Archive for the ‘Medicaid’ Category

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The Home – To Transfer or Not to Transfer – Part 2

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., a Medicaid Planning Attorney

As we discussed last week, Joe wants to transfer his home to Jim, who lives there with his wife and children.  But let’s change the facts a bit.  Joe is not healthy but has the early stages of dementia and needs some in home assistance.  It is possible that within 5 years he will need nursing home care, so we are concerned about the 5 year Medicaid lookback.  What options do Joe and Jim have?

One possibility is for Jim to buy the home at a price that he can afford but that may be below fair market value.  If, for example, he purchases the home for $200,000 and it is worth $450,000, then $250,000 is considered a gift subject to the Medicaid transfer penalty.  Jim can spend down the $200,000 for his care but if he runs out of money then Jim may need to cover the cost of care until the 5 year time frame expires.

Now that Joe lives in Jim’s home, they could enter into an agreement for Joe to pay rent.  If Jim or his wife is providing care that Joe otherwise would need to hire an aide to do, then Joe could pay Jim to do it.  This is what is called a personal services contract.  Food, utilities, and other goods and services that Jim may be providing, can and should be paid for by Joe.  Perhaps the home needs to be modified to allow Joe to live there.  Jim could spend money to make those improvements when they become necessary, borrowing against the home. 

Some or all of these strategies may be ways for Jim to, in essence, pay Joe for some of the remaining uncompensated value of Joe’s home, over time, in a way that may be more affordable for Jim.  However, each of these financial arrangements must be in writing.  There are details that must be followed.  That’s because Medicaid presumes that any transfers of money or services is a gift, subject to a transfer penalty, unless it is in writing and at fair value.

A word of caution.  The Medicaid rules are complicated.  What will work in one state may not work in another.  What may suitable for one family may be entirely the wrong solution for another.  If you try to do it yourself and get it wrong, you may find yourself with a lengthy period of Medicaid ineligibility and no money to pay for care.  You need a knowledgeable and trusted elder law advisor to guide you through the maze of laws and regulations that leave hidden traps for the unwary.

For further information and advice in a New Jersey Medicaid or an estate planning matter, do not hesitate to contact me at 732-863-9900 Ext. 101 or 105, or fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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A Two Generation Family’s Long Term Care Crisis – Part 2

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., a Medicaid Attorney

So, in last week’s blog I presented a common scenario, Mom and Dad both needing long term care and nothing but a house left in their names.  The children are paying for their care.  We get Dad on Medicaid first. 

Now we work on getting Mom into a nursing home and then apply for Medicaid for her.  The home will have to be sold (unless there is a family member living there but we’ll address that exception in another issue)  but it won’t hold up Mom’s Medicaid, which is important, since it not so easy these days to sell in a what is a down market.  Once the home is sold Mom will lose her eligibility for Medicaid and will need to private pay from the proceeds of the sale.  She also could keep her Medicaid eligibility and pay the proceeds to the State to reimburse it for benefits paid up till that point.  Which option is better depends on how much is realized from the sale and how much is owed to the State.  But, keep in mind that the State pays the nursing home at a lower rate than you or I would pay (approximately 50% less).

And, what about the money that the children paid out of their own pocket for Mom and Dad’s care?  They can be reimbursed from the proceeds once they sell the house.  However, everything must be documented because Medicaid presumes that transfers between family members are gifts, not loans.  If it is a loan then there must be a written agreement.  The best practice is for there to be a recorded mortgage.  At the closing the mortgage is paid off and a discharge is recorded by the Buyer’s attorney.  The children are reimbursed directly and there is a record as far as Medicaid is concerned.

In the end, the parents are paying for their care from their own assets, the children are paid back (money which they will need for their own retirement and long term care needs) and depending on how much long term care is needed and what the home sells for, there may even be some amount left to transfer to the next generation in the form of an inheritance, after the State is reimbursed for benefits they paid out on Mom and Dad’s behalf.

