager, Keya Morgan.

Lee, the creator of Spiderman, the Black Panther, and other comic book heroes.

MSN’s recent article, “Stan Lee’s Ex-Manager Hit With Elder Abuse Charges; Arrest Warrant Issued” reports that Morgan is facing one felony count of false imprisonment of an elder adult, three felony counts of theft, embezzlement, and forgery or fraud against an elder adult, as well as the initial elder abuse misdemeanor count.

Morgan took control of Lee’s business affairs and personal life in February 2018. Lee, the creator of Spiderman, the Black Panther, and other comic book heroes, had assets of more than $50 million in the last years of his life. Lee passed away on November 12, 2018. Morgan is said to have isolated his client from family and friends. Morgan also embezzled or misappropriated $5 million of assets, according to documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2018.

The five counts of elder abuse filed on May 10 could put Morgan in prison for 10 years, if he’s found guilty.

The public first learned of the troublesome relationship between Morgan and Lee last summer, when the then 95-year old Marvel comic book legend sought a restraining order against his ex-aide over elder abuse. The request was made just three days after Lee put out a June 10, 2018 video on social media insisting that he and Morgan were working “together and are conquering the world side-by-side.”

Because of the video and the elder abuse filing, Lee’s financial advisor was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department on suspicion of filing a false police report, allegedly concerning a supposed break-in incident at Lee’s residence.

A three-year restraining order against Morgan was granted by a county judge last August. He was found guilty of the false police report misdemeanor charge in April 2019 and was ordered to stay away from Lee’s family and residence among other conditions.

After years of making cameos in all the Marvel blockbuster movies, Lee’s last appearance was in the record smashing Avengers: Endgame, which was released last month.

Reference: MSN (May 15, 2019) “Stan Lee’s Ex-Manager Hit With Elder Abuse Charges; Arrest Warrant Issued”

Should Elder Care Benefits Be Part of Employees’ Compensation?

Elder Care, Estate Planning / Dependent Care Assistance Plans (DCAPs), Elder Care, St. Petersburg Estate Planning Attorney

As employees’ parents and family members grow older, many are asked to be caregivers. More than one in six Americans working full-time or part-time report assisting with the care of an elderly or disabled family member, relative or friend. Of this group, nearly 50% say they have no choice about taking on these responsibilities. That’s why many struggle in silence, deciding not to share their situation with employers out of fear for the impact on their career or a desire for privacy.

Benefits Pro reports in the article “Elder care benefits: A growing need for the U.S. workforce” that under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), “family leave for seriously ill family members” is required by law. However, the law offers unpaid job protection and the definition of family member is restricted to spouse, child or parent. This has resulted in an increase in demand for elder care benefits. There are a variety of options that businesses can offer.

Many employers now offer an employee assistance program (EAP), which provides employees and household members with educational and referral services for elder care. These services often include free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals and follow-up services. These EAPs also address a broad body of mental and emotional well-being issues, like alcohol and substance abuse, stress, grief, family problems and psychological disorders.

In addition, some employers also have Dependent Care Assistance Plans (DCAP), commonly referred to as the “day care benefit,” allowing employees to set aside tax-free dollars for qualified elder care. While DCAPs don’t cover the entire cost of elder care, they can provide up to $5,000 per calendar year in assistance and lessen employees’ federal tax burden.

Respite care is an important elder care benefit and provides short-term relief for primary caregivers and can be arranged for just an afternoon or for several days.

Caregiving has shown to reduce employee work productivity by 18.5% and increase the likelihood of employees leaving the workplace. Offering elder care benefits to employees can help with retention and efficiency, as well as with businesses’ bottom line. A study by the Center for American Progress found that turnover costs are often estimated to be 100 to 300% of the base salary of the replaced employee.

As the demand for these benefits continues to increase, employers are recognizing the diverse needs of their workforce and are creating programs that have benefits to help at all stages of life.

Reference: Benefits Pro (April 30, 2019) “Elder care benefits: A growing need for the U.S. workforce”

The Latest on Florida’s Attempt to Create an Online Notary Law

Elder Care, Estate Planning, Power of Attorney / Elder Abuse, Financial Abuse, Notary, Power of Attorney, St. Petersburg

The Florida legislature is giving consideration to HB 409, which would make signing estate planning documents, like a will or power of attorney, more convenient. Some have expressed concerns that greater convenience could lead to more fraud, especially for the elderly.

