You may be afraid of losing your home if you have to enter a nursing home and apply for Medicaid. While this fear is well-founded, transferring the home to your children is usually not the best way to protect it. Although you generally do not have to sell your home in...

It sounds like your father-in-law is a good candidate for “spousal refusal” or “just say no.” If your father assigns his legal right for support from his wife over to the state, under the Medicaid rules the state Medicaid agency should evaluate your father-in-law’s...

Whether your spouse has just passed away or you have lost your mom or dad, the emotional trauma of losing a loved one often comes with a bewildering array of financial and legal issues demanding attention. It can be difficult enough for family members to handle the...

When Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014, it was a game-changer for families with special needs. For the first time there was a tax-advantaged way to put money aside for dependents with disabilities without compromising their...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will now give states the option to obtain a portion of their federal Medicaid funding via so-called "block grants." This potentially dramatic change is billed as a way to improve state flexibility in running Medicaid...

Written By: Andy Jones A major bipartisan bill, signed into law by President Trump in December, includes significant tax changes for people with assets in a special needs trust for a minor. The changes center on the so-called "kiddie tax," which just underwent a major...

The 2020 census is starting soon, and seniors need to be counted. This may be more of a challenge this year because for the first time, the census will be completed largely online. The U.S Constitution mandates that the federal government conduct a census every 10...

For years people have been worried about Social Security’s future, but what is the actual outlook? According to the federal government, unless Congress acts to intervene, Social Security shortfalls are expected beginning in 2035. Social Security retirement benefits...

During 2019, many legislative decisions affecting the aging and special needs populations have come down from courts across the United States. Below, in chronological order, is ElderLawAnswers' annual roundup of the top 10 elder law decisions for the past year, as...

No parents want their children to fight among themselves after they are gone. Sadly, conflicts often arise, especially when a parent has gifted or loaned money to one child and not others. However, a few key words in your estate plan can minimize the potential for...

Answer: In most states, your and your husband’s income and assets should not be included in your mother-in-law’s application for benefits. This is because the definition of “household” only includes a spouse and dependents. So you and your husband are not members of...

Planning for retirement and deciding whether to buy long-term care insurance would be a lot easier if you knew your odds of needing long-term care, as well as at what age and for how long. Unfortunately, there's no definite answer. On the other hand, some statistics...

Congress has temporarily extended the federal government’s largest grant program that helps states transfer people with disabilities from institutions into independent living arrangements. Tucked into a larger federal appropriations package and signed into law by...

Written By Andy Jones: It could soon be significantly harder for people with disabilities to pursue discrimination claims under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) if new regulations proposed by the Department of Housing Urban and Development (HUD) take effect. The proposed...