Articles About Elder Law and Legal Planning

1. What Is Long-term Care Insurance?

   Article - Long Term Care Insurance is one of the best ways to minimize expenses as you care for an aging parent or other family member.

2. Estate Planning 101

   Article - Estate planning involves managing money and property during life and passing it to survivors after death. Know what the basic estate planning documents can do.

3. How Family Caregivers Will Benefit From Health Care Reform

   Article - The new health reform law contains lots of changes that help family caregivers. Learn the new provisions that may help you and your loved ones.

4. How to Use Private Insurance to Help Pay for Long-Term Nursing Home Costs

   Article - To pay for long-term nursing home care, private insurance -- in the form of long-term care insurance or cash for an insurance policy -- may help.

5. Power of Attorney for Finances: A Step-By-Step Guide

   Article - This guide shows you how to set up a power of attorney, one step at a time.

6. Probate: What It Is -- and How to Avoid It

   Article - Find helpful probate information, explanation of wills and inheritance, and other helpful elder law resources.

7. Revocable Living Trusts: A Beginner's Guide

   Article - Revocable living trusts: A beginner's guide. A revocable living trust is one of the most important documents for families to have in their estate plan.

8. What to Expect from a Trusts and Estates Attorney

   Article - A trust and estates attorney deals with a range of legal issues, including the drafting of wills, varying types of trusts, tax and estate planning. Find out the typical things to expect when dealing with one.

9. How Financial Pros Save Money on Health Insurance

   Article - The high cost of health insurance is a critical problem for countless Americans. Learn 12 ways to save money on your health insurance costs.

10. 10 Things to Consider Including in a Will

    Article - Wills are generally the centerpiece of an estate plan, allowing people to direct how their property should be divided and who should get it after they die.

11. 7 Important Instructions to Include in a Health Care Directive

    Article - An advance health care directive -- a legal document that tells caregivers and care providers how your parents want medical matters handled -- should be as specific as possible. Help your parents think through all of the issues that might come up in connection with their future medical care.

12. 8 Points to Consider When Choosing a Medicare Managed Care Plan

    Article - Medicare doesn't come in only one flavor. There's traditional Medicare Part A and Part B, supplemented by a medigap private insurance policy. But there are also Medicare Part C managed care plans, called Medicare Advantage, which blend the other types of coverage into one...

13. Caring ‪Checklist: Questions to Ask at the Hospital Before Discharge

    Article - When your loved one is discharged from the hospital, use this checklist to be sure you know how to handle caregivers' most common concerns and needs.

14. Cancer Survivors: 8 Lessons We Wish We'd Known

    Article - Most people who have or care for someone with cancer learn hard lessons only by experience. Here, eight lessons about cancer you can learn early now.

15. Caring Checklist: What to Do When Someone Dies

    Article - Use this checklist to keep track of the practical steps to take -- from notifying family to planning a memorial service -- after a loved one dies.

16. Open Enrollment: How to Switch Your Medicare Drug Coverage Plan (Part D) for 2012

    Article - Annual open enrollment periods for Medicare Part D plans let you sign up or switch plans. How and why to switch, and what to look for in a new plan.

17. How to Use Private Insurance to Help Pay for Home Healthcare

    Article - Private health insurance may help cover home healthcare for your loved one. Consider two ways insurance might pay for home healthcare.

18. How to Pay for Home HealthCare

    Article - Costs for home healthcare vary widely. Learn more about some options to pay for home healthcare that's not covered by insurance or other programs.

19. How to Use Private Insurance to Help Pay for In-Home Care

    Article - To help pay for in-home care, investigate whether your loved one has long-term care insurance or a life insurance policy that can be cashed in.

20. 3 Good Reasons to Organize Legal Documents in the Mildest Stages of Dementia

    Article - The need to organize legal documents, such as wells and powers of attorney, can seem overwhelming. Find out why thinking about them now is important.

21. How to Use Supplemental Sources to Help Pay for Adult Daycare

    Article - Adult daycare can be a big benefit -- but hard to fit into the budget. Explore the range of supplemental sources that can help pay for adult daycare.

22. How to Use Private Payment Sources to Help Pay for an Independent-Living Facility

    Article - From family payments to life insurance policies, you may have private payment sources that can help pay for an independent-living facility.

23. How an Adult Guardianship, or Conservatorship, Works

    Article - When and how to appoint a conservator, or adult guardian, for an older adult if she can't make important health and financial decisions for herself.

24. Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) Plans: How They Work

    Article - Read our Medicare Part C plans article and find helpful Medicare Part C information at Caring.com.

25. What Is Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plan)?

    Article - Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plans): Who's eligible for Medicare Part D coverage and how much Part D drug plans cost

26. Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance): How It Works

    Article - Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) Medicare Part B is intended to cover doctor bills and outpatient costs. But what does it really cover?

27. Who's Eligible for a Medigap Insurance Policy?

    Article - A medigap insurance policy covers many medical costs that Medicare insurance may not pay for. If you're near or already age 65, you probably know that Medicare ends up paying for only about half of all medical costs. Part of this slack is taken up by Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, which pay some of the high cost of medicines...

28. How Does a Generation-Skipping Trust Work?

    Article - A generation-skipping trust allows assets to grow or be transferred tax-free. Learn the ins and outs of how a generation-skipping trust works.

29. You're Turning 65: A Must-Do Checklist

    Article - Eight steps to take at age 65 to safeguard your long-term financial and healthcare security. You're Turning 65: A Must-Do Checklist

30. How Medicaid Works

    Article - Learn about Medicaid care, Medicaid eligibility requirements and Medicaid coverage. Find out if Medicaid care is a good option for elderly loved ones.

31. How Medicare Works

    Article - How does Medicare work? What is Medicare? Who qualifies for Medicare? What does Medicare cover?

32. How to Choose a Medigap Insurance Policy

    Article - Everything you need to know to choose a Medigap insurance policy.

33. Saving Money on Prescription Drugs Not Covered by a Medicare Part D Plan

    Article - Information to help you save money on prescription drugs when someone is in the doughnut hole or just not enrolled in Medicare Part D.

34. Preparing for a Stroke Emergency: What You Should Know If Someone Is At Risk

    Article - Is someone close to you at risk for a stroke? This practical guide will help you prepare for a stroke emergency.

35. Open Enrollment: How to Switch Your Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plan for 2012

    Article - Open enrollment periods for Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans let you renew or change plans. When to change, and what to look for in a new plan.

36. Staying Actively Involved in the Health Care of Someone in Your Care

    Article - When you care for someone in the home, you must also manage that person's health care. This means choosing a good medical team, keeping costs down, arranging for medical appointments, and getting the best, least expensive medicines. It also means knowing what the insurance rules are and, most important, being an advocate for the person in your care...

37. How To Determine If an HMO Is Right for the Person in Your Care

    Article - NOTE: To find out how many patient complaints were registered against an HMO, call your state insurance commissioner in the phone book under State Government.