For further information and advice in any Medicaid matter, do not hesitate to contact me at 732-863-9900 Ext. 101 or 105, or fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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The Law Has Changed: Read About This “Medicaid Near Miss”

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., NJ Medicaid Attorney

Here’s a story I was told by a colleague.  Mary was 85 years old and had been cared for by her granddaughter, Jane for several years.  As Mary’s health deteriorated mentally and physically, Jane devoted more of her time to caring for Mary, putting her own life on hold in some respects.  Mary’s family agreed that Jane would look after Mary.  Eventually, however, Jane could no longer care for Mary.  Mary was admitted to a hospital and then a nursing facility.  Because she had no assets, Jane needed to make application for Medicaid benefits and that’s when the problems began.

When Jane met with a Medicaid caseworker, she was asked about Mary’s finances.  Jane explained that in 2004, Mary sold her house for $125,000.  Jane moved Mary to an over 55 community where Jane lived nearby.  Jane quit her job to look after Mary and had power of attorney for Mary.  Their finances were commingled, however, and Jane, not understanding the Medicaid rules, did not keep records of how money was spent.  Recognizing that caring for Mary was a full time job, Mary’s assets and income supported both Mary and Jane.  Mary also gave Jane gifts of several thousand dollars on a few different occasions as a symbol of her love and appreciation of Jane.

The Medicaid caseworker incorrectly told Jane that Mary was not eligible for Medicaid, that all the money from the sale of the house would be treated as a gift subject to a Medicaid penalty.  She also suggested that Jane might be held responsible for “taking” Mary’s money.  Jane was panic stricken.  She didn’t know enough to assert her rights and give Medicaid the proper information.  As bad as things were, Mary and Jane had one thing going for them, timing.  Because the home sale and spend down of the proceeds all occurred before February 8, 2006, the transfer of Mary’s assets were subject to penalties that began to run when the transfers were made.  In their case, those penalties had already expired by the time the client applied for Medicaid.  Had those transfers occurred under the new law, no Medicaid would have been available to Mary for 12 months or more, leaving Jane with no way to pay for her care and the nursing home with a resident unable to pay their bill.

The next case that comes to us with these set of facts will likely fall under the new rules and would not end as favorably.  So what can you do?  Consult with an elder law attorney and understand the rules well before Medicaid is even a possibility on the horizon.  Once properly educated, you can take the steps to avoid the mess Mary and Jane faced or fix the mistakes.  If you wait until it’s time to file for Medicaid, it could very well be too late.

For further information and advice in any elder law matter, do not hesitate to contact me at 732-863-9900 Ext. 101 or 105, or fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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The Home – To Transfer or Not to Transfer – Part 1

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., an Estate Planning Attorney

Home ownership has long been a large part of the American dream.  Through the course of the 20th century, the percentage of Americans owning their homes rose considerably.   In many of these homes three generations lived under one roof.  Today, there still are many 3 generations homes.  The reasons for it are the same.  The grandparents often help care for their grandchildren while the parents are working.  Sometimes the grandparents need assistance and can’t live alone any longer. 

There is, however, a big difference between the households of the 20th century and those of the 21st century, which generation owns the home.  The parent homeowner of the 20th century now is the grandparent homeowner of the 21st century. 
 
So now that homeowner, we’ll call him Joe, is in his 70’s.  His son Jim and Jim’s wife and kids live with Joe.  They are concerned that as Joe ages and needs long term care they may lose the house.  Jim wants to buy a house but can’t afford it, even in today’s depressed real estate market.  So they come upon a solution.  Joe will transfer his house to Jim or perhaps sell to Jim at a reduced price, maybe enough to pay off Joe’s mortgage.  Jim will have a home of his own to raise his family and Joe will have the support of family should he need it.  A win – win scenario for everyone.  Right?

Well, not so fast.  If Jim doesn’t pay fair market value for the home then the uncompensated amount is treated as a transfer for less than fair value should Joe need Medicaid benefits in the next five years to pay for long term care. 
 
What to do?  Joe and Jim must understand that if Joe needs care there must be a plan in place to cover the cost of that care.  That plan could involve VA benefits if Joe is a veteran.  It could also include using Joe’s funds to pay for his care and long term care insurance benefits.  But, if these sources of payment still leave a gap then Jim will need to borrow against the home to pay for Joe’s care, which may mean putting off tapping into the equity to pay for renovations or other expenses. 

