Our Blog
Welcome to the blog of R. F. Meyer & Associates, where we share company news and informative articles related to our Elder Law, Probate and Estate Planning legal practice.
IRS: Face masks, related purchases are medical expenses
The IRS has announced that the tax deduction for medical expenses includes amounts spent on face masks, sanitizer and other products purchased to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. If you have significant medical expenses, you may be able to deduct them from your...
May 2021 newsletter now available
This morning we released our May 2021 R. F. Meyer & Associates newsletter. If you did not receive it by email, please find a link to a full PDF version of it below. Despite the thorough drenching from strong rainstorms across Ohio on Mother's Day, we hope you had...
Medicaid’s Complicated System of Nursing Home Care Coverage
For better and for worse, Medicaid is the primary method of paying for nursing home care in the United States. But navigating the Medicaid system is complicated and confusing. Here are the basics. Medicaid (sometimes called by other names, such as "Medi-Cal" in...
‘I Care a Lot’ highlights guardian system vulnerabilities
Netflix’s popular new movie, I Care a Lot, may be far-fetched in a lot of ways, but it does highlight some real weaknesses in the guardianship system that make it possible for an unscrupulous guardian to take control of an elderly person’s life and bleed their...
CMS Eases Restrictions on Nursing Home Visitation
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued new guidance on whether families can visit loved ones in nursing homes. The guidance allows indoor visitation even when the resident has not been vaccinated. The coronavirus pandemic has hit long-term...
$1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill Aids Seniors
President Biden has signed the latest COVID-19 relief bill, which in addition to authorizing stimulus checks, funding vaccine distribution, and extending unemployment benefits, also provides assistance to seniors in a number of other ways. The $1.9 trillion American...
Spring is here along with positive news on COVID-19
Dear Clients and Referral Partners, This morning, we released the April 2021 e-newsletter from R. F. Meyer & Associates. If you did not receive the newsletter by email, please see the link below to open a full PDF version of it. Spring has arrived in Ohio, and so...
Long-Term A & A Benefits to Veterans, Surviving Spouse Applicants
Long-term care costs can add up quickly. For veterans and the surviving spouses of veterans who need in-home care or are in a nursing home, help may be available. The Veterans Administration (VA) has an underused pension benefit called Aid and Attendance that provides...
What to Do With Stimulus Check if You Are in a Nursing Home
As the second (and maybe third) round of stimulus checks go out, it is important to know that nursing home residents are not required to turn their checks over to their nursing home. And Medicaid recipients need to spend the cash within a year if it puts them over...