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Please contact me at the Bresson Law Offices, PLLC of Spokane, Washington to schedule a consultation.

Medicaid Concerns: Effective May 1, 2006, major changes were made to Washington's Medicaid rules, making them more restrictive, especially regarding the transfer of assets and gifting. Additional changes at the state level, related to the Deficit Reduction Act, passed by Congress in 2005, are expected later in 2008.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI): The SSI rules have become more relaxed. Receiving clothing is not longer considered as income and a car of any value, used for the recipient's transportation, is now considered exempt.
Estate Tax: Currently, the federal estate tax situation is unsettled. The federal estate tax exclusion is scheduled to increase from $2,000,000 to $3,500,000 in 2009. Then, in 2010, the federal estate tax is repealed. If no new legislation is passed, in 2011, the federal estate tax returns and the exclusion amount drops back down to $1,000,000. It is expected that Congress will pass legislations providing more certainty about the estate tax, but that may not occur until 2009. The state estate tax threshold is currently $2,000,000. Unless the state legislature changes the law, the state exclusion will not change when the federal numbers change.

Wills - Informational pamphlet from the Washington State Bar Association.
Living Wills - Q & A from the Washington Law Help Website (Living Wills are also known as Health Care Directives).
Revocable Living Trusts - Informational pamphlet from the Washington State Bar Association.
Power of Attorney - Q & A from the Washington Law Help Website.
Trusts - Informational pamphlet from the Washington State Bar Association.
Preparing for Death - Information on issues to consider when preparing for death, from the Washington State Office of the Attorney General.

Eligibility for Medical Programs - Income and resource standards for Washington State Medicaid and other government benefit programs.
Medicaid Regulations - DSHS Medicaid Eligibility A-Z Manual (majority of nursing home regulations can be found in the Long Term Care Chapter).
Medicaid - The SSI Manual (called the POMS Manual) is helpful for questions on Medicaid as well as SSI.
COPES Rates - COPES reimbursement rates for various types of care.
DSHS - Office locator to help you find where to send your Medicaid application.
Care Facilities - Nursing homes and other care facilities in Washington State are listed on this site for the Washington Health Care Association.

Probate - Informational pamphlet from the Washington State Bar Association.
Once a Death Occurs - Information on issues to consider once a death occurs, from the Washington State Office of the Attorney General.

Washington Law Help Website - Helpful brochures on Medicaid programs, guardianships, wills, probates and many other areas of Elder Law in Washington.
Consulting a Lawyer - Informational pamphlet from the Washington State Bar Association
Academy of Special Needs Planners
Elder Law Answers
Washington State Laws and Regulations
American Bar Association Real Property Probate and Trust Estate Planning Information
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