Provided these contingencies are covered, however, the home transfer can work well.  What happens, however, if Joe is not healthy when contemplating a transfer, but instead has dementia and already needs some care.  In that case, the home transfer is a little more complicated but I’ll address that in the next week’s post.

For further information and advice in a New Jersey Medicaid or an estate planning matter, do not hesitate to contact me at 732-863-9900 Ext. 101 or 105, or fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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A Two Generation Family’s Long Term Care Crisis – Part 1

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., a Medicaid Attorney

Mom and Dad are still living in their home which they own.  They both need round the clock nursing home level care and have home health aides living with them.  This has been going on for a number of years and they have spent down much of their assets on care and maintaining the home.  Now the children are spending their own money with no end in sight.  They want to sell the home but in today’s economy and real estate market that isn’t as easy as it once was.  Their current predicament is taxing on the family, both financially and emotionally.  Last week I talked about a reverse mortgage as a possible solution.  Is there any other way out?

Actually, there is.  There is a way to move both parents into a nursing home, get them on Medicaid and reimburse the children for monies they paid for their parents’ care.  Medicaid rules are very complex and the timing of each step in the process is critical but it can be done.  Here’s how it works.

The first step is to get one of the parents into a nursing home.  Let’s say it is Dad.  If he is in the hospital already (often the case when we get the call) then he should be transferred from there to the nursing home.  We then apply for Medicaid.  The house is an exempt asset (ie., not a countable asset for Medicaid eligibility purposes) since Mom is still living there.  Once we get Dad approved for Medicaid there is what is called a “division of assets”.  Whatever is Mom’s is now hers, to be spent on her care but not on Dad’s.  This is the key.  In next week’s blog I’ll discuss the next step, getting Mom on Medicaid.

For further information and advice in any Medicaid matter, do not hesitate to contact me at 732-863-9900 Ext. 101 or 105, or fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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The Risk of Going Through Medicaid Application Process Alone

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., NJ Medicaid Application Attorney

When money is running out and the family is faced with the need to apply for Medicaid to pay for long term care the question becomes “should we do this ourselves or should we hire an elder law attorney to help?”  Sometimes the hospital or the nursing home tells the family they will qualify without too much difficulty.  Many places strongly encourage families to hire an experienced Medicaid attorney.  So they try to do it themselves.

The pitfalls of going it alone are many and varied, especially since the latest round of Medicaid changes effective February, 2006 made the laws and regulations in this area much more complicated.  Timing is critical.  By that, I mean to say, that when you spend down assets and what assets you have at a certain point in time will have an impact on qualifying for benefits.  Let me illustrate by way of example.

John and Mary were in their 80’s and living in their home, which they owned.  They had other countable assets of approximately $50,000.  John and Mary had done no planning for their long term care needs.  John became ill in October, was admitted to the hospital and then to a nursing home for rehabilitative services.  His condition was such, that he could not go home and needed to remain in the nursing home on a long term basis, at a private pay cost of $10,000 per month.

Mary was told by various personnel at the hospital and the nursing home that based on their level of assets “John would qualify for Medicaid” in January and they arranged for her to meet with a Medicaid caseworker to make an application for benefits.  Being stressed out by the reality that John would not go home and uncomfortable with the complicated process she did not understand that for John to qualify she would have to spend down a portion of their assets to get below a certain dollar amount.  In her case that number was $27,000.  The caseworker explained this to her at the interview but, quite frankly, she was receiving so much information that she really didn’t fully understand how important that was.

She waited for medical and nursing home bills to come in.  She figured she owed the money so it was as good as spent.  In other words, in her mind she didn’t have $50,000.  They owed $28,000 so she had $22,000 left.  Not true under Medicaid rules.  Until she wrote those checks, John and Mary were “over-resourced”, Medicaid’s term for having too much money to qualify for benefits.  If you are over-resourced by even $1.00 you won’t get Medicaid for that month.  You will never get Medicaid for that month.

Had she paid those bills right away John would have qualified for benefits in January.  Instead, she didn’t write those checks until June, meaning John didn’t qualify for Medicaid until July.  Great, so Medicaid picked up the nursing home bill in July.  There was one small problem.  Who was going to pay the nursing home bill for January through June?  The answer was John and Mary, and at the private pay rate of $10,000 per month that was $60,000.  The shame is that this didn’t need to happen.

