Cary NC Elder Law Attorney A common question I hear from clients and colleagues is: “Doesn’t Medicare pay for skilled nursing or nursing home care in North Carolina?” It seems like it should, right? Medicare is primarily a health insurance program for retired and elderly individuals. Skilled nursing and nursing home care is generally needed by elderly individuals. It would…

Both are federal programs, both are administered at the federal level by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and they both sound pretty similar. But what’s the difference between Medicaid and Medicare? What is Medicaid? Medicaid is an assistance program. It is meant to provide health coverage for people below a certain asset and income threshold – what…

While everyone (myself included) was writing about the Estate Tax and its apparent impending doom, the United States Senate Finance Committee was quality voting 26-0 to end Stretch IRAs for non-spouse beneficiaries. Mind blown. Where did that come from? First, what is a Stretch IRA and why does it matter? What is a Stretch IRA anyway? Traditional IRAs are a…

A difficult component of estate planning is deciding which of your family members should get specific assets or types of assets and in what amounts. Here are some common factors to consider when deciding how to divide your estate’s assets among your potential beneficiaries. Who is Getting the Non-Probate Assets? Life insurance, 401(k), IRAs, Annuities, and any other asset held…