Resources for Personal Injury and Defense Attorneys and Structured Settlement Brokers

 SEE LUGO, BY HON. ALICE SCHLESSINGER, SETTING FORTH APPLICABILITY OF AHLBORN, AND THAT THE DECISION REVERSES NEW YORK COURT OF APPEALS DECISIONS ON MEDICAID LIENS AND SUPPLEMENTAL NEEDS TRUSTS


CAUTION ON AHLBORN: THE POSSIBILITY OF A HIDDEN MEDICAID LIEN. See the New York Law Journal Article by Jay J. Sangerman, Esq. published February 16, 2007.


Medicare Secondary Payer Requirements


Medicare Set-Aside Trusts
This is a developining issue in workers compensation, no fault and liability matters other than workers compensation.

Attorney Liability for Medicare Reimbursement under the MSP Statute

Supplemental Needs Trust for Tort Claims

SNTs - Self Settled

Supplemental Needs Trusts for the Settlement of Tort Claims, Estate Planning and Protection of Inheritances

Cano and Drafting of the Supplemental Needs Trusts: July 12, 2004 Decision by the Hon. Bertram Katz

Supplemental Needs Trusts: The Second Decade. NYLJ, July 24, 2004.

Supplemental Needs Trusts: A Trap for the Unwarry Plaintiff Attorney

Placement of Tort Awards

Structured Settlement Issues

Social Security Information and Personal Injury Settlements

Negotiating and Settling the Medicaid Lien


Special Needs Trusts: A State to State Analysis

First Party Supplemental Needs Trusts - An Article from the New York Law Journal

Current Developments In Special Needs Trusts

Structuring of Attorney Fees

Medicaid Liens and Recoveries. Do Liens Need to be Settled Prior to the Establishment of the Supplemental Needs

Attorney's liability to reimburse Medicare for payments made on client's behalf

Transfer of Payee in Structured Settlement
IRS statement that the payee of a structured settlement which is transferred without consideration will not effect the favorable income tax treatment under IRC 104(a)(2),  This technique, as explained in this attachment, if the life company is willing to issue such annuity, can be useful in settlement negotiations and estate tax planning.

New York State trial court anti-factoring decision.
New York State Court rules that structured settlement cannot be factored due to “no-assignment” provision in the settlement contract.

A Cautionary Note Pertaining to Retention of Supplemental Security Benefits
In the drafting of settlement agreements and court orders, as well as in the administration of special needs trusts, it is necessary to consider the SSI rules so that the payments are not considered available income or available resources to the beneficiary. 

SSI and Supplemental Needs Trusts. 
Supplemental Needs Trusts and SSI POMs.

SSA Letter Re: Assignment of Payments to a Supplemental Needs Trust. 

     
SSA 2006 Letter: Structures and SNTs

     
March 13, 2006 CMS Letter

     
Pre-Analysis

     
Analysis of SSI/CMS

This letter is in response to our request for assurance that periodic payments irrevocably assigned to a special needs trust does not create any attribution of income to an SSI and/or Medicaid recipient. The cause for the need for assurance was that certain attorneys were erroneously claiming that periodic payments, even irrevocably assigned to an SNT, create SSI/Medicaid eligibility problems. Proper planning for a tort settlement and payments into an SNT is a well-planned allocation between a structured settlement and upfront cash. In order to accomplish the allocation, an analysis is necessary of the beneficiary’s immediate needs vs. long-term needs, as well as how the trust, in the particular circumstances, would be best managed.

Special Needs Trusts as a useful tool in the settlement of cases.
This is a detailed outline for professionals.

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