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279 York Street
P.O. Box 467
York, Maine 03909
(207) 361-4680
2 Storer Street, Suite 111
Kennebunk, Maine 04043*
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The Brennan & Rogers, PLLC Journal
January 2021 Edition
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We hope that everyone has a Happy and Healthy Year ahead. We are hopeful that we will be turning a corner and that as the year progresses, we will get closer to some sense of the normalcy we once knew. |
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Office Operations During the Pandemic |
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In the ever-changing landscape in which we find ourselves due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, we wanted to remind you that we are open during the Pandemic and here to make sure you are prepared; however, we have limited how, when, and where we work with clients to protect our clients and staff utilizing remote services and responsible social distancing measures.
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Call us if you need assistance at 207-361-4680. Please don't come by unannounced as the office door will be locked. If you have documents you would like us to review in advance of a meeting, please send them via e-mail, US Mail, fax, or drop them in the locked box outside our main office door to the left.
- We continue to conduct most meetings and document reviews by phone and Zoom. In-person document signings are brief and to the point.
- We offer remote pre-signing document reviews and by telephone or video conference.
- Upon entering our offices, we will require that you wear a mask and respect social distancing guidelines.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please stay safe and be well. We look forward to talking with you and seeing you soon.
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Limited-Time Free Virtual Meet & Greet Sessions in January and February 2021 |
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Reserve Your Free Virtual Meet & Greet Session with One of Our Attorneys,
Smilie G. Rogers, Esq., or
Mary Kathryn Brennan, Esq.
Allow us to introduce you to ourselves and the basic concepts surrounding estate planning. Learn more about Revocable Trusts (“Living Trusts”), Transfer on Death Deeds (aka TODD which you can also read about in Smilie’s Blog), Advance Healthcare Directives, Powers of Attorney, Wills, and their importance under normal circumstances, but more so now during the pandemic.
*During a Virtual Meet & Greet, our lawyers cannot give specific legal answers or advice, and sessions shall not constitute the formation of an attorney-client relationship. Sessions last for thirty (30) minutes.
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Availability with Smilie G. Rogers, Esq.
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Private session 5:00 pm- 5:30 pm
Availability with
Mary Kathryn Brennan, Esq.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Private session 5:00 pm- 5:30 pm
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Annual Long-Term Care Survey Finds Steep Rise in Assisted Living Facility Costs Amid Pandemic |
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All Long-term care costs rose sharply in 2020 but assisted living facility costs increased the most, according to Genworth’s latest annual Cost of Care Survey. The across-the-board rises were due in part to increased costs brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. |
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Maine Phase 1b Vaccination Plan:
Mainers 70+ Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine
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Updates to Phase 1b: Phase 1b is dedicated to protecting vulnerable residents and frontline workers. Maine is updating Phase 1b to include:
- Older Mainers: Maine will first focus in Phase 1b on vaccinating older Maine people, beginning with people age 70 and older because they are at greater risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19. In Maine, more than 85 percent of COVID-related deaths have been of people in that age range. The death rate for this age range is 10 percent of those who contract the virus compared to 1 percent for people in their 60s and less than one percent for all other ages. Further, the COVID-19 hospitalization rate in Maine for people age 70 and older is 17 percent, which is markedly higher than the six percent for people ages 60-69; the three percent for people ages 40 to 59, and the less than one percent for younger people. Approximately 193,000 Maine people are 70 or older, some of whom already qualify to be vaccinated in Phase 1a because they are in long-term care settings or are health care workers.
- Additional information on vaccination for people age 70 and older in Maine will be available the week of January 18. Older Mainers should wait to contact their health care providers about getting vaccinated. Maine’s decision to initiate Phase 1b with older residents is in line with a growing number of states, such as Vermont and Texas, and also generally follows new recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). After a significant number of people 70 and older have been vaccinated, or if the supply of the vaccine increases, Maine will move to vaccinate those between the ages of 65-69, in line with yesterday’s new Federal recommendations.
Read the State of Maine's full update as of January 13, 2021 here.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Availability at York Hospital |
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According to the most current information available from the York Hospital website, they will update their COVID-19 clinic schedule, with the opportunity to sign up below on:
Once the registration page opens, it is on a first-come, first-serve basis; there is no waiting list!
PLEASE NOTE: The online registration system functions better
if you use Google Chrome as your web browser. Internet Explorer
has been known to prolong the process significantly.
For community members without access to online vaccine appointment sign-up, please call (207) 752-8685 for assistance.
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Northern Light Health Public Vaccination Sites |
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If you are 70 years or older, you are currently eligible to receive the
COVID-19 vaccine.
