MSBA ELDER LAW SECTION E-NEWSLETTER
August 31, 2015
Vol. 8, No. 35
E-Newsletter Editorial Staff:
Communications Committee Chair: Allison Burke
Editor in Chief: Margaret Kyle
Web Editor: Christine Huberty
Contributors: Barb Brekke, Laura Zdychnec, Christina Groshek, Monica Lewis, Jennifer Wright, Laurie Hanson
EVENTS IN THE NEXT 3 WEEKS
NEW LAWYERS MEETING Thursday, September 10, 2015 from 12-1 p.m. at Chestnut Cambronne PA 17 Washington Ave N #300, Minneapolis, MN, 55401. Reid Raymond will be speaking about mental health and how it intersects with guardianship. He works closely with the guardianship attorneys when there is a companion mental health file. Rick will speak for the first half hour, and the second half hour will be questions and answers. Please contact Pook Grathwol at pgrathwol@chestnutcambronne.com or (612) 336-2919 or Jeanine Johnson at jjohnson@meyernjus.com or (612) 630-3254.
PRO BONO MEETING Friday, September 18, 2015 from 12-1 p.m at Chestnut Cambronne PA 17 Washington Ave N #300, Minneapolis, MN, 55401. Meetings will be held the third Friday of every other month, from 12-1pm. Questions may be directed to Jill Sauber at jsauber@maserlaw.com.
NEW CONTACT FOR HENNEPIN COUNTY MA CLEARANCES
There is a new contact at Hennepin County for MA clearances. In the future, please send your requests to Nancy Menssen by mail to the address below, along with a stamped self-addressed envelope.
Nancy Menssen
Hennepin County ERU
300 South 6th Street, Suite A134
Minneapolis, MN 55487
612-348-8645 and FAX 612-348-3408
Submitted by Monica Lewis, mlewis@voamn.org
NEW MEDICAL ASSISTANCE NUMBERS EFFECTIVE JULY 2015
Attached please find the new Medical Assistance numbers that DHS issued effective July 1, 2015. Please note that the document is in draft form because we still don’t have the 2015 Alternative Care update. We will send an update when the Alternative Care numbers arrive.
Submitted by Laurie Hanson, lhanson@mnelderlaw.com
YOUR CHANCE TO WRITE A LAW REVIEW ARTICLE WITH RELATIVE EASE
The Executive Editor of the soon-to-be Mitchell | Hamline Law Review, is seeking articles about Elder Law topics for publication in Spring 2016. The issue will be fully dedicated to any and all Elder Law issues, including estate planning, VA, and SSDI benefits. Even better, the law review staff is available for do research, editing, etc.
The Mitchell | Hamline Law Review also appreciates very "practical" articles that simply state what the law is and can be used a reference for practitioners. The editor has already done research on the new ABLE act (tax free accounts for disabled individuals for their disability-related expenses) that would go nicely in an article on Supplemental or Special Needs Trusts. Even a Medicare primer would be publishable, and the editor has researched Part B late enrollment premium increases (and avoiding them) for working Medicare-eligible individuals. An article on social security disability family maximums and how those are calculated would be wonderful. Anything on the VA would be great.
The early (and negotiable) deadline for drafts is mid-September. Would you like to write an article? Contact Christine Groshek, christina.groshek@wmitchell.edu
WEB EDITOR POSITION OPEN
Position Description: Monitor DHS website for new bulletins and manual letters pertaining to Elder Law. Collect and compile these updates and email to Tram Nguyen at tnguyen@statebar.gen.mn.us periodically to include on the Links/Resources page. Annually update the Mary Alice Gooderl Award Recipient page. Research, collect, and submit additional updates as requested by the section. If you are interested, please contact Margaret Kyle at margaret@kylelawmn.com or 612-615-9535.
PRO BONO OPPORTUNITY
Serve MN: Real Help from Lawyers for Families Dealing with Dementia
Elder law attorneys are encouraged to sign-up for this new opportunity to provide important information and resources to individuals recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and to their families. The Pro Bono Committee of the Elder Law Section of the MSBA is working with the Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota and North Dakota to engage attorney volunteers to provide legal information and resources to individuals and families impacted by Alzheimer’s. Please consider learning more about this new exciting pro bono opportunity. If you would like to participate, please complete the enrollment form at Pro Bono Application and submit it to icaservemn@gmail.com
Submitted by Barb Brekke, bbrekke@brclawyers.com
ELDER LAW NEWS
Please submit news articles of interest to Margaret@kylelawmn.com
ELDER LAW CASES
Congratulations to The University of St. Thomas School of Law for it’s recent win, described by Jennifer Wright: This case is an example of a disturbing trend of assisted living providers trying to use the housing courts to evict residents for minor behaviors. I hope that this case will encourage elder law advocates to fight these ill-considered attempts to deprive frail elders of their chance to age in place for no good reason.
