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Oct 16
2010

Thanks Sarasota Magazine for the article on Bach Elder Law

Posted by Bach Elder Law in sarasota magazine elder law , sarasota magazine article on bach elder law , elder law sarasota

http://www.sarasotamagazine.com

May 13
2010

Frequently asked questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act

Posted by Bach Elder Law in When is cancer a disability , medicare tampa , medicare siesta key , medicare sarasota , medicare florida , elderly Social Security , elder lawyers , elder law sarasota , elder law Attorney , elder law , Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA of 2008 is a federal law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities.)
To whom does the Act apply?
Title 1 of the ADA covers employment by:
private employers with 15 or more employees, state and local government and Federal sector
In addition, most states have their own laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of disability.
A two-step process is used to determine whether an individual with a disability is qualified:
  • Determine whether the individual satisfies the prerequisites for the position such as possessing the appropriate educational background, etc;
  • Determine whether or not the individual can perform the essential functions of the position held or desired.
When is cancer a disability under the ADA?
Cancer is a disability under the ADA when it or its side effects substantially limit(s) one or more of a person’s life activities.
 
The ADA includes 2 non-exhaustive lists of “major life activities.”
Walking, seeing, breathing, working, reading, bending and communicating
The second list includes major bodily functions (immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine and reproductive functions)
Even when cancer itself does not substantially limit any major activity (such as when it is diagnosed and treated early), it can lead to the occurrence of impairments that may be disabilities.
Do employers have full access to medical information?
Title 1 of the ADA limits an employer’s ability to ask questions related to disability or conduct medical examinations at 3 stages: pre offer, post offer, and during employment.
  • An employer may not ask whether the job applicant has or had cancer or about treatment related to cancer prior to making a job offer.
  • An employer can ask an applicant questions pertaining to the performance of the job (whether he can lift weight, can travel out of town; whether he/she can work rotating shifts, etc.)
  • A person with cancer is permitted to request an accommodation after becoming an employee, even if she did not ask for one when applying for the job or after receiving the job offer.
  • With limited exceptions, an employer must keep confidential any medical information it learns about an applicant or employee.
  • Telling co-workings that an employee is receiving a reasonable accommodation amounts to a disclosure of the employee’s disability.
What protection is there against discrimination?
Employers and their agents may not discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability because of such disability in any aspect of the employment relationship.
Focus is on the following: hiring, pay, benefits, segregation, advancement, discharge, training, testing and contractual arrangements.
What is reasonable accommodation?
Employer must reasonably accommodate a qualified individual with a disability unless to do so would cause an undue hardship.  There is no precise definition of reasonable accommodation.
Examples include: making existing company facilities accessible; permission to work at home; modification of office temperature; permission to use work telephone to call doctors; reallocation or redistribution of marginal tasks to another employee; job restructuring; reassignment to a vacant position; medical leave; providing qualified readers or interpreters; acquisition or modification of equipment or devices.
BUT! An employer is not obligated to provide personal use items such as glasses or hearing aid.
What does undue hardship mean?
Undue hardship means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense in, or resulting from, the provision of the accommodation.
 
Factors to be considered:
  • The overall financial resources of the employer;
  • The number of persons employed by the employer;
  • The nature and cost of the accommodation needed, etc.
How is this legally enforced?
Any person who believes that his/her employment rights have been violated on the basis of disability and wants to make a claim against an employer must file a charge of discrimination with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
May 13
2010

Babette B. Bach & Fredric C. Jacobs AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell

Posted by Bach Elder Law in Social Security , Real Estate Lawyer , medicare tampa , medicare siesta key , medicare sarasota , medicare florida , Medicaid Attorneys , legal activist for the elderly , Florida Discount Drug Card , Florida Bar Elder Law , Florida Bar certified elder Attorney , Florida Bar , elder law sarasota , elder law Attorney , Elder Law Advocate , elder law , AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell , attorney

