Supporting Your Child with Disabilities in College
The journey to get here has been challenging and rewarding. You couldn’t be prouder of your child for successfully navigating an educational system that simply wasn’t built for him or her. You are both grateful for the services and benefits that have made it possible to succeed. And, this isn’t the end. The next step may be college. Your child may feel
Caring For Your Disabled Child After You’re Gone
If you’ve ever been faced with managing the details of administering a deceased loved one’s estate, you appreciate how confusing and stressful the entire process can be. You probably never told yourself, “I wish my relatives had done less planning.” In fact, the more detailed and thoughtful an estate plan is, the clearer and easier it will be to follow the individual’s
Your Child Is Growing Up. Planning for Adulthood when your Child has Special Needs.
As a parent or guardian of a child with special needs, you’ve meticulously planned and provided for your child’s educational and care needs. Then, one day, it hits you. All too quickly your child is a teenager on the cusp of adulthood. What does life look like as your child enters those adult years? The answer will depend heavily on how you
Special Needs Planning: What to Know About Age 21
Age 21 Transition to adult Medicaid Children who are enrolled in a Medicaid program are entitled to robust medical services, some of which are mandated by the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) law. Services may include physician and hospital services, diagnostic and screening services, home health services, prescriptions, and dental, vision, and hearing care. In New Hampshire, children’s
The Letter of Intent – A Critical Blueprint for Care
Providing for a child or adult with special needs requires meticulous planning. Once families have created their special needs trust, ensured medical benefits are in place and preserved, and selected a capable trustee to manage their loved one’s assets or inheritance, what else is needed? The answer perhaps is one of the most important pieces – not a formal legal document,
VA Look-Back Rule Change
The landscape of need-based VA pensions and benefits is quietly changing this month, including the new requirement of a 36-month “look-back” period to determine financial eligibility. If you’re a veteran or the spouse of a veteran, here’s what you need to know: What Are Need-Based VA Pension Benefits? Veterans Pension and long-term care benefits are tax-free monetary benefits designed specifically to help
Why You Need to Consider Digital Assets in Estate Planning
You’re a responsible individual. You’ve done estate planning to provide for the distribution of your assets to protect those you love. If you’re like most of us, when you hear the word “asset” you think of things like your home, the money you have in the bank, or your investments. You know, all those tangible possessions that have traditionally been considered to
Special Needs Planning: What to Know About Age 65
Age 65 Medicare is a health insurance program offering coverage to individuals who are over the age of 65 and eligible to receive Social Security Retirement or Railroad Retirement benefits. Medicare also provides health insurance coverage to persons under the age of 65 who have received Social Security Disability Insurance benefits for two years or more. An individual who is receiving coverage
Special Needs Planning: What to Know About Age 55
Age 55 A State’s Right to be Reimbursed for Cost of Medicaid Assistance The age of 55 is relevant because it limits a State’s right to seek reimbursement for Medicaid benefits paid on an individual’s behalf. Some people decide not to apply for help because they are concerned (a) they might have to pay the government back for the help received if
Special Needs Planning: What to Know About Age 22
Age 22 is relevant because there are many public benefit programs that require proof that a person’s disability arose before reaching age 22 in order to establish eligibility. While it may be tempting to toss or destroy yellowing medical records and other papers because they’re more than three, seven, or 37 years old, you should resist the urge to purge, since it