As an estate planning and elder law attorney, nursing home and long-term care is a topic that comes up frequently with my clients. According to a recent article from Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP, "nearly 70 percent of Americans who reach age 65 will someday require help from others to get through their day. On average women will need help for 3.7 years, and men for 2.2 years." This need for help may be filled by a combination of caregiving solutions, ranging from family, friends, neighbors, community centers, day programs, and senior living facilities to assisted living, memory care, or nursing home facilities. While most people would rather avoid needing care in an assisted living or nursing home facility, the reality is that sometimes assisted living, memory care, or nursing home care is unavoidable. While it may be possible for family and support networks to handle care for a period of time, care needs or disease progression may necessitate some professional level of care at some point. If that becomes the case, the question becomes how does one pay for the care? Many people wrongly assume that Medicare will pick up the tab. While Medicare may pay for some short-term rehabilitation (generally up to 20 days full coverage with partial payment up to 100 days) following a qualified hospital stay, Medicare is designed to pay for medical costs and does not cover long-term care. Which means if you need long-term care, you need to have a way to pay for it outside of your Medicare coverage.

Catch the episode here as Michelle dives into “Beyond the Will: Preparing Your Legacy for Real Life.” She tackles real-life estate planning questions like: What happens if you can’t find the key to a safe deposit box or remember the lock combo? (Spoiler: it might involve a locksmith!) What are Letters of Wishes—and how do they add a personal, emotional layer to your estate plan? What are “death dinners” or “legacy interviews,” and how can open conversations with family make all the difference?

With the new year comes new estate and gift tax exemption levels. But what does this mean for you? Most clients I meet with are surprised to learn they (or more accurately, their family or beneficiaries) won't need to pay taxes when they die. As the estate tax laws are now, most people's estate will not need to pay taxes at death. Here is a very simplified explanation of how the Estate Tax works and why most people don't pay estate tax.

Attorney Alison Petri – Just the Facts 10/11/2024 – Medicaid Planning

Attorney Michelle Bischbach - Just The Facts 8/14/24 - Pet Trusts

Attorney Thomas Griesbach - Just the Facts 6/12/2024

Just The Facts – 12/13/2023 – The Corporate Transparency Act / Transactional Attorney Assisting with Purchases/Sales

Attorney Gina Ziegelbauer 10/11/2023 – Powers of Attorney

Announcing Attorney Riley T. Printz  We are happy to announce the addition of Attorney Riley T. Printz to the Steimle Birschbach, LLC team! Having recently graduated from Marquette University Law School, Riley is excited to be practicing in Manitowoc and assisting in the Sheboygan area. Riley will focus his practice on business and real estate law.