Florida’s proposed law had pros and cons.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports in the story “Florida may allow legal papers to be notarized online” that the legislation was proposed by Representative Daniel Perez, R-Miami. The bill moved Tuesday through the House transportation and tourism appropriations subcommittee and will be considered next in the Judiciary Committee—the last step before a House vote. However, a Senate version hasn’t made as much progress.

Representative Perez remarked that he’d recently traveled to Colombia and realized as he boarded his flight, that he’d failed to assign power of attorney to his in-laws. The requirement that he appear in person before a Florida-commissioned notary made it impossible to fix his oversight, he said.

The notary bill has made it past attempts by two Democrats that would’ve limited its scope. Representative Barbara Watson, D-Miami Gardens, compared the risks of fraud under the system to college students who buy fake IDs to illegally drink alcohol. She proposed requiring notary witnesses to be in the same place physically, as whoever is signing legal documents.

“When we have no one tangibly looking at this information, not having it in their hands for close inspection to verify its validity, we’re in trouble,” Watson said.

Representative Ben Diamond, D-St. Petersburg, said allowing wills and powers of attorney to be created online was dangerous for Florida’s elderly. He said lawmakers need to balance between better business and protecting older residents.

“I have a concern about someone going into a nursing home with an iPad and walking room to room and getting people to click buttons and then they get a couple of powers of attorney,” Diamond said.

Perez responded that it was possible for criminals to take advantage of elderly people, even with the current notary requirements.

Attorneys are split. Lawyers from the Florida Bar’s Real Property Probate and Trust Law section said the proposal puts the elderly at greater risk of fraud, but those in the Elder Law section said the online services will make it easier for Florida’s older population to plan estates.

Reference: San Francisco Chronicle (March 27, 2019) “Florida may allow legal papers to be notarized online”

Moving to a Care Community? Check the Fine Print

Elder Care, Estate Planning, Health Care, Medicaid / Continuing Care, Medicaid, Nursing Care Facility, Power of Attorney, St. Petersburg

Reading the fine print when purchasing a home in a retirement community or a care community is intimidating. The typeface is tiny, you’ve got boxes to pack and movers to schedule and, well, you know the rest. What most people do, is hope for the best and sign. However, that can lead to trouble, advises Delco Times in the article “Planning Ahead: Moving to a care community? Read the agreement.”

If you don’t want to read the fine print or can’t make heads or tails of what you are reading, one option is to ask your estate planning attorney to do so. Without someone reading through and understanding the contract, you and your family may be in for some unpleasant surprises. Here are some things to consider.

What kind of a community are you moving into? If you are moving to a Continuing Care or Life Care Community, your documents will probably have provisions regarding health insurance, entry fees, deposits, a schedule of costs, if you need additional services, fees for moving to a higher level of care and provisions for refunds and estate planning.

When you enter an Assisted Living facility, you may find yourself signing documents regarding everything from laundry policies, pharmacy choices, financial disclosures and statements of your rights as a resident. Not every document you sign will be critical, but you should understand everything you sign.

If moving into a nursing home that accepts Medicaid, you and your family need to know that nursing homes that accept Medicaid are not permitted to demand payment on admission from either an adult child or a power of attorney from their own funds.

If your adult children ask you to sign documents and “don’t worry” about what documents are, you may want to sit down with an attorney to review the documents. When someone is not trained to review these documents, they won’t know what red flags to look for.

If someone signs the document who is not the applicant/future resident, that person may become responsible for the costs, depending upon what role you have when you sign: are you a guarantor or indemnitor? That person typically agrees to pay after the applicant/resident’s funds are exhausted. The payments may have to come from their own funds. Sometimes the “responsible party” is simply the person who handles business matters on the applicant’s behalf. You’ll want to be sure that the person signing the papers understands what they are agreeing to.

Almost all agreements will say that the applicant, or the person receiving services, is responsible for payment from their own assets. However, if someone signing the documents is power of attorney, they need to be mindful of what they are signing up for.

If possible, the person who will receive services should be the one who signs any paperwork, but only after a thorough review from an experienced attorney.

Reference: Delco Times (Feb. 5, 20-19) “Planning Ahead: Moving to a care community? Read the agreement”