Paul O. Dillon, Attorney at Law

How to Avoid Medicaid Estate Recovery

Medicaid is a government program that helps seniors and others pay for long term care. However, it’s not always free, explains the article “What Is Medicaid Estate Recovery?” from AOL.com. The Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) is used by states to recover costs from estates with funds. The goal of Medicaid estate recovery is to make the program affordable for the government, but it can have a severe impact on the beneficiaries of Medicaid recipients. An estate planning elder law attorney should be contacted, if you believe you or a loved one may need Medicaid.

Seniors are eligible for Medicare when they turn 65. This program pays for many healthcare expenses, but not for long-term care in a nursing home. Medicaid is used when someone does not have long term care insurance or enough money to pay for long-term care out of pocket. Medicaid can also be used for long-term or nursing home care, if steps have been taken to protect assets. This usually includes strategies, like trusts and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts (MAPT).

A federal law passed in 1993 (the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) requires states to attempt to seek reimbursement from a Medicaid beneficiary’s estate after they have died. Some of the costs that the state will try to recover include:

• Nursing home costs
• Home and community-based services
• Medical services received through a hospital where the recipient is a long-term care patient
• Prescription drug services for long-term care recipient

The recovery program lets Medicaid pursue any eligible assets owned by the estate. While this depends upon where you live, any assets that are part of the probate estate could be attached, including:

• Bank accounts
• Your home or other real estate
• Vehicles or other real property

In addition, some states allow Medicaid to recover assets that are not subject to probate, including jointly held accounts, Payable-On-Death (POD) bank accounts, real estate owned in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, living trusts and any other assets that the Medicaid recipient had a legal interest in.

An estate planning elder care attorney in your state will know what types of assets your state tends to pursue and will help you understand what can and cannot be used for Medicaid benefit recovery.

Note that while Medicaid cannot take the primary residence while the recipient is still living, they can place a lien on the home. If the recipient passes away and a beneficiary inherits the home, they will not be able to sell the property until the lien has been satisfied.

For beneficiaries, Medicaid recovery means a smaller inheritance. However, that’s not the only thing to be mindful of. There are laws known as “filial responsibility laws” that allow healthcare providers to sue the children of long-term care recipients to recover nursing care costs. This is not commonly done as of this writing, but the costs of COVID may change this in the near future.

Strategic planning can help you or loved ones avoid the financial impact of Medicaid estate recovery. If you are eligible and can afford to buy a long-term care policy, that may help to cover most of the cost of care. Another option is to remove as many assets from the probate process as possible. An estate planning attorney will be able to help you create a plan to protect your assets.

Reference: AOL.com (February 5, 2021) “What Is Medicaid Estate Recovery?”

Do Unmarried Couples Need Estate Planning?

A couple that has no intention of ever getting married should know that they won’t get the automatic rights and protections that legally wed spouses get, particularly when it comes to death. Therefore, unmarried couples must make a concerted effort to cover all the bases, says CNBC’s recent article entitled “Here’s what happens to your partner if you’re not married and you die.”

The number of unmarried couples who live together reached 18 million in 2016, a 29% increase from 14 million in 2007, according to the Pew Research Center. Among adults age 50 and older, the increase was 75% with roughly 4 million cohabiting in 2016, compared to 2.3 million in 2007.

These couples still face some key differences from their married counterparts. For example, there’s no filing federal taxes as a couple, and if an employer allows health insurance for a partner, the amount the company contributes is taxable to the employee, rather than being tax-free for a spouse.

End-of-life considerations also need attention. Unmarried couples can sign some legal documents that will dictate what happens, if one of them either becomes incapacitated or passes away, which is a type of estate plan.

If you die without a will or intestate, the state probate court will decide how your assets are distributed. A will by itself also won’t address everything. If you want to make sure your tax-advantaged retirement accounts — like your Roth IRA and 401(k) plans — go to your partner, make sure that individual is the designated beneficiary on those accounts. Even if your will says otherwise, whoever’s listed as the beneficiaries on those accounts will get the money. It’s the same for insurance policies and annuities.

If both partner’s names are on checking, savings or investment accounts, the account will pass directly to the surviving partner. However, for an account with only one partner’s name on it, ask the bank about the appropriate form to be completed, so the money is left directly to the surviving partner. This is what’s called a transfer-on-death or payable-on-death designation. Without this designation, the assets will end up in probate and distributed either in accordance with the will or intestacy state laws.

