All posts by Janet Colliton
Health Insurance Debates – Not Over Till It’s Over
Just when you thought you had everything settled and you knew everything – which meant you knew nothing new might appear on the horizon regarding the One Big Beautiful Bill, healthcare, Obamacare, subsidies, health insurance and everything related you once again find the map turned upside down and you start over again – or almost. […]
Continue readingObamacare Debate Defines End of the Year
To understand the fiscal tension in Congress defining the end of 2025 it is helpful to grasp it as a debate between continuing health care subsidies on which average Americans have come to rely to be able to receive medications, treatment, hospitalization and other medical services and continuing and extending tax breaks to the most […]
Continue readingHow QCD’s Save Taxes and Benefit Charities
One useful end of year tax strategy that brings with it aid for struggling charities is the QCD or Qualified Charitable Distribution. In fact, there may be few actions providing as much satisfaction as knowing that, at the same time you are reducing your personal federal income taxes you can be benefiting your favorite charities. […]
Continue readingObamacare, Trump Care and Other
If you are confused regarding heath care options today you could join a large club so to speak along with huge numbers of other Americans including policy makers, insurers, brokers and even elder law and health care attorneys. Insurance can be complicated. When discussing the “open enrollment period,”for instance, you should know a difference between […]
Continue readingHow Long Will the Federal Government Shutdown Last
As most Americans following current events know, the U.S. Federal Government shut down at 12:01 am EDT on October 1, 2025 due to inability to arrive at an agreement on the federal budget for fiscal year 2026. The prior budget expired as of that time. As of this writing the shutdown continues. Republican and Democrat […]
Continue readingPennsylvania Retention Election – A Matter of Numbers?
For most of us, accustomed to elections as being a contest between candidates from opposing political parties, the notion of a retention election seems odd, almost foreign. So the idea that there are a number of Pennsylvania judges, both in the appellate courts and lower courts up for retention might need some explanation. Although often […]
Continue readingDo Work Reporting Requirements for Health Insurance Make Sense
As part of the continuing discussion regarding the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) the continued availability of health insurance both for those who otherwise would be without and for those who regularly depend on it for coverage for routine and for critical care takes center stage. Health care decisions affect both American citizens and immigrants […]
Continue readingSocial Security Confusion Affects Taxpayers
On July 3, 2025, the day before passage of the federal law OBBB, an acronym recognized now by many Americans, the US Social Security Administration proudly announced the anticipated new law’s passage proclaiming “Social Security Applauds Passage of Legislation Providing Historic Tax Relief for Seniors.” The Internal Revenue Service followed suit stating “One Big Beautiful […]
Continue readingImpact of the Big Beautiful Bill on Health Insurance Costs
Last week Pennie, Pennsylvania’s official health insurance marketplace under Obamacare, sent a notice to enrollees notifying them of changes under the law and the Big Beautiful Bill recently passed by Congress. It begins by stating “IMPORTANT – Unless Congress acts, you will pay more for your health plan in 2026.” <emphasis added>. The significant words […]
Continue readingAttorneys Meet in Harrisburg and Discuss Big Beautiful Bill
Every summer the Pennsylvania Bar Institute holds its annual Elder Law Institute, usually in Harrisburg, which is a two day intensive review for elder law attorneys into current issues in the elder law and estate fields. This year was no exception and my daughter, Alisa, and I made our way to the Harrisburg Hilton last […]
Continue readingRarely Discussed Effects of the Big Beautiful Budget Bill
Federal budget bills are not the kind of discussion frequently encountered in day to day review. Still the “One Big Beautiful” Bill just recently passed by Congress by a narrow thin margin and criticized even by many Republican Congress members who eventually voted for it probably inspires more conversation and debate than any since the […]
Continue readingThe Federal Estate Tax and the Big Beautiful Bill
It is tempting to think that the budget conflicts in Washington today are something new and different from an ongoing dialogue going on for at least twenty-five years and more. The most recent major discussion concerns the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, passed in 2017 during the first Trump administration. The TCJA contained a […]
Continue readingSome Timely Recommendations for Persons on Medicaid
While the country is waiting for results in the United States Senate regarding a current budget proposal referred to variously as a Big Beautiful Bill which could impact large numbers of U.S. Medicaid recipients, current Medicaid recipients may be wondering what actions to take, if any, now regarding their own healthcare. Because we do not […]
Continue readingHow Health Care Has Changed For Seniors
Sometimes it helps to remember how systems were first established and how they changed and why to understand where they are now. This could be said off the Medicaid and Medicare systems of healthcare in America and of Social Security. Medicaid especially but also Medicare and Social Security have been critical areas of my legal […]
Continue readingYour Rights As a Taxpayer With the IRS
At a time when questions may arise regarding your rights it could be comforting to know that, at least as to the US Internal Revenue Service, there is a clear statement of general rights as an American taxpayer. While at times, especially with short staffing or other problems, some of these may be aspirational, the […]
Continue reading