Important information about scheduling your vaccination with Northern Light Health:
- Vaccine Appointment Slots will be limited: At this time the supply of vaccine in the state of Maine is very limited. We will open appointments as we receive vaccine.
- You must register to receive the vaccine. Vaccinations must be scheduled due to the fragility and logistics of reconstituting these vaccines. This also ensures that we have vaccine available and we can schedule your second dose on time.
- You must be 70 years of age or older to be vaccinated at this time. Please bring some form of identification confirming your age with you to the vaccination clinic.
- Please print your appointment confirmation and bring it with you. Vaccination candidates will receive an email confirming their vaccination location and time. If they do not see this email, they should check their spam folder.
- If you have insurance information, please bring it with you. The state of Maine is unable to cover the cost of administration of the vaccine at this time. Because of this we need to bill your insurance provider to help staff the vaccination clinics. The vaccine itself is provided at no cost.
- If you are unable to make your vaccination appointment, please use the cancellation link in your confirmation email to free up that time for another person.
- If no appointments appear as available, please know that appointments are added as soon as have confirmation of vaccine shipment, this prevents the risk of scheduling appointments that may not have vaccine available. Appointments are added every week on Monday.
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HIPAA Authorization and Releases |
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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. Enforcement has been increasing, with hefty fines imposed on violators, which serves to send a message. Hospitals, family medical practices, dentists, health plans, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are all subject to HIPAA. For many years, one could assume that an organization might look the other way in the case of family or that the HIPAA authorization provisions in our Advance Health Care Directives would suffice to cover contingent agents, but the times seem to be changing.
With the looming possibility that anyone might be admitted to a hospital at any time due to Covid-19 and that family might not be able to make in-person visits, we are recommending clients prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Having a separate HIPAA authorization and release, which does not prioritize the appointment of one family member over another, maybe a wise choice. For example, a HIPAA authorization that allows all of a client's children to have concurrent access to health information, rather than just one child that is the current agent for actual healthcare decision making under the Advance Health Care Directive, might avoid situations where the children who are not serving as a current agent are shut off from necessary information. It would not be an understatement to say that now is the time to review your Advance Health Care Directive, your appointment of agents, and to ensure that their contact information is up to date.
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Bernie Pays a Visit to Brennan & Rogers, PLLC! |
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CONGRATULATIONS
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
and
Vice President
Kamala Harris!
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Helpful Links
Do you have something helpful you have found while spending more time at home? If you find something useful, please forward them to either Smilie or Kim. We will make sure they get shared with others!
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General Information
End of Life
Documents
Religious
Religious Services Available Online
Organization of Personal Information
Our "Day After Guide" is available on our website for free to help you organize your everyday information.
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Shopping Hours for Senior Citizens and the At-Risk Population |
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These and other stores may also be limiting the number of people in the store at one time to promote proper social distancing, and wearing masks is being enforced! Please be prepared. This list could be changing daily, so please check with the store before you go!
1) BJ's Wholesale Club
(Members 60+)
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
8:00 am -9:00 am
(First Responders)
Sunday
8:00 am- 9:00 am
2) Hannaford
(60+ and those who are immune-compromised)
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
7:00 am -8:00 am
3) Market Basket
(60 years+)
Daily
6:00 am -7:00 am
4) Shaw's
(senior citizens, immune-compromised, at-risk, pregnant, etc.)
Tuesdays and Thursdays
7:00 am - 9:00 am
5) Target
(65+, pregnant and those with underlying health conditions)
Tuesdays and Wednesdays
The first hour the store is open
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279 York Street
P.O. Box 467
York, Maine 03909
(207) 361-4680
Monday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm
Saturday: By appointment
Sunday: Closed
*Satellite office located in
Kennebunk, Maine is staffed for scheduled appointments made through the York office only *
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The information and/or materials appearing or contained in this newsletter of Brennan & Rogers, PLLC has been prepared for and made available for informational purposes only. The transmission and receipt of information contained in this newsletter, to clients or otherwise, do not constitute the giving of legal advice, professional advice and/or services, nor does it constitute the formation of an attorney-client relationship. No recipient of this newsletter should 1) act or 2) refrain from acting based upon any information contained herein without seeking legal advice. Links on this newsletter may lead to other websites. Brennan & Rogers, PLLC does not necessarily endorse or approve of any materials or information on linked sites and is not responsible for any contents on such linked websites.
You are receiving this newsletter as a courtesy for being our valued ACRS member or having opted in via web form. If you no longer wish to receive it, please feel free to unsubscribe with the link at the bottom of this email.
Brennan & Rogers, PLLC
279 York Street (PO Box 467)
York, Maine 03909 (207) 361-4680
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