This example illustrates the pitfalls of going it alone.  The rules are quite complicated and timing is critical.  You don’t want to be left with a huge nursing home bill which you can’t pay.  The nursing home doesn’t really want to be in the position of suing their residents.  Having a knowledgeable elder law attorney representing you can save huge dollars and huge amounts of stress.

For further information and advice in any elder law matter, do not hesitate to contact me at 732-863-9900 Ext. 101 or 105, or fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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The After Thought of Transferring Assets – A Real Life Example of Good Intentions Going Wrong

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., NJ Medicaid Attorney

When I talk with people about long term care and the Medicaid program I sometimes hear very strong opinions that “it is wrong to transfer assets in order to qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care”.  The person making the statement, however, typically hasn’t really given any thought to what that means in real life situations.

Let me give an example.  Mom is 85 years old and living alone.  While she clearly shows the signs of aging and should have put in place a plan in case she needs long term care, like most people, she hasn’t considered it at all.  She receives a $100,000 inheritance from her brother.  She has always considered her family first, ahead of her own needs, and wants to transfer this inheritance to her son, who is struggling to make ends meet and just lost his job.  She believes she has everything she needs financially and her maternal instincts are to help her child.  You may or may not believe she is being foolish in her thinking but it is her genuine belief.

Times are tough.  Families do what they always do.  They pitch in and help each other out.  Except that if Mom gives this money to her son and needs nursing home care in the next 5 years she won’t qualify for Medicaid because of the transfer.  So, is Mom trying to beat the system, transferring assets to qualify for Medicaid?  No, I think we all would agree that this is not what is motivating her.  But it’s not that simple.  It never is in the real world.  Mom ought to be thinking about her long term care needs but she isn’t. 

Had she consulted with an elder law attorney she could have set up a plan that would allow her son to receive the inheritance (or she and her son could share the inheritance) by setting up a trust.  And when an attorney sat down with Mom and explained to her what would happen if she needs long term care, she would quickly agree that it was not a good idea to simply transfer the inheritance to her son.  She just had never had that conversation before and no one ever explained it to her in that way.

So, instead of having that conversation after she received the money, if we had it before the inheritance had been received, my advice to Mom would have been to keep the money in a trust, in case she needs it for long term care, but that it would be possible to transfer some of it to her son, should he need it.  We would have to manage the trust very carefully but it is clearly doable.  I wouldn’t call this beating the system. It is a case of families pulling together in times of need.  Isn’t that what families are supposed to do?  It also helps the long term care facility that will provide the care to Mom by ensuring sufficient private pay funds to support their vital care services.

For further information and advice in any elder law matter, do not hesitate to contact me at 732-863-9900 Ext. 101 or 105, or fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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Exempt Medicaid Transfers

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq., a NJ Elder Law Attorney

As a general rule, when assets are transferred to third parties, the transfer results in a period of Medicaid ineligibility. Some transfers, however, are exempt and do not result in the imposition of a period of ineligibility for Medicaid. It is important to make transfers that are consistent with the estate planning goals of the client. If inconsistent transfers are made, they may result in litigation from beneficiaries of the estate who consider themselves to be treated unfairly.

1.      The Family Home
There are several limited exceptions from the general transfer rules relating to a principal residence, but you must be very careful in how you plan your transfer, otherwise the consequences are dreadful. These transfers are generally exempt.

Community Spouse
The residence can be transferred to the community spouse without penalty. A married couple can simply deed the house to the community spouse. There is no transfer penalty because the transfer is between spouses. In a typical situation, husband and wife own the home as tenants by the entirety. But, if one spouse enters a nursing home, and the community spouse predeceases that spouse, then by operation of law, title to the home will vest in the institutionalized spouse. The institutionalized spouse would then be required to sell the home and use the proceeds for nursing home care. In states that have a broad definition of estate for purposes of Medicaid estate recovery, like New Jersey, the home should always be transferred to the community spouse to avoid Medicaid estate recovery.

