Medicaid Crisis… I’ve Got to Get This Off My Chest Before I Explode!
That's it. I've had it. I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't write this letter right now... I'm tired of good people losing their life's savings to the cost of health care. And I'm tired of people calling my office and saying something like... "I just heard about your [...]
New Benefits Just Released For Brown Water Vets!
This post has important information that should be forwarded to anyone who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam Conflict. Even though elder law attorneys are primarily focused on nursing home benefits for wartime veterans who may be eligible for "Aid and Attendance" (a long term care benefit which helps to [...]
Is Long Term Care Tax Deductible?
If you've recently had a loved one enter into long term care, you might be wondering if the cost of long term care is tax deductible. This article will provide you with a summary of information about the tax treatment of long term care services. However, each individual should consult their [...]
Cleveland, Ohio Elder Law Attorney Paul Stano Accredited by Veterans’ Administration
The Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. has now welcomed me as an accredited attorney for the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for veterans’ benefits before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This accreditation is a privilege which carries very specific responsibilities, one of which is the requirement [...]
Melvin and Howard, The Sequel: Court Dismisses Fraud Suit Against Hughes Heirs
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals affirms the dismissal of a fraud suit brought by Melvin Dummar, a beneficiary under Howard Hughes's purported handwritten will, against Hughes's intestate heirs. Dummar v. Lummis (10th Cir. No. 07-4062, Sep. 12, 2008). Ever since Howard Hughes's death in 1976, Melvin Dummar has maintained [...]
Some Ohio Seniors Discover That Medicare Advantage is to Their Disadvantage
When the Affinity salesman came to the door of 70-year-old Marcolina Sanchez's New York City apartment, he persuaded her to sign up for a Medicare Advantage private health insurance plan. "He promised her better coverage [than traditional Medicare]," said Mrs. Sanchez's daughter, Catherine Santiago. "But when she went to see [...]
Ohio Estate Planning: Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Fix Estate Tax at 2009 Level
A bipartisan bill that would freeze the estate tax at the level that will prevail in 2009 under the current law has been introduced in the Senate. The legislation, S.3284, was introduced July 17, 2008, by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and George Voinovich (R-OH). The bill would [...]
High Court Rules Ohio Medicaid’s Treatment of Trust Depends on Rules at Time of Application
In a case argued by ElderLawAnswers member William J. Browning, the Ohio Supreme Court rules that whether a trust is an available asset to a Medicaid applicant depends on the eligibility rules in effect on the date of the application, not when the trust was created. Pack v. Osborn (Ohio, [...]