In a recent interview in the New York Times Science Section, cognitive neuroscientist Ellen Bialystock was interviewed about recent studies that have found that being bilingual delays the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms by an average of five to six years. Unfortunately, the occasional use of a second language does not qualify for bilingualism. The… Read More »
Posts Categorized: New York Elder Law
The Five-Year Lookback– Frequently Asked Questions
One of the questions I am frequently asked in my elder law practice is “what is the five-year lookback?” Simply put, if you give away money or property during the five years before you apply for Medicaid, that transfer triggers a penalty period during which you are ineligible for Medicaid. How Does the Penalty Period… Read More »
I Hereby Leave my Life Insurance to….the State of New York?
Here’s an astounding statistic: According to the New York Times, New York has received $400,287,736 in unclaimed life insurance property since 2000 and paid out $64,772,228. Why does so much money go unclaimed? The first problem is that someone needs to notify the insurance company that the policy holder has died. If the beneficiaries… Read More »
A Physician’s Guide to End-of-Life Decisions (MOLST)
The denial of death is one of the strongest of human defense mechanisms. In fact, there’s an entire book about it. We don’t want to think about our end-of-life care wishes. (Although some have instructed, “Wave a martini in front of me — if I don’t respond, pull the plug.”) I don’t like to think… Read More »
Is the Doctor In? Not if You're on Medicaid
A major difficulty for people on Medicaid is the inability to find doctors and dentists willing to accept the plan. For those people who need primary care, the result is often hours and hours in clinics waiting to see a general practitioner and month-long waits for specialists. According to the New York Times, having… Read More »