The cost of long-term care can consume a person's assets if a carefully drafted estate plan is not in place. Order today to learn the skills you need to create an estate plan that meets your clients' needs.

1. What to Do When a Spouse is Confronting Health Issues - The Estate Plan
2. How to Protect an Elderly Client's Assets
3. Insurance to Fund All or Part of Long-Term Care Costs
4. Ethical Considerations When Representing the Elderly Client
5. Qualifying for Medicaid Long-Term Care Programs
6. Preserving Family Assets When Qualifying for Medicaid

1. WHAT TO DO WHEN A SPOUSE IS CONFRONTING HEALTH ISSUES – THE ESTATE PLAN
   9:00 - 10:00, Paul J. Prunty
   1. Client Interview
   2. How to Draft the Plan
   3. Asset Titling – Deed, Bank Accounts, and Life Insurance
   4. Changing the Will to Exclude the Disabled Spouse
   5. Durable Power of Attorney – Gift Giving Power
   6. Advanced Directives
   7. Sample Forms and Letters
2. HOW TO PROTECT AN ELDERLY CLIENT'S ASSETS
   10:15 - 11:15, Paul M. McKay
   1. Drafting the Irrevocable Trust
   2. Impact of Medicaid Issues in Drafting Trusts
   3. Life Estate Deeds
   4. Using Annuities, Life Insurance and Retirement Accounts in the Estate Plan
   5. Current Gifting Guidelines
   6. Income Tax Traps With Gifts
   7. Avoiding the Pitfalls of Guardianships
3. INSURANCE TO FUND ALL OR PART OF LONG-TERM CARE COSTS
   11:15 - 12:00, Paul M. McKay
   1. What is Long-Term Care?
   2. Costs of Care and Funding Sources
   3. Understanding Long-Term Care Insurance Benefits
4. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS WHEN REPRESENTING THE ELDERLY CLIENT
   1:00 - 2:00, Paul J. Prunty
   1. Acting Within the Lawyer's Expertise
   2. Avoiding Conflict Between Spouses' Interests
   3. Competency of the Client
   4. Maintaining Due Diligence in Completing Paperwork When Representing the Elderly or Ill Client
5. QUALIFYING FOR MEDICAID LONG-TERM CARE PROGRAMS
   2:00 - 3:15, Suzanne E. Messenger
   1. Where Medicare Stops and Medicaid Begins
   2. Overview of the State Medicaid Programs
   3. Categorically vs. Medically Needy
   4. Medical Criteria – Level of Care Required to Become Eligible
   5. Assessing a Client's “Medical Need” and Level of Care for Medicaid Qualification Purposes
   6. Medicaid Planning Techniques
   7. Financial Criteria for Single and Married Applicants
   8. Exemptions for Protecting the Family Home
   9. Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries
6. PRESERVING FAMILY ASSETS WHEN QUALIFYING FOR MEDICAID
   3:30 - 4:30, Suzanne E. Messenger
   1. Most Common Medicaid Misconceptions
   2. Implications of Gifts During the Look Back Period
   3. Options for “Spenddown” of Excess Property – Unique Problems Associated With Disposal of Excess Assets
   4. Myths About the "Spenddown" Requirement
   5. Protecting Assets for a Disabled Child
   6. Retroactive Benefits
   7. Estate Recovery

PAUL M. McKAY is a partner with the Wheeling law firm of McKay & McKay, Attorneys at Law. Mr. McKay is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), The West Virginia State Bar (member, Probate Committee), and the Ohio County and American bar associations. He concentrates his practice on elder law, estate planning and trusts, and litigation concerning those areas. Mr. McKay has previously lectured to various professional groups on his areas of practice. He earned his B.S. degree from Bethany College and his J.D. degree from Capital University.

SUZANNE E. MESSENGER is a West Virginia long-term care ombudsman. Ms. Messenger represents long-term care residents and other interested persons about a variety of matters related to residential long-term care, including quality of care, payment, guardianship and conservatorship, powers of attorney, health care surrogate matters, and elder abuse and exploitation. She is a member of The West Virginia Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a former NAPIL fellow. Ms. Messenger earned her B.S. degree in medical technology from the West Virginia University School of Medicine and her J.D. degree from the West Virginia University College of Law.

PAUL J. PRUNTY is a partner in Prunty Law Offices in Huntington. He has been practicing law for 19 years and currently has a general practice with an emphasis on real estate, wills and estates, taxes and business, and corporations. Mr. Prunty earned his B.A. degree from Marshall University and J.D. degree from the University of Dayton School of Law. He is a member of the Cabell County, West Virginia, Ohio State and American bar associations and The West Virginia State Bar.

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com