Submitted by Jennifer Wright, JLWRIGHT1@stthomas.edu
STATUTES, REGULATIONS, BULLETINS
Please send submissions to Margaret Kyle at Margaret@kylelawmn.com
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Do you have a great story, have you read a good book, have you dealt with a case that relates to elder law? The Communications Committee is always looking for informative items for the weekly newsletter. Please email submissions to the newsletter editor, Margaret Kyle, margaret@kylelawmn.com.
ELDER LAW SECTION ACTIVITIES
ADVOCACY COMMITTEE:
Contact David Rephan at drephan@chestnutcambronne.com or Suzy Scheller at suzy@schellerlegalsolutions.com for more information.
EDUCATION COMMITTEE:
The committee last put on a CLE on April 28 covering distinctions in procedure and law when addressing concerns with nursing homes versus other long-term care settings like assisted living and housing with services. Anyone who would like to contribute to planning and presenting future CLE’s may contact Laura Orr at laura.orr@smrls.org.
GOVERNING COUNCIL:
The remaining 2015 meetings of the Elder Law Section Governing Council will be held at 3:30 pm on the following remaining Fridays:
October 16, 2015
December 18, 2015
Please be reminded that the meeting location is: Estate & Elder Law Services, Monroe Village, 1900 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418. The meeting takes place in the building’s conference room. There are a few parking spaces behind the building and lots of street parking. People should walk to the back of the building and come to the back door that faces directly into the meeting room. For further information, please contact Mary Frances Price, Chair, at MFPrice@mnelderlaw.com or (952) 929-0622
MA COMMITTEE MEETING:
The 2014-2015 MA Committee meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every other month (except the fourth Tuesday in June):
October 27, 2015 (date change due to conflict with the Elder Law Institute
December 15, 2015
The Medical Assistance Committee is a study group to analyze Elder Law Section member questions and case studies and to discuss administrative policies and procedures in relation to Medical Assistance in Minnesota, Lisa Pluto, of Pluto Legal, PLLC, is Committee Chair. For directions, or to attend by phone, please contact Tracy Sherman with Pluto Legal, PLLC, at tsherman@plutolegal.com or 507-247-5900 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. Topics for the meeting may be submitted to tsherman@plutolegal.com under the subject heading “MA Committee Topic”, or faxed to 507-247-5868.
Please be reminded that the meeting location is: Estate & Elder Law Services, Monroe Village, 1900 Central Avenue NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418. The meeting takes place in the building’s conference room. There are a few parking spaces behind the building and lots of street parking. People should walk to the back of the building and come to the back door that faces directly into the meeting room.
NEW LAWYERS COMMITTEE:
Meetings will be held the second Thursday of every other month at noon. Each meeting has a different topic based upon input from the new lawyers committee. Minutes of past meetings are available. The meetings are formatted so that a seasoned elder law attorney will speak for the first half hour, and the second half hour will be questions and answers.
Upcoming meeting dates:
September 10, 2015
November 12, 2015
Meetings will be held at Chestnut Cambronne PA 17 Washington Ave N #300, Minneapolis, MN, 55401. Please contact Pook Grathwol at pgrathwol@chestnutcambronne.com or (612) 336-2919 or Jeanine Johnson at jjohnson@meyernjus.com or (612) 630-3254.
PRO BONO COMMITTEE:
Meetings will be held the third Friday of every other month, from 12-1pm. Meetings will be held at Chestnut Cambronne PA 17 Washington Ave N #300, Minneapolis, MN, 55401. Questions may be directed to Jill Sauber at jsauber@maserlaw.com.
September 18, 2015
November 20, 2015
VULNERABLE ADULT COMMITTEE:
Meetings are held from 12:00 – 1:30 at Ken LaBore's office located at 5001 Chowen Avenue South. Ken always provides pizza and drinks. Contact Ken at Klabore@MNnursinghomeneglect.com or 612-743-9048.
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DON'T FORGET THE ELDER LAW WEBSITE IS A GREAT RESOURCE.
Here’s what you can find on the Website: Links to the DHS Health Care Programs Manual, the DHS Bulletin on treatment of uncompensated transfers, the Minnesota Bankers Association Compliance Bulletin on Powers of Attorney, legislative summary; Practice Links to organizations such as NAELA, ABA Commission on Law and Aging, Links to Federal and State Government Agencies, Statutes, and Regulations; Meeting Notices, Listings of Officers and Council Members, Section Bylaws, and more.
To access the ELDER LAW SECTION WEBSITE click here.
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Please send E-Newsletter contributions by 10 p.m. on Sunday of every other week to Margaret Kyle at margaret@kylelawmn.com.
If you do not wish to receive this E-Newsletter, send your request to be removed from the mailing list to Tram Nguyen at tnguyen@mnbar.org.
Current and prior E-Newsletters are posted on the website for the MSBA Elder Law Section and are available here.