All posts by Janet Colliton
Adult children need to know what they’re signing
When crisis strikes and a parent is abruptly taken to the hospital with a heart attack, stroke or fall, adult children are often at a loss as to what comes next. Usually the next question is whether their parent is well enough to come home after hospitalization or should they receive rehabilitative care under Medicare […]
Continue readingTen Facts Seniors Must Know On Leaving the Hospital
Hospitalization brings enough trauma for seniors and their families without considering complicated Medicare and insurance rules. This said, it is critical nonetheless to know some of the basics. Here are ten facts that seniors and their families must know before leaving the hospital. You can appeal. This is not to suggest that you should appeal […]
Continue readingGovernment Revenue Collection Policies That Make No Sense
People sometimes ask me where I get ideas for columns. I tell them the ideas come walking in the door. This does not mean clients necessarily although clients contribute their own tales. The frustration of dealing daily with some truly nonsensical rules provides almost endless fodder for stories. I strongly recommend writing as a form […]
Continue readingWith Long Term Care, Free Advice Is Expensive
When I first began working in elder law about 14 years ago, information on Medicaid for seniors facing nursing home and long term care costs was difficult to obtain. Gifting rules left a wide margin. The rules were fairly complicated but consistent. Much of this has changed. Fourteen years later many people know someone who […]
Continue readingWhat Happens Without a Power of Attorney?
Sometimes readers suggest ideas for columns. One suggestion that has arisen more than once is “you really should tell people what happens if they do not have a valid power of attorney.” Well, I thought it would be a great post to read for people with the same question, so here it is. Powers of […]
Continue readingFederal Estate Tax – Is a Prediction Fulfilled?
Last year, on September 15, 2008 with the presidential election almost two months away, I predicted that, whether McCain or Obama won the White House, the result for Federal Estate taxes would be the same and the result. See www.collitonlaw.com 9/15/2008. Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill that I predicted. The […]
Continue readingAm I A Wealth Manager Question Confronts Columnist
Last summer one of the more intriguing messages I received at the office came from a very unexpected source. Five Star Professional, an independent market research company in association with Philadelphia Magazine, had developed a listing of “best in client satisfaction” wealth managers for the Delaware Valley and found my name to be one for […]
Continue readingHow to Know Which Medicare Insurance You Have
Recently, my brother, Jeff Jones, who works with me at our offices on Market Street, made an interesting observation. With all the many names given to Medicare private insurance plans, it is difficult to decipher what type of plan covers a senior individual. Jeff knows what he is saying. As a Certified Senior Advisor whose […]
Continue readingHow to Settle an Estate Without a Family Feud
Funerals and weddings can bring out the best in people, or the worst. For the family member entrusted with resolving an estate, serving as Executor or Executrix can be a mixed blessing. On the one hand, being appointed to the position probably reflects the belief of a deceased family member that she or he was […]
Continue readingHealth Care Reform – a Personal Update
Halloween week seemed a good time to receive Health Plan Renewal and Open Enrollment forms from my health insurance broker. The thick packet received last week did not disappoint. It was scary stuff. On first calculation it seemed that the new rate for 2010 for health insurance for one adult and one child would be […]
Continue readingThe Worst Law for Seniors Fails to Pass
It does make a difference when readers speak out on subjects that matter to them and now there is proof. Almost five months ago I wrote a column about a bill introduced into the Pennsylvania legislature that would have reeked havoc on seniors, especially widows and widowers of nursing home residents who died after receiving […]
Continue readingDay With Embreeville Retirees Raises State Medicare Insurance Questions
Last Monday I had the honor of serving as guest speaker for the 23rd Annual Embreeville Retirees Annual Meeting. It gave me the chance to catch up with Eleanor Sauler and Barbara Newsuan, among others, who are officers with the organization and with other friends too many to name. While my plan had been to […]
Continue readingPennsylvania Finally Passes Its Budget – A Recap
Three weeks ago when my column was safely put to bed for the September 21 edition, I received a telephone message at home from a Sunday staffer asking if I would like to make any revisions since it had been widely reported and Governor Rendell had, in fact, announced that a deal had been reached […]
Continue readingMedicaid mistakes your lawyer should watch for
About a week ago, I stopped to chat with a man outside the West Chester Wawa across the street from my office. The subject arose as to what we do for a living and the man noted how unfortunate it is that some seniors work their whole lives hoping to leave something for their children […]
Continue readingDebate continues on state budget, health care reform
As September reaches its midpoint and we adjust to the chillier Pennsylvania weather, two apparently unrelated stories carry the same theme. The debate seems to go on forever and answers may depend on the numbers. One is Pennsylvania’s state budget, which appears unrelentingly mired in disputes. It should have been passed by July 1. One […]
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