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

Practice Areas
Elder Law  * Estate Planning * Guardianship * Probate
 
Locations
Arlington Heights, Chicago, Skokie, and Westchester Illinois

Staff
Tina Gil, Adminstrator
Angela Montgomery, Legal Assistant
Deborah Mihm and David Reich, Paralegals
Erin Vogt, LCSW, CMC, Client Care Coordinator
October 2017
October is Special Needs Law Month

Special Needs Law is a specialized area of law that involves representing, counseling, and assisting people who have a disability and their loved ones in connection with a variety of legal issues. Typically, social needs 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 people become ill or have an accident that results in disability. Some people develop disabilities as they age. Almost all of us will have a disability at some point." - Surgeon General

A few of the issues addressed by Special Needs Law Attorneys:
Powers of Attorney
Guardianship
Medicaid and Other Long-Term Care Planning
Special Needs Trust 
"ABLE" Accounts: a  recent creation of federal law for individuals with disabilities to allow them to have a tax-free savings account which does not affect eligibility for public benefit programs such as SSI and Medicaid. States must establish the ABLE Account Programs.    Learn More.

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  Planning for people who have special needs and older adults is an area of concentration for the attorneys at Dutton Casey & Mesoloras. We are here to assist you or someone you care about.  Click here to learn more . 
National Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month which is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. The Internet touches almost all aspects of everyone's daily life. National Cyber Security Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity, provide them with tools and resources needed to stay safe online, and increase the resiliency of the Nation in the event of a cyber incident.

Read more from the Department of Homeland Security
Read more from the National Consumer Law Center

Interested in our article on digital assets? Click here.  
October Programs
event 2

Understanding Decisional Capacity: How a Neuropsychologist Can Evaluate and Legal Options for Substitute Decision Making (Park Ridge (October 18) & Naperville (October 19)
2018
Are you i nterested in hosting a program in 2018? Contact us to learn more
Now Is the Time to Review Your Medicare Options 

Are you happy with your current Medicare plan or plans? Now is the time to think about whether you are in the right plan or whether a new plan could save you money. Medicare's Open Enrollment Period, in which you can enroll in or switch plans, runs from October 15 to December 7, 2017.

During this period, you may enroll in a Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan or, if you currently have a plan, you may change plans. In addition, you can return to traditional Medicare (Parts A and B) from a Medicare Advantage (Part C, managed care) plan, enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, or change Advantage plans. Beneficiaries can go to  www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to make changes in their Medicare prescription drug and health plan coverage.

Even beneficiaries who have been satisfied with their plans in 2017 need to review their choices for 2018. Be sure to carefully look over the plan's "Annual Notice of Change" letter. Prescription drug plans can change their premiums, deductibles, the list of drugs they cover, and their plan rules for covered drugs, exceptions, and appeals. Medicare Advantage plans can change their benefit packages, as well as their provider networks. 

Remember that fraud perpetrators use the Open Enrollment Period to try to gain access to individuals' personal financial information. Medicare beneficiaries should never give their personal information out to anyone making unsolicited phone calls selling Medicare-related products or services or showing up on their doorstep uninvited. For more information on Medicare fraud and to review the website for the Senior Medicare Patrol program in Illinois, click here.
New Medicare Cards Are Coming

Center for Medicare and Medicaid will mail new cards to all beneficiaires between April 2018 - April 2019. The  new cards look different and will not include Social
 Security numbers. Instead, each person will get a new unique Medicare Number.    Click here to learn more.
 
Scams are expected during this transition period. To read an important
article  from the Coalition for Medical and Medicaid and the Senior Medicare Patrol regarding avoiding scams, 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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