Regardless of how the mortgage is paid or whose name is on the loan, the person named on the deed is the owner. If the house in one partner’s name, it won’t automatically pass to the partner, as it would with a married couple (via joint tenancy with rights of survivorship). It would become part of the probate estate. To remedy this, you can retitle the home, so that both partners are listed as joint owners on the deed, “with rights of survivorship.” Each partner then equally owns the house and is entitled to assume full ownership upon the death of the other. Note that there could be other factors to consider before adding a partner’s name to an existing deed, such as expenses, tax implications and protection from potential creditors. Ask your estate planning or probate attorney before you make a change. A partner owning the house, could leave it to the surviving partner in the will. Remember, though, any asset passing via the will is subject to probate, which may lead to unforeseen issues.

In addition, a partner has no legal say in his or her partner’s medical treatment, if he or she is in a situation where they can’t make decisions for themselves. To give the partner that right, partners can grant each other a durable power of attorney over health care. This allows the partner to make important health-care decisions, if the one in the hospital is unable to do so. This is different from a living will, which states a person’s wishes if they are on life support or suffer from a terminal condition. This document helps guide the agent’s decision-making. If no one is named, medical personnel must follow the instructions in that document.

Likewise, partners may want to give each other durable power of attorney for finances. This would let them handle one another’s money, including accessing accounts as necessary, if the incapacitated partner could not do so.  If the partners have dependents, name a guardian for them in the will. Otherwise, that decision will be left to the courts.

Reference: CNBC (Dec. 16, 2019) “Here’s what happens to your partner if you’re not married and you die”

How Do I Avoid Unintentionally Disinheriting a Family Member?

When an account owner dies, their assets go directly to beneficiaries named on the account. This bypasses and overrides the will or trust. Therefore, you should use care in coordinating your overall estate plan. You don’t want the wrong person ending up with the financial benefits.

The News-Enterprise recent article, “Don’t accidentally leave your estate to the wrong person,” tells the story of the widower who remarried after the death of his first wife. Because he didn’t change his IRA beneficiary form, at his death, his second wife was left out. She received no money from the IRA, and the retirement money went to his first wife, the named beneficiary.

Many types of accounts have beneficiary forms, like U.S. savings bonds, bank accounts, certificates of deposit that can be made payable on death, investment accounts that are set-up as transfer on death, life insurance, annuities and retirement accounts.

Remember that beneficiary designations don’t carry over, when you roll your 401(k) to a new plan or IRA.

You can name as your beneficiaries individuals, trusts, charities, organizations, your estate, or no one at all. You can name groups, like “all my living grandchildren who survive me.” However, be certain that the beneficiary form lets you to pass assets “per stirpes,” meaning, equally among the branches of your family. For example, say you’re leaving your life insurance to your four children. One predeceases you. Without the “per stirpes” clause, the remaining three remaining children would divide the death proceeds. With the “per stirpes” clause, the deceased child’s share would pass to the late child’s children (your grandchildren).

Don’t leave assets to minors outright, because it creates the process of having a court appointed guardian care for the assets, until the age of 18 in most states. Instead, you might create trusts for the minor heirs, have the trust as the beneficiary of the assets, and then have the trust pay the money to heirs over time, after they have reached legal age or another milestone.

You should also not name disabled individuals as beneficiaries, because it can cause them to lose their government benefits. Instead, ask your attorney about creating a special needs or supplemental needs trust. This preserves their ability to continue to receive the government benefits.

Reference: The News-Enterprise (November 30, 2019) “Don’t accidentally leave your estate to the wrong person”

How Do I Set Up a Living Trust?

For those who want to spare heirs the hassle and cost of the probate process, you may consider transferring your assets to a living trust.

Yahoo! Finance’s recent article, “How to Create a Living Trust in Tennessee” explains that creating a living trust is mostly the same, regardless of where you live in the U.S.

