After a Medicaid recipient dies, the state must attempt to recoup from his or her estate whatever benefits it paid for the recipient's care. This is called "estate recovery." For most Medicaid recipients, their house is the only asset available, but there are steps you can take to protect your home. Life estates For many people, setting up a "life estate" is the simplest and most appropriate alternative for protecting the home from estate recovery. A life estate is a form of joint ownership of [...]

It is a very good idea to create advance directives in order to plan for the possibility that you may one day be unable to make your own medical decisions. In doing so, there can be confusion about the difference between a living will and a "do-not-resuscitate" order (DNR). While both these documents are advance medical directives, they serve different purposes. A living will is a document that you can use to give instructions regarding treatment if you become terminally ill or are in a [...]

Nursing home and long-term care costs continue to rise and it is difficult to qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing home costs. Long-term care insurance can help cover expenses, but long term care insurance contracts are notoriously confusing. How do you figure out what is right for you? The following are some tips to help you sort through all the different options. Find a strong insurance company The first step is to choose a solid insurance company. Because it is likely you won't be using [...]

The driver of a bus stopped at a crosswalk near Binghamton University to allow a pedestrian to cross the road.  As another vehicle was approaching the rear of the bus, the driver of the bus waved the pedestrian across the road.  Unfortunately, the driver of the approaching vehicle did not stop, went around the bus and accidently struck the pedestrian who was in the process of running across the road in front of the bus.  There was no way for the driver of the approaching vehicle [...]

A young laborer working on a state project fell off a scaffold and suffered serious injuries to his leg and back.  Though he returned to his job within a year, he continued to experience pain at the end of a work day.  John L. Perticone, Esq. said that the insurer for the contractor agreed to pay only after losing a motion to dismiss the claim.  The judge ruled that New York State Labor Law 240 (the “scaffold law”) had been violated.