Medicare and the Affordable Care Act:
Separating Rumor from Reality
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 By Attorney Lisa Montoni Garvin
By now, most adult Americans have seen and heard a lot about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and most are confused about how the ACA will affect them and their insurance coverage. If you are an older American with Medicare coverage, or will be eligible for Medicare coverage in 2014 as an older American, you may be wondering what kind of impact the ACA will have on your Medicare. The simple answer is not a whole lot.
Medicare is federal health insurance coverage for Americans who are (1) eligible for Social Security retirement income and 65 years or older, or (2) under age 65 and entitled to Social Security disability benefits, or (3) of any age with End-Stage Renal Disease. You must enroll in the Medicare program when you become eligible or face late enrollment penalties for as long as you carry Medicare coverage, UNLESS you have other creditable insurance coverage through your employer, your spouse's employer when you reach age 65, or the Health Insurance Marketplace.
The ACA was passed by Congress in 2010 and some provisions effecting Medicare have already been implemented. Those include:
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Consider Options for Disabled Loved Ones |
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Published in the November 11 - 17, 2013, issue of Crain's Cleveland Business
Parents and other family members who care for loved ones with special needs worry about many things, including providing for that individual after they no longer can. Public benefits programs are available to address basic care needs, but families often wish to make funds available that add to quality of life. A special needs estate-planning attorney can assist families in creating a structure of legal documents that address concerns about successor caregivers and advocates, and access to important funding sources.
Individuals with disabilities may be eligible for valuable public benefits that provide a wide range of care, services and income supports.
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