As part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government is broadly expanding coverage of Medicare telehealth services to beneficiaries and relaxing HIPAA enforcement. This will give doctors the ability to provide more services to patients remotely....

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has issued a transmittal updating its Program Operations Manual System (POMS) to clarify existing policy for ABLE accounts.  Most noteworthy among the changes and clarifications is that the SSA expressly states that food paid...

The federal government has determined that tens of thousands of people with disabilities are eligible to have their student loan debt discharged, but due to the burdensome process involved, only a fraction of these borrowers have had their debts erased. Student loan...

As the coronavirus spreads across the United States, nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable to the disease. How to try to ensure that your loved one stays healthy? The first thing you can do is research the nursing home. While you likely made inquiries...

On the heels of the declaration of a national emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is waiving the requirement that Medicare beneficiaries must spend at least three days in a hospital before qualifying for coverage in a skilled nursing...

With coronavirus dominating news coverage and creating alarm, it is important to know that Medicare and Medicaid will cover tests for the virus. The department of Health and Human Services has designated the test for the new strain of coronavirus (officially called...

Written By: Andy Jones The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing regulations that would allow airlines to impose new restrictions on people with disabilities seeking to fly with service animals. The planned rules would also end legal protections for...

While estate planning is important for married couples, it is arguably even more necessary for couples that live together without getting married. Without an estate plan unmarried couples won’t be able to make end-of-life decisions or inherit from each other. Estate...

A power of attorney (POA) and a health care proxy are two of the most important estate planning documents you can have, but in some instances they may be useless if they don't comply with the federal privacy law. A POA allows someone you designate (your "agent" or...

A new payment method for Medicare providers is making it harder for some home health care patients to receive physical, occupational, or speech therapy. Under the new system, providers are refusing to cover some therapy services. On January 1, 2020, the federal...

This is a difficult and not unusual situation. The Medicare payment structure provides incentives for hospitals to discharge patients as soon as safely possible. The hospitals then put pressure on patients and their families to accept discharges to places that may not...

Click here for the federal statute and the SSA POMS providing that Medicaid eligibility should continue for an SSI recipient who loses eligibility as a result of increased monthly income due to eligibility for Disabled Adult Child benefits.  The document is courtesy...

Although your life insurance policy may pass to your heirs income tax-free, it can affect your estate tax. If you are the owner of the insurance policy, it will become a part of your taxable estate when you die. You should make sure your life insurance policy won't...

The growing popularity of cryptocurrency means it is increasingly something that must be considered when planning an estate. If you own cryptocurrency, providing instructions in your will is a must. Cryptocurrency is virtual money that exists only in digital form. The...

Having power of attorney over a family member is a big responsibility and sometimes it makes sense to share that responsibility with someone else. But when two people are named co-agents under a power of attorney, conflicts can arise. Unfortunately, if the conflict...