Florida Elder Law & Estate Planning E-Newsletter
June 2016


Message from our Attorneys
This month's e-newsletter has a slightly different format that should make it easier for you to read on your mobile devices. Please continue to share your newsletter with family, friends and neighbors. Just click on the "Forward to a Friend" button, located both at the top and bottom of this email. 

Happy Father's Day (June 19) to all the dads, and to all the people who love them! 

Joseph S. Karp
Joseph S. Karp

Genny Bernstein
Genny Bernstein
Adele S. Harris
Adele S. Harris

Chad Steskal

Rachel Zetouni


In This Issue

Free workshops this month

Battle rages over Viacom billionaire's care, money

Medicaid divisor increases

Florida nursing home cost cracks 6 figures

Avoid IRA rollover traps

Gift ideas for grads

A flawed fix for veterans

Now and then, just like ET, go home...

Tying the knot? Now tend to these tasks

Ignorance no longer bliss for life insurers

Need a referral?

Clearing up confusion on home health care ratings
Quick Links
workshops
Free workshops this month
Free workshops are scheduled for this month in Palm Beach Gardens, Boynton Beach and Port St. Lucie. As always, these events are free of charge and you don't need to make a reservation. Just show up!

 viacom                                                                
Battle rages over Viacom billionaire's care, money
Media mogul Sumner Redstone always said he had no intention of dying - ever. At age 92, he remains true to his word. But he is in such poor health that his family and ex-lovers are maneuvering over who gets to care for him... and not coincidentally, who controls the money.

medicaid
Medicaid divisor increases
The eligibility guidelines for Florida Medicaid long-term care benefits have changed, again. Effective June 1, the so-called Medicaid divisor increased, directly impacting potential penalty periods imposed for less-than-fair-market transfers made during the look-back period.

Floridanursinghomecostscrack6figures
Florida nursing home cost cracks 6 figures
The annual cost for a private room at a Florida long-term care nursing facility now  exceeds $100,000!  These astronomical costs are plunging more and more Floridians into crisis. Is there anything a middle class family can do to avoid financial ruin?

AvoidtheseIRArollovertraps
Avoid IRA rollover traps
Rolling over your funds from your employer's retirement plan into an IRA sounds simple, but is actually fraught with tax traps for the unwary. Here's what you need to know. 

Giftideasforgrads
Gift ideas for grads
Confounded over what to give your high school or college graduate? Cash is always appreciated, but there are several other good options for the modern grad.
flawedfixfromtheva
A flawed fix for veterans
In 2014 we told you about the Veterans Choice program, a $10 billion effort that was supposed to shorten veterans' wait times for medical care. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. Congress and the V.A. are feverishly working to fix the original, failed fix.

Spielberg
"Every now and then, just like ET, go home..."
Who else but Steven Spielberg could get college credit for work on
Jurassic Park ? A fairly recent college graduate himself, the filmmaker's 2016 Harvard commencement speech included a shout-out to his 99-year-old father and encouraging grads to seek out and preserve their family's stories.
tyingtheknot
Tying the knot? Now tend to these tasks
June is the month for weddings! Whether you're a young adult marrying for the first time or you've been around the block before, you need at least a basic plan to protect yourself and your new spouse.

Ignorance
Ignorance no longer bliss for life insurers
It's been easy money for insurance carriers: If not notified of an insured's death, they could do nothing, and simply keep beneficiaries' money. Starting July 1, life insurance companies doing business in Florida can no longer use ignorance as an excuse for sitting on those payouts.

referral
Need a referral?
If you have a legal issue our firm does not handle, contact us anyway! We can often provide you with a name or names of other legal professionals we consider competent and trustworthy. Contact us here or call 561-625-1100 and ask for Julie. 

homehealthratings
Clearing up confusion on home health ratings
Medicare's 5-star ratings are a great resource for information about home health agencies. But the discrepancy between clinical ratings and patient perceptions may leave you scratching your head. NPR makes sense of it.

The Karp Law Firm, P.A.
 Trusts, Estates, Elder Law, Estate Litigation

2875 PGA Blvd., Suite 100, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
(561) 625-1100

2500 Quantum Lakes Dr., Suite 203, Boynton Beach, FL 33426
(561) 752-4550

1100 SW St. Lucie West Blvd., Suite 103, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
(772) 343-8411

Toll Free (800) 893-9911  Email: [email protected]  Web:  www.karplaw.com
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