ABLE Accounts (they are not “Trusts”) are coming to Florida July 1, 2016. ABLE United is Florida’s ABLE program and will start taking participants July 1. ABLE accounts can be very helpful and powerful tools for certain individuals with disabilities. Remember, to use an ABLE account the disability has to have occurred prior to age…
Florida ABLE (to be called ABLE United) is scheduled to launch in June, 2016. A lot has occurred since we last posted on this subject earlier in the year. We have Policy adopted by Social Security in the form of a new POM, SI 01130.70. We have the point person for ABLE in Florida, Will…
Special Needs Lawyers welcomes Kimarie Bock as our new office manager. Kimarie is a graduate of the University of South Florida and also attended the University of West Florida in Pensacola and Spring Hill College in Mobile Alabama where she played on both school’s College Women’s Basketball Teams. Look for Kimarie out at some of…
A few days ago I received a call from a client whose husband has been receiving Medicaid Long Term Care benefits for many years without issue. She has completed the Medicaid annual benefit review on his behalf on her own, or with the assistance of the nursing home staff and each year the Medicaid benefits…
When an application is made for Long Term Care (LTC) SMMC Medicaid benefits the question is asked whether you have given away, sold, or transferred any assets or property in the last five years. If the answer is yes, you must provide the Department of Children and Families (DCF) with an explanation of all such…
What exactly do I mean, will you need Long Term Care? Sometimes you get a warning or start showing some symptoms that help may be needed. Perhaps it is a struggle to get a shower or bath. Perhaps you are a little unstable on your feet or you have already had a few falls. How…
You can now authorize your health care surrogate designee to receive your protected health information (PHI) and/or delegate decision making authority even if you are not incapacitated. This provides your surrogate immediate access to your health care information and allows them to assist you with your health care decisions. Florida Statute Chapter 765 governs our…
We just had our annual update on Friday from Ken Brown and Eric Skidmore from the Social Security Administration at the Stetson SNT conference. I posted earlier on some of the topics discussed. The implementation of the ABLE Act was a big topic for discussion. Florida has begun moving with ABLE, Inc. Florida is now awaiting…
We just had our annual update on Friday from Ken Brown and Eric Skidmore from the Social Security Administration at the Stetson SNT conference. Unlike years past, we actually got some good information and solid answers; at least in some areas. There was still some of the vague: “we are looking into that” or “we…
Travis Finchum presented on Saturday, July 11, 2015 in Deerfield Beach regarding Special Needs Trusts and Public Benefits. The audience was families with a special needs member, Medicaid Waiver Support Coordinators and other providers for individuals with Developmental Disabilities. The crowd of approximately 120 enjoyed the program sponsored by the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council. Other…