Category: Elder Law

MARCH 18th POSTPONED – Join Us in April for Real Talk: The Essentials of Aging with Confidence

March 5, 2020

Out of an abundance of caution and with the utmost respect for our seniors and their caregivers, we have postponed the launch of our upcoming series, Real Talk: The Essentials of Aging with Confidence, until further notice.

We hope to proceed with our April session if it is prudent to do so. Be sure to watch for more information in the coming weeks.

This month we begin the first of a 3-part series in which we tackle topics involving The Essentials of Aging with Confidence. Details below including where to register. We look forward to seeing you there!

March 18th – Part 1: Getting Your Estate in Order
April 22nd – Part 2: Aging in Place or Assisted Living? Which option works for your lifestyle?
May 13th – Part 3: The Essential Guide to Aging and Caregiving.
@bgnthebgn @ofplaw @sandyspringbank #shepherdscenter #agingwithconfidence

A New Year Means New Exemption Levels

January 14, 2018

Welcome to the New Year!  As with any new year, there are usually changes to a variety of important numbers for estate planning and elder law purposes.  This year the applicable exclusion amount from Federal estate tax is set at $11.18 million per person thanks to tax reform.  The lifetime exclusion from gift tax is also $11.18 million per person and the exemption from generation skipping transfer tax is $11.18 million.  The annual exclusion from gift tax will be at least $14,000.

For local jurisdictions that have estate tax, the District of Columbia increased its estate tax exemption from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 last year and this year has increased the threshold further to match the Federal exemption.  Maryland’s exemption from estate tax has increased to $4,000,000.  Virginia continues to have no state level estate or inheritance tax.

In the elder law field, the Medicaid spousal impoverishment numbers were released increasing the minimum community spouse resource allowance (CSRA) to $24,720 and the maximum CSRA to $123,600.  The maximum monthly maintenance needs allowance is now $3,090.00 while the minimum remains at $2,030.00.  The minimum home equity limit is now $572,000 and the maximum is $858,000, but be aware that local jurisdictions may apply these limits differently.

If you have questions regarding the new limits and how they may impact your estate planning, your should consult your professional advisor.  #estateplanning #taxplanning #elderlaw #taxreform #HappyNewYear @bgnthebgn

Revision to Proposed Rule Banning Arbitration Clauses in Nursing Home Admissions Agreements

June 18, 2017

Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a rule banning the use of binding pre-dispute arbitration agreements by nursing homes that accept Medicare and Medicaid patients.  The result of the new rule would have been that families who have an issue with a nursing home regarding care, abuse, and the like, would have been able to sue in court to have their case heard versus having to go through a binding arbitration process.  However, the American Health Care Association along with four long-term care providers filed suit against the Health and Human Services Secretary and CMS arguing that the agencies overstepped their authority in issuing the rule.  Injunctive relief was granted preventing the rule from going into effect.

In May of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court in Kindred Nursing Centers L.P. vs. Clark, overturned a ruling by the Kentucky Supreme Court in which the Kentucky Supreme Court stated that durable powers of attorney must explicitly permit an agent to enter into an arbitration agreement or otherwise risk violating the Kentucky Constitution where access to the courts and a trial by jury is ‘sacred’ and inviolate’.  Instead the U.S. Supreme Court held that Kentucky’s ruling violated the Federal Arbitration Act by treating arbitration agreements differently.    

As a result, earlier this month CMS issued proposed revisions to its arbitration agreement requirements for nursing homes and long-term care facilities.  CMS is no longer proposing a ban on arbitration agreements in admissions agreements, but it is requiring greater transparency as to the meaning and understanding of such provisions in admissions agreements.  Thus, it appears at this juncture that CMS is trying to find some middle ground between a complete ban on arbitration agreements and the decision in the Kindred case, but only time will tell if that middle ground has been found between the rights of the families of patients and the long-term care facilities.  #elderlaw #elderabuse #nursinghome #arbitration #CMS #SCOTUS @bgnthebgn

Aging in Three Simple Questions

May 6, 2017

At a recent Moms at Work event hosted by Claire M. S. Meade, discussion was held about those who are part of the “sandwich generation”, that is those who have young children, but also older parents.  In particular, the conversation centered on questions to ask retired or retiring parents to help facilitate a discussion about aging.  Many earlier articles have addressed estate planning, including planning for incapacity and planning for death.  But this discussion highlighted three basic questions that MIT AgeLab identified as key when considering what it means to be retired.  The simple questions are: (1) Who will change my light bulbs?  (2) How will I get an ice cream cone?  (3) With whom will I have lunch?  These seem like very basic questions, but when you start to think beyond the initial concept to the considerations that each question raises, you realize that there are a lot of details to address in each question as it relates to retirement and aging.   Check out the MIT AgeLab article for more details and think about beginning the conversation with your retired or retiring family member to avoid finding yourself in a situation where it is too late to plan.  @bgnthebgn @josephcoughlin #incapacityplanning #estateplanning #aginginplace #retirementplanning #sandwichgeneration

Use of Pre-Dispute Arbitration Agreements Restricted in Nursing Home Admissions Agreements

October 13, 2016

man-in-coffee-houseThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) recently issued a final rule banning the use of binding pre-dispute arbitration agreements by nursing homes that accept Medicare and Medicaid patients.  Such arbitration clauses are typically found in the admissions agreements between a new resident (or their family) and the nursing home, but are very often overlooked.  The result of this new rule is that families who have an issue with a nursing home regarding care, abuse, and the like, can now sue in court to have their case heard versus having to go through a binding arbitration process. 

The original proposed rule only required nursing homes to explain the arbitration agreement to new residents and obtain an acknowledgement that they understood.  The final rule is the result of many comments on the proposed rule that favored an outright ban on such arbitration agreements.  The nursing home industry has stated that the arbitration agreements have kept costs down and the new rule will undoubtedly increase costs and force closures of some facilities.  Moreover, there is an argument that CMS has overstepped its authority in issuing such a rule and we may see the nursing home industry fight the implementation of the rule currently scheduled to take effect on November 28th.  The new rule will only apply to future admissions agreements and not to existing contracts, but stay tuned to see whether a battle erupts between the nursing home industry and CMS.  #elderlaw #elderabuse #nursinghome #arbitrationbanned @bgnthebgn