Let’s look at the basic steps you’ll need to take, with the help of a qualified estate planning attorney:

1. List the assets that should go into the trust. There are some assets, such as 401(k) plans and IRAs, which must be in an individual’s name. Other items like bank accounts, securities and life insurance policies can but don’t need to, provided you set up payable-on-death accounts or designate your beneficiaries. Usually real estate and business interests are shielded with living trusts.
2. Select the right type of living trust. If you use a revocable trust, you can remove assets or cancel the trust. With an irrevocable trust, you don’t have this luxury. If you’re not married, you can create a single trust. If you’re married, a Tennessee Community Property Trust will hold what you own jointly without having to split property or say who owns what. However, this type of trust isn’t a good option, if you’re in a later marriage with separate assets and children from previous relationships.
3. Name a trustee. The trustee will manage the trust. With revocable trusts, you can also be the trustee, or in the case of a joint trust, you and your spouse can be co-trustees. If you name yourself, name a successor trustee for when you pass away.
4. Create a trust agreement. It’s best to hire an estate planning attorney to create the trust, because it must be done correctly and legally. If the trust is found to be invalid, there may be penalties, taxes and added costs.
5. Sign and notarize the trust document.
6. Transfer property into the trust. The law states that the trust won’t be effective, unless and until property is retitled in the name of the trust.

Trusts and their rules can be complicated. Use an experienced estate planning attorney to do it right.

Reference: Yahoo! Finance (September 27, 2019) “How to Create a Living Trust in Tennessee”

Did Luke Perry Plan His Estate?

Fifty-two-year-old Luke Perry suffered a serious stroke recently and was hospitalized under heavy sedation. A few days later, his family made the decision to remove life support, when it was apparent that he wouldn’t recover and after a reported second stroke.

Forbes reports in its article, “Luke Perry Protected His Family With Estate Planning,” that he was surrounded by his children, 21-year-old Jack and 18-year-old Sophie, his fiancé, ex-wife, mother and siblings, when he passed.

The fact that the hospital let Perry's family end life support, means that he likely had executed the proper legal documents, so his family could make the decision. Those documents were most likely an advance directive or a power of attorney. Without these legal documents, Luke's family may have needed to obtain an order from a probate court to terminate life support—a public and emotional process that would have prolonged his suffering and made it even more stressful for his family.

Perry reportedly created a will in 2015. He left everything to his two children. According to a family friend, Perry discovered he had precancerous growths following a colonoscopy. This motivated him to create a will to protect his children.

Luke Perry had a reported net worth of around $10 million, so he may have created a revocable living trust, in addition to a will. If he had only a will, then his estate will have to pass through probate court. However, if he had a trust, and if his trust was properly funded (he transferred his assets into his trust prior to death), then his assets can pass to his children without court involvement.

One question is whether Perry would have wanted something to go to his fiancé, therapist Wendy Madison Bauer. Since his will was drafted in 2015, he likely did not include Bauer at the time. If the couple had married prior to his death, then Bauer would typically have received rights as a "pretermitted spouse." These rights wouldn’t have been automatic, but would have depended on the terms of his will and/or trust, as well as whether the couple signed a prenuptial agreement that addressed inheritance rights. However, if the documents failed to show an intent to exclude Bauer as a beneficiary, then she would’ve been entitled to one-third of his estate under California law, if they’d been married.

Because Perry died before he married Bauer, she’s not entitled to inherit anything through his will or trust, assuming his children are his only beneficiaries, and no later will, trust, or amendment is found that includes her. Perry may have left money for Bauer in other ways, like life insurance, a joint bank account, or an account with a TOD (Transfer on Death) or POD (Payable on Death) clause.

Luke Perry's death provides an important lesson: don’t wait until you’re "old" to do your estate planning. Perry's 2015 cancer scare made him take action, which simplified the process for his family to terminate life support and will likely make the process of dividing his estate easier.

Reference: Forbes (March 8, 2019) “Luke Perry Protected His Family With Estate Planning”

How Do I Title My Property Correctly for My Estate Plan?

The way by which you title your real and personal property and who you name as your beneficiaries is just as important in your estate planning as your will or trust, says The Black Hills Pioneer’s recent article, “Titling of property is just as important as your Will or Trust.”

There are some kinds of property that, depending on how they are titled or who’s the named beneficiary, will flow outside your will or trust.

For instance, if you designate a beneficiary to your life insurance policy or on your retirement account, that money goes directly to the named beneficiary at your death—not in accordance with your will or trust (provided you haven’t named your estate or trust as the beneficiary).

In addition, you could designate another person as payable on death (POD) designee or transfer on death (TOD) designee on your investment account or your bank account. These types of accounts also transfer automatically to the named designee and not with any regard to your will or trust (unless you named your estate or trust as the beneficiary).

