Scams. Cons. Confidence games. The list of clever ways developed to cheat people throughout the ages is long. Our reaction, legally speaking, is strong, despite our love for movies about con artists, and well it should be. Of all the ways to steal from someone, tricking them by feeding them a lie is, at least […]
Medicaid for Long-Term Care
Medicaid, like Medicare, is an entitlement program that provides health insurance. Unlike Medicare, however, Medicaid is a “partnership” between the federal and state governments and requires more than categorical eligibility. It is “means tested.” That is because Medicaid was originally developed as a safety net. The reality is, however, that many Americans who have worked […]
Legacy Law, Part II: Death (and) Taxes
Nothing is certain but death and taxes, the saying goes. Some taxes are avoidable, some are inapplicable, and some (like sales and use tax) just about everyone must pay. One additional certainty – at least for the foreseeable future – is that less than 10 percent of Vermonters will be taxed for their generosity – […]
Legacy Law, Part I: Elder law
Rotary Clubs identify members by their profession. My name badge says “Elder Law.” I’ve always been uncomfortable with the term because people either think they know what it means or have no idea what it means. Until the mid-twentieth century or so, the “elder law,” as such, didn’t exist. For one thing, the average life […]