The State of California has developed a non-profit website to help consumers navigate the overwhelming and costly issue of long-term care. They offer planning tools, brochures, calculations, and information on long term care insurance policies. As two out of three Californians are projected to need long-term care this information can help you make sure that you have prepared for the needs of yourself and your loved ones.

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

According to the Federal Trade Commission there is a new scam on the rise. Scammers are now calling and impersonating Medicare workers. They will claim that they need to verify your bank account number. They sound very sound convincing and act like it is an urgent matter.
Some of the scammers may even know the first few numbers of your account, and ask you to verify the rest. If you give them the rest of your number, they will use it to access your account to take your money.
The callers may say they lost your information and need it to deposit funds, provide additional benefits, or send you a new Medicare or prescription card. They will assure you there’s no charge and threaten that your benefits will be cut off if you don’t give them your bank account information right away.
This is a scam to steal your money. Medicare will never call you and ask for your bank account information.
* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

In May of 2016, the End Of Life Option Act, that was approved by the Governor on October 5, 2015, will became law. This act will replace Part 1.85 of the current California Health and Safety Code commencing at section 443. This new law allows an adult, who has been determined to be suffering from a terminal illness to request a prescription (referred to as an “aid-in-dying drug”) to end his or her life, under certain conditions.
I have already received requests from several clients to include their wish that their agent under their advance health care directive be authorized to make this request on their behalf. Unfortunately, 443.2 (c) specifically states, “A request for a prescription for an aid-in-dying drug under this part shall be made solely and directly by the individual diagnosed with the terminal disease and shall not be made on behalf of the patient, including but not limited to, through a power of attorney, an advance health care directive, a conservator, health care agent, surrogate, or any other legally recognized health care decision maker” (emphasis added).
* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

With all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it is easy to put off or even forget a few things until after the beginning of the year. Not withdrawing funds from your IRA, if you have required minimum distributions, could be costly. For those over the age of 70½ who have not yet taken the annual required minimum distribution from their IRAs for 2015, you must do so before December 31st. If you miss this deadline, you face a tax penalty that amounts to 50 percent of what you should have been withdrawn.
An article in the December 8, 2015 issue of the Pittsburgh Post gazette stated that Fidelity Investments, based in Boston, reported that as of Nov. 27, the majority — nearly 60 percent — of the company’s more than 800,000 IRA customers who are supposed to take required minimum distributions for the tax year 2014 had yet to take the full amount from their Fidelity IRAs.
Make sure that you put this item on your to do list and have a happy holiday.

* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

As if it was not hard enough to figure out Medicare open enrollment, now you need to watch out for scammers that want to prey upon your confusion. According to the Federal Trade Commission website there are at least four new scams:

 
1. Someone calls and says you must join their prescription plan or you’ll lose your Medicare coverage. This is not true. The Medicare prescription drug plan is voluntary and does not affect your Medicare coverage.

2. Someone calls or emails claiming they need your Medicare number to update your account, get you a new card, or send you Medicare benefit information. Do not give them any information. If you are concerned contact Medicare directly on your own.

3. Someone claiming to be a Medicare plan representative says they need “to confirm” your billing information by phone or online. Do not give them any information. Plan representatives are not allowed to ask you for payment over the phone or online.

4. You receive an offer for free medical exams or supplies. This is most likely a trick to get your personal information.
Protect your identity and personal information. Do not give any information to an unsolicited caller or email request.

 
* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.

Medicare’s open enrollment period is October 15 – December 7. Your existing Medicare health and drug plans can make changes each year to things like cost, coverage, and what providers and pharmacies are in their networks. The open enrollment period is when all people with Medicare can change their Medicare health plans and prescription drug coverage for the following year to better meet their needs.

 
If you have a Medicare health or prescription drug plan, you should review the materials that your plans sends you each year at this time, like the “Evidence of Coverage” (EOC) and “Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC). If your plans are changing, you should make sure that your plan will still meet your needs for the following year. For example, verify that your physicians and pharmacy are still covered by your plan. If you are satisfied that your current plan will meet your needs for next year and it’s still being offered, you don’t need to do anything.

 
* The information contained in this Blog is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an opinion of counsel.