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Attorneys
Janna Dutton, Kathryn Casey,
Helen Mesoloras, Michaela Franco, Melissa LaPointe
Staff
Betty Rodriguez, Deborah Mihm, Suzette Flores, Erin Vogt
Locations
Arlington Heights, Chicago, Skokie, and Westchester, Illinois.
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November Is National Family Caregiver Month
| There are only four kinds of people in the world - those who have been family caregivers, those who are currently family caregivers, those who will be family caregivers and those who will need family caregivers", Rosalyn Carter. |
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The range of family caregiving is huge. Examples of being a family caregiver include making check-in telephone calls, taking your loved one to the doctor, shopping, scheduling appointments, picking up groceries, medications, helping with monthly paperwork, such as bill paying, being a Power of Attorney or Guardian, living with them (or them with you), monitoring care if your loved one lives in a formal care setting, and much more. The bottom line, if you think at least once a day about an older family member, or a family member who is ill or has a disability, you are, in some way, a family caregiver.
All of us at Dutton & Casey thank the family caregivers we are honored to assist.
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Medicare Open Enrollment
Until December 7, Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in a Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan or change plans. In addition, you can switch out of a Medicare Advantage (managed care) plan and return to traditional Medicare (Parts A and B), enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan from traditional Medicare, or change Medicare Advantage plans.
Review your current plans by looking at the costs and coverage for next year to determine if it is still the right plan.
And, remember that fraud perpetrators will use this time to try to gain access to individuals' personal financial information. Never give personal information to
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Special Needs Law
S
pecial Needs Law is a specialized area of law that involves representing,counseling, and assisting people with disabilities and their families in connection with a variety of legal issues, from disability planning to mental health, with a primary emphasis on promoting the highest quality of life for the individuals. Typically, Special Needs Law attorneys address the client's perspective from a holistic viewpoint by discussing legal, medical, financial, social, and family issues.
"About one in every five people in the United States has a disability. Some people are born with a disability. Some get sick or have an accident that results in a disability. Some people develop disabilities as they age. Almost all of us will have a disability at some point." - Surgeon General.
What are the issues addressed by Special Needs Law Attorneys?
Durable powers of attorney, Guardianship, Medicaid, Medicare... and much more
Planning for people who have special needs and older adults is an area of concentration for the attorneys at Dutton & Casey. We are here to assist you or someone you care about.
Click here to learn more.
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Social Security (SSA) Benefits Will Rise Only Slightly In 2017
This follows no increase in benefits
in 2016 and small increases for many of the previous years. The small increase will likely be eaten up by higher Medicare Part B premiums.
SSA recipients will get a
0.3% cost of living increase in payments in 2017. This is expected to raise the monthly payment for the typical beneficiary by $4. These increases are tied to the consumer price index. The cost of living change also affects the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax, which will increase to $127,200 from $118,500.
The small increase in benefits means that some people may face a large increase in Medicare premiums. Most people have their Medicare Part B premiums deducted from their monthly Social Security checks. For these individuals, if Social Security benefits don't rise, Medicare premiums can't either. But this "hold harmless" provision does not apply to about 30% of Medicare beneficiaries: those enrolled in Medicare but who are not yet receiving Social Security, new Medicare beneficiaries, people earning more than $85,000 a year, and "dual eligibles" people who receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Medicare premium increases have not been announced yet, but projections point to a 22% increase for the monthly Part B premium. The premium increase is so steep because another law says that premiums must cover increases in Medicare costs. With 70% of Medicare recipients shielded from any premium increase because Social Security benefits are only rising slightly, the entire obligation of paying for the increased Medicare costs is falling on the other 30% who are not protected from premium increases.
Last year Congress stepped in and loaned money to Medicare to help cover the premium increase.
Advocacy groups are calling on Congress to do something similar this year. However, Congress is not in session until after the election, which means it will not be able to act quickly.
For 2017, the monthly federal Supplemental Security Income payment standard will be $735 for an individual and $1,103 for a couple.
For a complete list of the 2017 Social Security benefit levels,
click here.
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Presentations for 2017
We are busy planning programs, for community members and professionals, f
or 2017.
If you are interested in having a presentation on the many available estate planning, probate, or elder law related topics we have; hosting an event; etc.,
please contact Erin Vogt.
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Let First Responders Know You Are There
This program supports individuals living with disabilities, as well as police and
paramedics responding to calls at a specific address. This program requires 911 call centers to maintain a database of information about individuals with special needs when requested by families, caregivers, or the individuals themselves.
The program assists first responders in identifying individuals who have special needs, which enables them to have additional information in the event of an emergency.
For more information on the Premise Alert Program:
For the Suburbs, look at the city website or call the non-emergency police department phone number in the city where you or your loved ones lives.
For Chicago,
click here
and look for the online voluntary registration form on the left side of the page.
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Chicago 312.899.0950 I
Suburbs 847.261.4708
Appointments are available in Arlington Heights, Chicago, Skokie, and Westchester, Illinois, or via video conferencing or telephone.
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