Medicaid: The safety net for long term care Published: Mon, Apr 16, 2012 The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and the days are getting longer: It’s spring. And if that doesn’t put a bounce in your step, your federal incomes taxes are probably finished for the year. So now you can relax, go for a walk, maybe clean out your closets. And think about the future. As... Read More

How can you hedge long-term care costs? Published: Mon, Apr 9, 2012 Q: I think it's a waste of money to buy long-term care insurance because you may never use it. And as you've written, insurers keep raising premiums. Isn't there a better solution? A: There are several solutions to hedging the potential cost of long-term custodial care, which is not covered by Medicare or any... Read More

For trusts, there is no one-size-fits-all answer Published: Mon, Feb 13, 2012 DEAR BRUCE: If someone has certificates of deposit in trust for someone, can this money be touched if a judgment is filed against the account holders of the CDs? -- P.J., via email DEAR P.J.: There is no answer to your question without knowing the source of the trust money and how the trust is constructed. If you... Read More

Don't drop long-term care when rates rise Published: Mon, Aug 29, 2011 The question below is specific, but it represents some of the many questions I have received from people who are being notified that their long-term care insurance premiums are being increased — just at the time they can least afford it. I'll explain some of the alternatives. Q: My insurance company just... Read More

What's the deal with LTC? Updated: Tue, Dec 7, 2010 Bruce Williams discusses long-term care insurance and tenants with rights of survivorship. Read More

Cost of Long-Term Care Rising, but It's Still a Good Deal Updated: Mon, Nov 22, 2010 Stop what you're doing, and answer this question: Will you care for your parents -- and your in-laws -- in their old age? Will you invite them into your home, to use the bedroom your college kid just vacated, and will you provide them with help dressing and bathing? Or let's reverse the situation: Who will... Read More

Mom's estate goes to the state? Updated: Thu, Nov 5, 2009 Q: My father, now age 88, was in a nursing home for nearly three years as a private pay patient before my mother could get him qualified for Medicaid by "spending down" to $75,000, keeping her house, some old furniture and a car. He has been on Medicaid for four years. Since the beginning of his illness, she... Read More

Consider Long-Term Care Insurance Now Published: Sat, Oct 10, 2009 Q: Do I really need to think about long-term care insurance? A: Headline: Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reduced Medicare funding for nursing homes by an estimated $16 billion over the next 10 years. Twenty-four states already have reduced Medicaid funding this year. And $313 billion of... Read More