Any jointly owned real estate will typically flow to the surviving joint owner, not pursuant to your will or trust. However, the fact that two people own one piece of real estate doesn’t mean the property will flow automatically to the survivor. It depends on how the property is titled. For example, in South Dakota, language needs to be included in the deed conveying that real estate to both individuals as “joint tenants with rights of survivorship.”

You can, therefore, see how critical it is that you discuss these issues with your estate planning attorney. In addition to questions about wills and trusts, you should also be discussing the titling of your property and the beneficiaries you’ve named on your life insurance and retirement accounts, along with any POD and TOD designees you’ve named on your investment accounts or bank accounts.

If you don’t, you create problems for you family and loved ones.

Reference: Black Hills Pioneer (August 5, 2019) “Titling of property is just as important as your Will or Trust”

Do I Need a TOD Account?

A Transfer-on-Death (TOD) account can eliminate a legal problem, by moving your assets without leaving them in your will.

Yahoo Finance’s recent article, “Transfer on Death (TOD) Accounts for Estate Planning” explains that a transfer on death (TOD) account automatically transfers its assets to a named beneficiary when the holder dies. TOD account holders can designate multiple beneficiaries and divide assets any way they want. However, the beneficiaries have no rights to a TOD account, while its owner is alive. The beneficiaries can also be changed at any time.

When a person with a TOD account dies, the executor will deliver a copy of the death certificate to an agent at the account’s bank or brokerage. The account is re-registered in the beneficiary’s name. A TOD account sidesteps the probate process and takes precedence over a will.

If you have a surviving spouse as your joint owner, investment and bank accounts will go to them before going to a TOD account beneficiary. Based on state law, a beneficiary may receive the assets of a TOD account, only after a joint owner spouse’s death, if at all.

A TOD account can be divided among several beneficiaries, but it doesn’t have to be done so equally.  A TOD account with someone under 18 as a beneficiary, could also be a problem because minors can’t control investment accounts. You would need to name a guardian or set up a trust (and name a trustee).

As you start the estate planning process, an experienced estate planning attorney will be a big help in organizing your finances and accounts. Talk to them about your overall estate plan objectives.

Reference: Yahoo Finance (June 26, 2019) “Transfer on Death (TOD) Accounts for Estate Planning”

Here’s More Insight into Why Estate Planning is Critical

Fox 5 NY says in the article “Why estate planning is important regardless of your age or wealth” that this is great time to begin talking to your loved ones about estate planning, especially older relatives and parents.

The key to a successful discussion depends upon the right approach.

Try to always make suggestions, rather than demands. One great way to start the conversation with family members, is to mention what you're doing. You might say something like, “I just took care of my own estate planning. Have you done anything? Maybe we should talk about it.” That might get the conversation rolling.

Many people believe that, as they get older, they need a will. However, that’s just one piece of the puzzle: core estate planning includes a will, power of attorney, health care proxy and asset protection.

For most of us, the asset we most want to protect is our home. One of the best ways to do that is through an irrevocable trust. This trust may have tax advantages, could protect your home during a healthcare crisis and protect your home from your children's creditors.

You also need to find people you trust to help with finances and health care. A power of attorney is a legal document in which you grant a person the authority to handle finances on your behalf.

Similarly, a healthcare proxy is an individual who makes healthcare decisions, if you get sick or are in an accident and can't make decisions for yourself.

You can use one person to do both or separate individuals for each role. You can opt for a family member or a trusted friend. However, either way it should probably be a younger person, who won't be dealing with the same aging issues as you.

You should also note that your will doesn't cover everything. Make certain that any beneficiaries designated in your retirement plans or life insurance and any additional names on joint bank accounts are current. The beneficiaries you appointed by a designation form will get the money in those accounts, no matter what it says in your will.

If all of this sounds a bit complex, don't worry because an experienced estate planning or elder law attorney can help you with all of the forms and all of your questions. Just understand these three things before you visit an elder law firm: your assets, whose names are on the accounts and your wishes.

Reference: Fox 5 NY (December 12, 2018) “Why estate planning is important regardless of your age or wealth”

Do Millennials Need an Estate Plan?

A year ago, 58 people were killed during the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival shooting in Las Vegas. Many of those who lost their lives that day, were in their 20s and 30s. As we reflect on the pain their families must have felt and still feel, how many of them had plans in place, asks Think Advisor in the article, “Yes Millennials DO Need Estate Planning.”

