Almost ten years ago, in 2017 I referenced an article appearing in the online publication, Next Avenue, www.nextavenue.org , where the subject was “At What Age Are You Too Old to Manage Your Money?” Fast forward to 2026 the same online publication, Next Avenue, raised an entirely different, but related, issue. Today the question raised […]
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Artificial Intelligence or “AI”, surrounds us, it seems, at every step today. It might be thought of as an ever present but not always considered atmosphere in which we work and live – that is, in that way, like air. It has been criticized as replacing humans in some routinized professions but also praised as […]
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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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 readingFederal 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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Continuing Care Retirement Communities in the US have become a staple of everyday living and a common topic of conversation among seniors trying to determine whether they should stay at home or move to an environment specially adapted to provide for their needs as they age. There is no lack of opportunity to learn generally […]
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For the past twenty-five years I have been writing about elder law issues -usually on a weekly basis – many of which relate to health care, health care insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and similar programs. Over the years as readers might imagine there have been significant changes – Obamacare, for instance, came into effect […]
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