If the property is deeded to the community spouse, and that spouse dies first, the property can be left by the will of the community spouse to a special needs trust for the benefit of the institutionalized spouse or to the children. The elder law attorney must also be aware of the state elective share statute, which prohibits a person from disinheriting a spouse. Medicaid could, conceivably, take the position that failure of the surviving spouse to exercise his rights under the elective share statute constitutes a transfer, subject to the transfer penalty provisions.

Child Under 21, Blind, or Disabled
The home can be transferred to a child of the institutionalized individual who is under the age of 21, or a child of any age who is blind or disabled. For example, a person about to enter a nursing home has a daughter who is blind. The potential Medicaid applicant can transfer the home to the blind daughter as an exempt transfer, and there will be no transfer penalty. In a second marriage situation, the question remains whether the institutionalized individual could transfer ownership of the home to a stepchild who met the criteria of caregiver.

Sibling
The home can be transferred to a brother or sister of the institutionalized individual who already had an equity interest in the home prior to the transfer and who was residing in the home for a period of at least one year immediately before the individual becomes an institutionalized individual. It may not be necessary for the sibling to be named on the deed to the property for a year prior to the transfer. You can bet Medicaid will fight you on this.  The sibling may have an equity interest if he or she has paid taxes or other expenses and has actually lived in the home for a period of time. For example, a potential Medicaid applicant is not married and lives in his home with his brother. Each owns a portion of the house as tenants in common and they have been living together for more than one year. The potential Medicaid applicant would simply deed the property to the healthy sibling, and there would be no transfer penalty.

Caregiver Child
The home can be transferred to a caregiver child. A caregiver is defined as a son or daughter of the institutionalized individual who is residing in the individual’s home for a period of at least two years immediately before the date the individual becomes an institutionalized individual, and who has provided care to such individual that permitted the individual to reside at home rather than in an institution or facility. The care provided by the son or daughter must have been essential to the safety of the individual and consisted of activities such as, but not limited to, supervision of medication, monitoring of nutritional status, and ensuring the safety of the individual.

There may be an issue as to when the transfer of the home to the caregiver child must take place. In a New Jersey case, the Burlington County Board of Social Services contended that a deed transferred 90 days after institutionalization did not qualify, and that such transfers need be made within 30 days of institutionalization. The Administrative Law Judge held and the Director affirmed that there is no time set forth in the regulation as to when the deed must be given. The only reference to time is that the home must be the home in which the individual resided immediately prior to entering the nursing home. Based on this case, it would appear that a deed could be given at any time prior to, or subsequent to, entering a nursing home. For example, a potential Medicaid recipient is about to enter a nursing home. His daughter has lived with him for two years and provided a level of care sufficient to keep him out of a nursing home. The deed to the house can simply be deeded to the daughter. There would be no transfer penalty, because this is an exempt transfer.

Taxation
In transferring a home to an exempt child, consideration must be given to the gift tax rules, carry over basis, and the capital gains tax exclusion from the sale of a principal residence.

For further information and advice in any elder law matter, do not hesitate to contact me at 732-863-9900 Ext. 101 or 105, or fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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Have children? Pay them for your care.

Friday, December 12th, 2008

How children can be paid for as a caregiver to their parent(s) – Part IV

This is Part IV of a IV part series of blogs on caregiving contracts to aging parents and children (including adult children) with disabilities.

Taking care of a parent can be a full-time job.  Children may have to give up paying jobs in order to provide care to aging parents.  Unfortunately, caregiving is usually unpaid work.  Parents who want to compensate a child who takes on the burden of caregiving may do so in one of several ways.

Life Insurance Policy.  Another option for compensating a caregiver is to take out a life insurance policy in the child’s name.  The benefit of this method is that the life insurance policy will go directly to the child, avoiding probate, but the problem is the life insurance policy could be very expensive.

Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq. is a qualified elder law attorney who can help determine the right method to compensate a caregiver family member.  You can contact Mr. Niemann by calling (732) 863-9900 or via e-mail at fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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ATTENTION SENIORS October 15, 2008

Friday, November 7th, 2008

Medicare Enrollment Starts November 15, 2008
If you work with individuals over the age of 65, you may be getting phone calls requesting help with Medicare questions. It’s that time, once again, to make changes to Medicare options. According to CMS, which is the government entity that oversees Medicare, the six weeks from November 15, 2008 through December 31, 2008 is a hectic time of the year otherwise known as the Annual Election Period (AEP.) Once a year, Medicare allows enrollees to opt in or out of Medicare Part D and Medicare Part C — otherwise know as Medicare Advantage Plans. Before we get into what that means, some background is in order.

