Chicago 312.899.0950  I  Suburbs 847.261.4708
Attorneys
Janna Dutton, Kathryn Casey,  Helen Mesoloras, Michaela Franco, Melissa LaPointe

Practice Areas:
Elder Law I Estate Planing I Guardianship I Probate

Staff
Tina Gil, Angela Montgomery, Deborah Mihm, David Reich, Erin Vogt

Locations
Arlington Heights, Chicago, Skokie, and Westchester, Illinois
August 2017
Understanding the Four Cs of Elder Law Ethics

Your parent or other elder relative is getting legal advice. Why am I left in the waiting room? Shouldn't you be included? After all, you might be very involved in helping him or her with important matters. Perhaps you even arranged for this appointment.
There are several reasons why attorneys need to meet with your family member or friend alone for at least part of the case evaluation process, so please don't be alarmed or offended. Family involvement is very important, but try to understand the way legal services are provided to older or clients who have a disability.

It may help first to understand the "Four Cs" - client identification, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, competency - of elder law ethics that attorneys are required to follow.   Click here to read more.

Did you know?
Janna Dutton and Kathryn Casey are two of only a few certified Elder Law Attorneys in Illinois  Click here to learn more about the certification process. 
Helen Mesoloras is President of the Illinois Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Learn more about NAELA.
Upcoming Presentations for Community Members and Professionals
  • Dementia, Ethics, and Elder Law (Arlington Heights, Illinois)
  • Preparing Families for Dementia (Lombard, Illinois)
  • Understanding Decisional Capacity: How a Neuropsychologist Can Evaluate and Legal Options for Substitute Decision Making (Wheaton, Illinois; Park Ridge, Illinois; and Naperville, Illinois)
  • Legal Remedies for Abuse, Neglect, and Financial Exploitation (Elmhurst, Illinois)
    and many more... Learn more..    

The Tele-Savvy study tests the efficiency of an on-line education program for caregivers of persons diagnosed and living with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. Caregivers will participate in study-related videoconferences, watch educational videos and complete related online interviews. For more information, contact  Joshua Kaplan-Lyman at 312-503-5209.


A new report finds that states have made incremental improvements in providing long-term care, but need to achieve more gains in order to meet the needs of the growing number of people who require long-term care services.   Read more.

Read information from Next Step in Care regarding the hospital admission process, titles and job responsibilities for many hospital-based health care professionals, common problems and ways to solve them and other important facts.

If you are interested in recieving 'Guide to Care Plan Meeting', written by Erin Vogt, LCSW, CMC, our client care coordinator, send an email to Erin

Read the booklet, from Center for Medicare and Medicaid, regarding choosing a nursing home.

When your child reaches the age of 18, you no longer have the same level of access to, or authority over, his or her financial, educational and medical information. There are steps you can take to make sure your child is protected. Learn More.

Read an artilce - 10 common estate planning questions.
Open Enrollement
It is not too early to plan. Medicare Open Enrollment is from October 15-December 7, 2017. If you use the Open Enrollment period to choose a new Medicare Part C or Part D plan, that new coverage will begin on January 1, 2018.

New Medicare Cards
The  Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to remove Social Security Numbers from all Medicare cards by April 2019. 

Many health care providers are still not aware that Medicare is required to cover skilled nursing and home care even if a patient is not showing improvement. Read More.   Read more from Center for Medicare Advocacy.
Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period is Shorter This Year

The upcoming Health Insurance Marketplace, which was created by the Affordable Care Act, Open Enrollment Period is from November 1- December 15, 2017. Since the Marketplace Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is shorter this year, it is important that individuals who need health coverage or would like to switch plans, do so during this time period to guarantee their coverage begins January 1, 2018.  Once the OEP ends on December 15th, individuals will not be able to enroll in or change health plans until the next OEP in late 2018 for health coverage in 2019 unless they qualify for a special enrollment period. The new Marketplace OEP aligns more closely with the open enrollment periods for Medicare and employer-sponsored plans. The change to this OEP was part of a final rule that made additional policy changes, including requiring individuals who use Marketplace special enrollment periods to submit supporting documentation and allowing insurers to require enrollees to pay past due premiums in order to stay enrolled with the same company for the following coverage year.  

During the Marketplace OEP, individuals should also make sure to update their Marketplace application and report any change of address, change in health coverage, household size and expected income for 2018. It is important that individuals report any expected income changes since it may impact the amount of premium tax credits and/or cost sharing assistance they are eligible to receive throughout the year.  These changes can be reported to the Marketplace at any time during the year.  For more information on which changes to report, go to  www.healthcare.gov/reporting-changes/which-changes-to-report/ . 

-Source Make Medicare Works Coalition, August 9, 2017 bulletin. To learn more about this wonderful resource, click here.
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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