Babette B. Bach and Fredric C. Jacobs both received peer reviewed AV ratings from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating attorneys can receive for both legal acumen and professional ethics.
Babette B. Bach, Esq.
Babette B. Bach, Esq. is an Elder Law Advocate and the founder of Bach Elder Law. Board certified by both the Florida Bar and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (CELA), she is chair of the Elder Law Section of the Florida Bar and has been practicing law for over 25 years.
"She was co-counsel in Gerkin v. Reiger/Levine, a landmark civil rights class action lawsuit which earned her the prestigious award for “Outstanding Service to Florida’s Elderly” from the Florida Bar Association."
Babette has used her specialization in Elder Law to become a legal activist for the elderly. She was co-counsel in Gerkin v. Reiger/Levine, a landmark civil rights class action lawsuit which earned her the prestigious award for “Outstanding Service to Florida’s Elderly” from the Florida Bar Association.  As a result of this lawsuit, the State of Florida was required to change their Medicaid Policy to provide coverage for all uninsured medical benefits to over 45,000 Medicaid recipients. This new policy resulted in the funding of approximately $ 52 million in new benefits to the poorest and sickest citizens of Florida.
As chair of the Elder Law Section for the Florida Bar, Babette stays abreast of the latest developments in Elder Law statewide and nationally. She frequently lectures on the legislative changes to governmental benefits affecting the elderly. In addition, as a board member of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Alzheimier’s Association, she is a staunch advocate for the increased support for research and services for those touched by the disease.
In June 2009, Babette began her service as chair of the Florida Bar Elder Law Section, an honor which recognizes her state-wide leadership in the unique practice of Elder Law.
"Babette has used her specialization in Elder Law to become a legal activist for the elderly."
Fredric C. Jacobs, Esq.
Fred has been an "av" rated attorney since 1976, holds a Masters degree in tax law and is Florida Board Certified in tax law. In addition to practicing law, he teaches estate planning, Federal taxation of estates, trusts and gifts, tax procedure and international taxation as an adjunct law professor at Stetson Law School, St. Petersburg, Florida.
Bach Elder Law benefits from Fred’s experience in income and estate taxation and estate and financial planning for the elderly. For many years he has counseled clients on how to hold, gift and bequeath assets and structure family and business transactions of every type in order to minimize the impact of federal and state taxation.
Fred has drafted and seen to the proper implementation of countless wills, living trusts, family limited partnerships, powers of attorney, guardianship declarations and other documents to meet the financial and tax planning needs of his clients. Clients value his extensive experience in how to avoid probate as well as in the administration of trusts and estates. As an educator, he has lectured and given seminars on the taxation of and planning for IRA, 401(k) and other pension distributions.
With his first job as a trial attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC., Fred has a deep background in securities as well as tax law He understands annuities, insurance products and other investments, including policy surrender issues and has successfully represented clients in arbitration proceedings against securities brokers and investment firms.
In the business area, Fred has represented small and medium sized businesses in all aspects of their organization and operation, including choice of business entity (corporation, s corporation, partnership, LLC), business acquisitions and mergers, buy-sell agreements, employee benefit and stock option programs, and employment and non competition agreements.
Fred is also experienced in real estate transactions, including tax free “like kind” exchanges, and serves as an approved attorney and agent for one of the largest title companies doing business in Florida.
Fred is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and Florida, the United States Tax Court, the US Claims Court and the Federal District Courts and also regularly represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service.
“After 38 years in private practice, it is a privilege to be associated with Babette, the Chair of the Elder Law Section of the Florida Bar, and a knowledgeable, caring and vigorous advocate for the elderly,” says Fred.

May 13
2010

Medicare Maze article on the Wall Street Journal

Posted by Bach Elder Law in sarasota elder law , medicare tampa , medicare siesta key , medicare sarasota , medicare florida , Medicaid Attorneys , elder law sarasota , elder law Attorney

Medicare Maze from the November 14-15 issue of the Wall Street Journal.
  Download article

Jan 25
2010

Lower the cost of prescriptions for all Florida residents with Florida Discount Drug Card

Posted by Bach Elder Law in Lower the cost of prescriptions , Florida Discount Drug Card , elder lawyers , elder law sarasota , elder law Attorney , elder law

Good news! All Floridians can sign up for the Florida Discount Drug Card to save on their prescription medication. The Florida Discount Drug Card is now available to all Florida residents and is accepted at over 60,000 pharmacies nationwide. Florida residents who qualify based on age or income are eligible to receive additional savings.
You can easily sign up, print your card, locate a pharmacy, and compare prescription drug prices at www.floridadiscountdrugcard.com
Aug 25
2009

Oct 24 Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk on Lido Key

Posted by Bach Elder Law in Law Firm , elder law sarasota , elder law Attorney , elder law , donors , Babette Bach , attorney , Alzheimers walk , Alzheimer's Association , Alzheimer Memory Walk

The Bach Elder Law Team made a strong show of enthusiasm and support at the Oct 24 Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk on Lido Key raising over $ 9,000 and sporting more bright yellow ball caps than anyone else!  Their team cheer wasn't so bad either!
Thank you to all those walkers and donors who committed themselves to finding a cure for Alzheimer's Disease.
Apr 13
2009

Retirees Snared by Medicare (The Wall Street Journal)

Posted by Bach Elder Law in The Wall Street Journal , sarasota elder law , medicare tampa , medicare siesta key , medicare sarasota , medicare florida , Medicaid Attorneys , elder law sarasota , elder law Attorney

Rules for enrolling in Medicare are complex. But when people postpone retirement past age 65, as many people are doing these days, it's easy to get caught up in red tape...
Older adults can't get into Medicare any time they want. The easiest time to sign up is when you turn 65, and, if you're already collecting Social Security, enrollment is automatic. But if you keep working beyond that age and opt instead to stay with your employer's group health plan, your options for getting Medicare can be sharply limited. It's important to pay attention to strict enrollment deadlines, or you may face a fine and risk going without coverage for months.
That's what happened to Barbara Gardner, 66, who chose to continue on her former employer's plan instead of signing up for Medicare when she retired last year. "My employer's plan offers much better coverage," says the Austintown, Ohio, resident, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.
Now, Ms. Gardner realizes her decision caused her to run afoul of a Medicare rule that required her to enroll within eight months of leaving her job. As a result, Ms. Gardner's next chance to sign up for Medicare is in January, and her coverage won't begin until July. With her current health plan due to expire in March, Ms. Gardner is facing several months without insurance. And as a penalty for missing the deadline, her monthly Medicare premium will permanently be increased by 10%. "I don't know what I am going to do," she says, adding that she can't afford to purchase an individual policy for the months she'll be without insurance.

Click Here to read more...

Source: The Wall Street Journal
2012 Alzheimer’s Memory Walk
Team Bach & Jacobs    
 

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