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Please Click HerePosted on August 28, 2019 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Leaving an inheritance to a loved one with special needs who is or will be receiving government benefits (SSI, medical assistance, long term care services) is tricky and can have unintended negative consequences if not done carefully. Well-meaning gifts may result in the loved one (who I will refer to as the “Special Needs Beneficiary”) […]
Posted on August 9, 2019 by Ashley L. Hawley
The family farm has always been unique from an estate-planning perspective. Unlike many traditional businesses, a farm business typically holds a disproportionate amount of illiquid assets such as real estate, equipment, crops and livestock. It often has few liquid assets. Important planning needs to take place to deal with the incapacity or death of family-farm […]
Posted on July 17, 2019 by Ashley L. Hawley
As our aging population grows so does the cost of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in-home care services. Contrary to popular belief, Medicare will only cover certain short-term stays and typically will not cover non-rehabilitative long-term care. This leaves many elderly and disabled individuals with few options for covering costs. Often, at first, family […]
Posted on June 26, 2019 by Steven P. Lipowski
It seems sometimes that no good deed goes unpunished. Landowners who permit access to their property for outdoor enthusiasts to engage in their favorite recreational activities – such as camping, hiking and hunting – could risk liability for doing so. But a Wisconsin law called the Recreational Use Immunity statute provides private landowners a layer […]
Posted on June 13, 2019 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Congress has activated a new Anti-Kickback law known as Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018 (commonly referred to as EKRA). The new Anti-Kickback law applies to arrangements involving recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities, and laboratories. Congressional intent for enacting EKRA was noble. It wanted to clarify that brokering of opioid use disorder patients for […]
Posted on June 11, 2019 by Ruder Ware Alumni
After working and saving, clients are concerned that unexpected costs will become unplanned for drains on their Retirement Accounts (e.g, 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, 403(b), etc.). As the need to pay for nursing home care nears, those concerns grow and questions begin to be asked about whether retirement accounts are safe from the nursing home. […]
Posted on May 30, 2019 by Ruder Ware Alumni
Harry and Sally want to pass their farm operation to their children. Ideally, they would also like to receive some income from the farm. Because Harry and Sally do not have long-term care insurance, they are worried that if they need medical assistance (e.g., Medicaid) to help pay for long-term care such as a nursing […]
Posted on May 30, 2019 by Ruder Ware Alumni
The Affordable Care Act requires any person who has received an overpayment from certain defined government health programs to report and return the overpayment within 60 days after the overpayment is identified. If an overpayment is not repaid, or if a self-disclosure is not made before the expiration of the 60-day period, the overpayment amount […]
Posted on May 28, 2019 by Ruder Ware Alumni
The Department of Justice (DOJ) along with other health care fraud enforcement agencies, continue to send strong signals that they want businesses to police themselves for potential compliance issues and self-disclose where infractions are found. The fact of the matter is the government simply does not have enough resources to track down and take action […]
Posted on May 28, 2019 by Mary Ellen Schill
Today the IRS announced the HSA limits for calendar year 2020. Hard to believe we are already talking 2020, especially after a Memorial Day weekend in Wisconsin where the air conditioning and furnace were both needed. As you long for summer, look forward to slightly higher limits in 2020, as set forth in the chart […]