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House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) has proposed a budget that would radically reshape both the Medicare and Medicaid programs and shift more costs to seniors and people with disabilities. The plan may well become the Republican Party’s de facto platform in 2012. The proposed budget, aimed at shrinking the nation’s deficit as well Read Full Article

The loss of a loved one is tough to begin with, but if the loved one left debts behind, it can be even tougher. Family members generally should not have to pay for a decedent’s debts, but it is important to know your rights because collection agencies may target the decedent’s relatives. Usually the loved Read Full Article

Retirees cannot disenroll from Medicare Part A without also losing their Social Security benefits and refunding all the money paid to them, a federal judge has ruled. The judge dismissed a case, Hall v. Sebelius , brought by three retired federal employees who have reached age 65 and are receiving Social Security Retirement benefits, but Read Full Article

Francine Russo. They’re Your Parents, Too! How Siblings Can Survive Their Parents’ Aging Without Driving Each Other Crazy. Bantam Books. New York, NY. 2010. 286 pages. $17.16 from Amazon (click on book to order) Sibling relationships can be difficult even in the best of times, but add in an aging parent and there is bound Read Full Article

Asset protection planning is about protecting your assets from creditors — and it is not just for the super-wealthy. Anyone can get sued. Lawsuits can stem from car accidents, credit card debt, bank foreclosures, or unhappy customers, among many other things. If someone wins a monetary judgment against you, your family could become bankrupt trying Read Full Article

Charging that reverse mortgage borrowers were caught in what amounts to a regulatory bait and switch, the AARP’s legal arm is suing the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on behalf of three now-deceased borrowers’ surviving spouses who are facing imminent foreclosure and eviction from their homes. The case involves the spouses of individuals Read Full Article

A 55-year-old individual can expect to pay $1,480 annually for $169,000 in current benefits, which would grow to $354,000 of coverage by age 80, according to the 2011 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index, an annual report from the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an industry group. A 55-year-old couple purchasing long-term care insurance protection Read Full Article

Gifting assets to your grandchildren isn't just a nice thing to do; it can reduce the size of your estate and the tax that will be due upon your death. Grandparents can give their grandchildren up to $13,000 a year (in 2011) without having to report the gifts. While you can make an outright gift, Read Full Article

Assisted living facility residents covered by Medicaid are at risk of being evicted if they leave the facility, even for a temporary hospitalization, the National Senior Citizen’s Law Center (NSCLC) warns in a recently released White Paper on the problem. Ironically, Medicaid officials in most states have the power to prevent these evictions but in Read Full Article

Jim Miller. The Savvy Senior (Hyperion, New York, N.Y., 2004; 250 pages). $13.95 from Amazon.com (click on book to order) You will indeed be savvy about senior issues after finishing this information-packed book. It offers a wealth of resources and basic, need-to-know information on a broad range of topics of vital interest to seniors. Within Read Full Article