People generally become eligible for Medicare at age 65, when they can receive benefits under Part A (Hospital Coverage), Part B (Medical Coverage), and Part D (Prrscription Drug Coverage). But Medicare doesn’t want you to delay enrollment. If only those who needed insurance signed up on time and healthier people waited, the healthy beneficiaries’ premiums would not be available to help underwrite the costs of the less healthy ones. For this reason, Medicare imposes fairly significant penalties for those who postpone enrolling. To encourage everyone to sign up when they first become eligible, the program increases premiums based on how…
Sometimes seniors find themselves owing past-due federal taxes they cannot afford to pay. Although notices from the IRS can be especially frightening, there are solutions. If the sum owed is less than $50,000, the IRS will accept monthly payments over five years. For example, if $6,000 is owed to the IRS, monthly payments of around $100 can be made. There are also laws in place that provide that persons unable to pay their taxes can be placed on Currently Not Collectible (CNC) status with the IRS and not have to pay their past-due income taxes. My experience with the IRS…
It is import to select the right nursing home, a daunting process at best. The search should begin with the determination of your loved ones life style preference and medical needs. Once you know the type of care your loved one requires, you should evaluate nursing homes to identify those that meet your criteria. Arm yourself initially with as much information about all nursing homes under consideration as possible. You may be able to eliminate some with preliminary screening; for example, if they do not offer the type of care your loved one must have. Also, geographical locations can also…
We can help protect your legacy. We handle a great deal of probate cases at my office. In fact, if someone has passed away in your family, we can probably help you. However, whenever I work on these cases I often wonder why so many people allow their assets to go through probate. Did they not know there were other choices? Did they not know how expensive probate can be? I am also often saddened when I see a person’s Will that leaves the assets equally to all the children, but the assets pass outside of the Will and do…
If you have no assets or money, then Medicaid (“Medical Assistance”) will usually pay for your care. In the nursing home setting, Medical Assistance covers room and board, pharmacy and incidentals. Basically, Medical Assistance provides for your basic care, but does not cover certain expenses like haircuts, beauty shop charges and clothing. However, if you qualify for Medical Assistance, you can only retain seventy-seven ($77) dollars per month from your income / social security to meet any of these needs. Medical Assistance planning is to offset the concerns of seniors regarding the high cost of long term nursing care. Generally,…
The need for nursing home care almost always seems to be a surprise and that’s why most people are incredibly unprepared when a loved one needs care. But even if you only have time to do crisis planning, you can still increase your chances of finding the right nursing home, getting good care there, and saving a significant portion of the family’s hard-earned assets. The first thing people need to remember when a loved one needs care is to not panic. First of all, stabilize the medical situation and then, as soon as possible, you should contact an elder law…
What is the #1 complaint of today’s families who have a loved one in a nursing home? According to elder law attorney, David Wingate, it’s that there is no resource that truly addresses how families can pay the cost of nursing home care. But now The Elder Law Office of David Wingate, has ended the hassles associated with qualifying for assistance to pay the cost of long-term care. “In talking with our clients, it became very clear to me that they were searching for a way to find the right nursing home, get good care there, and pay for it…
Just because the Holiday season is over, the need for help does not go away. We are reaching out to the community to collect items for Kline House Comfort Baskets. You can bring one item or as many as you desire. Please drop off the items at our office: The Elder Law Office of David Wingate, 198 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 200, Frederick, MD 21702. Telephone No. 301 663 9230. We need the following items: Deck of Cards Post it Notes Gum Journals Crossword puzzle books Word find books Granola / Breakfast / Power Bars. I know that we are…
Frederick, MD 
301-663-9230
