Be on the Lookout for New Medicare Cards (and New Card-Related Scams) The federal government is issuing new Medicare cards to all Medicare beneficiaries. To prevent fraud and fight identity theft, the new cards will no longer have beneficiaries' Social Security numbers on them. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is replacing each beneficiary's Social Security number with a unique identification number, called a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI). Each MBI will consist of a [...]

Investigating Your Partner: a Great Benefit to Your Divorce Case? Or a Source of Unwanted Trouble? The time has come. You and your partner have decided to seek a divorce. You may be thinking that, now that your partnership is ending, it is ok to start investigating your spouse. After all, you do not mean any harm. Maybe you think your spouse had an affair, and you want a private investigator to confirm. Maybe you believe your partner is residing with a new partner, or has a new job that he or [...]

Can Adult Child Be Liable for a Parent's Nursing Home Bill? Although a nursing home cannot require a child to be personally liable for their parent's nursing home bill, there are circumstances in which children can end up having to pay. This is a major reason why it is important to read any admission agreements carefully before signing. Federal regulations prevent a nursing home from requiring a third party to be personally liable as a condition of admission. However, children of nursing home [...]

New Brokerage Account Safeguards Aim to Protect Seniors From Financial Scams New rules have been put in place to protect seniors with brokerage accounts from financial scams that could drain the accounts before anyone notices. As the population ages, elder financial abuse is a mounting problem. Vulnerable seniors can become victims of scammers who convince them to empty their investment accounts. According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the organization that regulates [...]

Grandparent Visitation Rights In New York By Jared R. Mack Grandparents can play a special and pivotal role in a child’s upbringing. Unfortunately, whether it be due to death, divorce or a strained relationship with the child’s parents, a grandparent can be faced with a sudden decrease in time with a grandchild, or even a complete severance of the relationship altogether. In New York State, grandparents facing this situation may have the legal right to seek visitation with their [...]