Thursday, September 15, 2011

Tax Benefits for Caregivers


With politicians making daily headlines thumping their chests over benefits and tax cuts I found it timely that ASK MEDICARE: information to help you care for others’ would offer the following factual information in their September/October e-newsletter.

"If you provide care and financial support, you may be eligible for certain tax breaks or other financial help. You may want to look into:


Qualtity Care Finder (information on hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and other facilities across the country)

Help in Your Community from Aging & Disability Resources Centers (ADRC) connect to the ADRC in your area with the Administration on Aging's Eldercare Locator."

With medical insurance gone wild and not every one honest when it comes to our more vulnerable population, advice is helpful.

"Medicare plans can start marketing for Open Enrollment on October 1. Protect yourself by knowing the rules about what Medicare plan sales agents can do. Sales agents CAN'T:

* Come to your home uninvited
* Approach you in parking lots, hallways or lobbies
* Offer you a gift worth more than $15 to join their plan 
* Provide meals at sales presentations
* Try to sell you a plan at educational events

If you know of an agent that's not following these marketing rules, send an email with the details of what happened to our Surveillance Mailbox at surveillance@cms.hhs.gov. "


Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer 
videos: www.youtube.com/daddyleer
web site: caregivinglyyours.com  

5 comments:

  1. Great information Patrick. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Thanks Patrick. Have you heard about Good Days from Chronic Disease Fund? We are an organization dedicated to assist chronic disease patients. By supporting our organization, you can help us, help them. http://www.gooddaysfromcdf.org/

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  3. I never knew I could search like that it’s interesting and something I might look into when I find some free time!

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  4. oklhdan,I keep trying to access your blog but Google greats me with an intimidating 'malware warning'. Did you add some misbehaving gadget?

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  5. Hi Vanessa! You hit the nail on the head "when I find some free time" - resources without time is soooo frustrating.

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