If the statistics are the same as the rest of the country, most of these victims didn’t have any plans in place. That’s a shame, because their wishes died with them. There were probably a lot of families that didn’t know if their loved one wanted to be buried or cremated or what they would have wanted for funeral arrangements. They didn’t know who should receive what assets. Perhaps these young people had close friends that should have been remembered to help them ease their grief.

All young adults must think about creating an estate plan. Here are a few simple steps that could save their families a lot of pain, if the worst happens:

• Work with an estate planning attorney to draw up a will to create a plan for your belongings—who will inherit what, both financial and personal. You should also remember your virtual assets, such as your iTunes and social media accounts.
• Create a list of your usernames and passwords to all your financial and personal accounts. Make certain that your family knows about it and has access, if it’s online.
• If you have a 401(k) and company-sponsored life insurance, be sure to name beneficiaries on these accounts to avoid probate.
• Ask your bank for a payable-on-death (POD) account. This lets you name a beneficiary, keeping the account out of probate.
• Designate a durable power of attorney and health care proxy, which let others make financial and medical decisions for you, if you become incapacitated. If you want to give your proxy specific instructions, create an advance directive, also known as a living will.

Estate planning isn’t only for the old and rich, and it’s just as much about your own peace of mind, as it is creating clarity for families in a time of chaos. While we can’t prevent accidents or even tragedies like that in Las Vegas, we can help create a plan, so our families can concentrate on what matters: honoring the lives of loved ones.

Reference: Think Advisor (December 11, 2018) “Yes Millennials DO Need Estate Planning”

Is Having a Joint Bank Account with Mom a Good Idea?

Opening a joint bank account with your aging parent sure sounds like a good idea. But NextAvenue’s article asks, “Should You Have a Joint Bank Account With Your Parent?” It turns out there are some real issues with this plan.

A joint bank account can be a quick and easy way to help your parents pay bills and monitor their spending. With you monitoring their account, it’s also easier for you to see potential fraud. It allows an adult child to watch for unauthorized purchases or other issues with the account, like late fees or overdrafts. Another benefit is that in the event of your parents’ deaths, you will have immediate access to the account funds, without the need to go through the probate process. This can be helpful when paying burial and other final expenses.

However, there’s plenty that can go wrong if you have a joint bank account with your parents. First, your parents’ money won’t be safe from your own debts or liabilities. If something happens to you, like an accident, divorce, or bankruptcy, you’ll be putting your parents’ money at risk. Depending on the rights of survivorship on the account, all the money in the account could go directly to you when the last of your parents dies. That would disinherit your brothers and sisters.

If you make deposits to the account yourself, it may impact your parents’ eligibility for government benefits, like Medicaid. A joint account may also play a role in your child’s student financial aid eligibility because government and financial institutions can designate all the money in the joint account as your money—even if half of it is yours and half belongs to your parents.

There can also be tax implications to having a joint account. The IRS could deem this to be a gift, triggering a gift tax return, if the account is valued above $15,000 (from each parent for 2018). Likewise, if the parents and adult child open a new account together, and the parents deposit a large amount of money which the adult child later withdraws, it could arguably be seen as a gift.

Look at these options that might work better for you and your family, instead of a joint bank account:

1. With signature authority on an account, you can pay your parents’ bills;. However, you won’t be authorized to use the money in ways that aren’t for their benefit, and the money will be protected from your creditors.
2. With power of attorney, an adult child can make financial decisions on the accounts that are titled in the parents’ names. The POA should be durable, so that it will still be in place, if the parents become incapacitated.
3. Your parents can create a revocable living trust, appoint you as co-trustee and open a bank account in the name of the trust with two or more signers. Talk with an estate planning or elder law attorney to see if this makes sense in your situation.
4. If you’re worried about your mom or dad’s mental capacity, you petition the court for guardianship, which will let you to manage his or her finances. The guardian doesn’t own the funds, and the money can’t be garnished or seized to settle a guardian’s debt. However, it’s a difficult and complicated process. All concerned may be better served to have a durable power of attorney in place, before a parent becomes incapacitated.
5. If the biggest worry is avoiding having money tied up in probate after a parent’s death, your mother or father can add a “Payable on Death” provision to a financial account. The money in the account will then bypass probate and be paid directly to their beneficiaries. However, speak with an experienced estate planning attorney before doing this to make certain that this won’t contradict a will or any other estate planning that already has been done.

Reference: NextAvenue (July 17, 2018) “Should You Have a Joint Bank Account With Your Parent?”