Archive for October, 2008
Living Wills and HIPAA Medical Privacy
From 1996 to 2003 Congress was changing the rules on medical privacy. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that hospitals and medical care providers not discuss a patient with anyone other than their spouse. If your living will has a medical agent or health care power of attorney other than your spouse, [...]
October 30, 2008
• Tags: health care power of attorney, HIPAA, living will, medical agent • Posted in: Medical Planning • 2 Comments
Doubling your Estate Tax Exemption with an ABC Trust
You can use a trust in your estate planning for a variety of reasons, avoiding probate is usually the primary reason. But did you know you a married couple can double their estate tax exemption using a trust?
Consider a married couple with $5 million in assets. When the first of them passes away, the original [...]