Medicare consists of four parts — Part A, Part B, Part C and part D. The majority of Medicare enrollees have Part A and Part B. In addition they may have an employer-sponsored supplement or a Medigap policy to go along with Part A and Part B. The fourth part of Medicare is Part D or prescription drug coverage. Most people think that the “D” in Part D is because of the word “drugs.” Actually it’s because there is a Part C. Part C is the Medicare Advantage program. It was started in 2003 as part of the Medicare Modernization Act — the same Act that created the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans have been around for some time. Before 2003 they were known as Medicare + Choice Plans. With Medicare Advantage, Medicare pays a private insurance company to take over and administer someone’s Medicare benefits. That person is still a part of the Medicare system. He or she doesn’t leave the system. A person is simply now receiving his or her benefits from a Private company not the Government.

Medicare will be getting a massive stack of mail over the next few months.  From November 15, 2008 through December 31, 2008, those eligible for Medicare have the option to change existing Medicare Advantage Plans and/or Medicare Part D. This period is called the Annual Election Period or AEP.

There is also another period of time from January 1, 2009 through March 31, 2009 that is called the Open Enrollment Period or OEP. During OEP, a person can enroll in Advantage but cannot change Part D status, meaning if there is just a Part D, a change or cancellation to the drug Plan cannot occur at this time. If there is a Medicare Advantage Plan which includes Prescription Drug Coverage (MAPD), a change can be made by purchasing another MAPD. Or, if there is just prescription coverage, an MAPD can be purchased. Going the other direction from an MAPD to prescription coverage only, is not allowed.

On April 1, 2009 and thereafter, Medicare institutes a lock-in period. During this time, no changes to drug coverage or an MAPD are allowed. As with most government programs there are a few exceptions to the rule. If a person has moved out of the area the plan operates in, or if a person becomes a resident in any long term care facility, or if a person involuntarily loses coverage, that person can enroll for new coverage under a Special Election Period or SEP. Finally, most people who are eligible for or who are on Medicaid can change coverage whenever they choose.

So why the big deal? Why does someone need to be aware each year of what is going on? The reason is the insurance companies that sponsor the Medicare Advantage and the Part D Plans have the option to change what they offer each year. Changes may come as a result of directives from Medicare, from previous years’ claims experience, or from a multitude of other issues. Asking 10 people if there are pending changes to the plans they are in will result in 9 of them replying they have received notice of adjustments or premium changes. However, not all changes are for the worse. There are some instances where the plans have gotten better. Nevertheless, from year to year most plans will have changes. Sometimes a plan may pull out of an area thus forcing an individual to make an unwanted change.

Medicare allows the Advantage companies to start marketing their plans to the public on October 1 and the companies can release information on intended changes to existing plans. For any pending changes, a beneficiary should receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC.) Most people will receive this document in November. People need to take the time to review changes. They need to be aware of the plan they are in and the benefits it provides when they might need to use the coverage.

Medicare Advantage Plans can be a great fit for many Medicare enrollees. As with anything, one size does not fit all. During the six-week period when changes can be made, people owe it to themselves to evaluate their options. In the past, many Advantage Plan companies made a big push during this change period to move people out of existing plans and into new ones. Medicare has changed the rules on how companies can induce people to change. In the past, seniors were invited to attend presentations where they received free meals as an inducement to attend. Starting in 2009, only snacks can be provided. Preliminary indications are that pie and coffee are on the menu. Personally we like Pecan pie and free pie is good pie.

On the National Care Planning Council website, at www.longtermcarelink.net, is a link to all medicare approved advantage plans in every state. All the plans listed in an area can be found there. Finally, those people who need help or who are facing changes should contact Ms. Kim Wellington, Director of Community Outreach at Hanlon Niemann at kwellington@hnlawfirm.com, or Fredrick P. Niemann, Esq. at fniemann@hnlawfirm.com.

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