The temporary repeal of the federal estate and GST taxes in 2010 has raised issues about how formula clauses in wills and trusts will operate for deaths in 2010. Such clauses generally fund the marital trust portion of the estate, which receives an unlimited marital deduction and is therefore tax-free on the death of the […]

The Clarion Ledger reports that Gov. Haley Barbour on Friday joined the multi-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the nation's new health care law. "The health care law passed earlier this year is an unprecedented expansion of federal power," Barbour said in a statement. "The Constitution does not give Congress or the federal government the […]

Pennsylvania estate planning attorney Patti Spencer recounts in a recent blog entry about the various estate planning lessons to be learned from "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."  Since Big Daddy was a Mississippi planter, I thought her post would be especially of interest to readers of this blog:  "Big Daddy… What is it that […]

The Medicaid office in Yazoo City was one of the buildings damaged in Saturday's deadly tornado.  One wonders how many records of ongoing claims for benefits were lost as a result.  Medicaid already has a  reputation for inefficiency in handling claims for initial benefits.  Clients frequently pay us to handle the claims process out of […]

A recent Sun Herald article points out that thorough estate planning will prevent feuds among family members over sometimes trivial issues like who gets what when a family member dies.  Comprehensive planning will incorporate issues like family heirlooms in addition to the larger financial assets that a family has to divide.  Addressing such issues on […]

A recent article from AARP looks at some of the provisions contained in the recently passed health reform bill, and its impact on Mississippi Seniors.  As the summary points out, many provisions of the reform are good for seniors, including no coverage prohibitions for pre-existing condition and caps on premiums based on age.  What the […]

The US News and World Reports has rated nursing homes around the nation.  The results of their survey are here.  Any families looking to place a loved one into a nursing home will no doubt find the guide helpful in evaluating facilities.  While not definitive and certainly no substitute for an in-person evaluation, it is […]

The Mississippi Supreme Court has revived a lawsuit against Bayer AG, ruling the state can refile a claim the pharmaceutical giant defrauded its Medicaid program.   The suit accuses Bayer Corp. of inflating the average wholesale price of medications, causing the state to overpay drug providers to patients on its Medicaid program. The false price reports […]

A big part of the health insurance reform that was passed last month provides coverage through Medicaid by raising the Medicaid qualification limits.  In Mississippi, this means than an additional 500,000 to 600,000 people will be added to the Medicaid rolls. As Gov. Barbour pointed out this weekend in his CNN interview, that requires another […]

Three different nursing home groups have sued the Division of Medicaid over cuts to the program's reimbursement rate.  The governor claims that the cuts are necessary because the state budget is in a deficit.  However, the cuts will have a significant impact on nursing homes' ability to stay open because almost all nursing home residents […]