Whether you provide health care services and supplies or help senior clients with financial services, you are faced with issues of reimbursement for services and how to prepare for the likelihood of future health care costs. Seniors who become ill or need of supportive assistance, and their families, are faced with issues of affordability and asset protection. “Medicaid Planning” has become a common term that you need to understand - and it has become a major focus of elder law attorneys. This session will address the planning issues of Medicaid eligibility, procedures & reimbursement, government treatment of income, transfer & protection of assets and the use of trusts and annuities. We will then explain the nuts and bolts of what Medicaid will cover and how to get access to services.

This session will be taught by Elder Law Attorney Mindy Felinton, Esq. and Clinical Social Worker Shirley Tabb.

For over 30 years, Ms. Felinton has had extensive experience in the areas of trusts and estates, pet trusts, probate and trust administration, nursing home law, asset protection, living wills, wills, trusts, Medicaid planning, special needs trusts, guardianships and elder law. Ms. Felinton provides a personal approach to planning and goes beyond mere legal document preparation, to identify clients' personal objectives, striving to understand their goals. Ms. Felinton works closely with family members to make a smooth transition for their Mom, Dad or spouse.

Ms. Felinton is a member of the Maryland, Florida and Pennsylvania State Bars. She was an Assistant State's Attorney and, as a special prosecutor, handled animal abuse cases, many of which have been profiled on television, radio and in the international press. She is a member of the Estates and Trusts Section and the Elder Law Section of the Maryland Bar, Real Property and Trusts section of the Florida Bar, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Senior Connection volunteer, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Ms. Felinton is Vice President and a Board member of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and a preferred AARP provider. Ms. Felinton frequently lectures on Medicaid planning, Trusts, Wills, Elder law and Living Wills.

Shirley Tabb LICSW LCSW-C is a preeminent Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW–Washington DC and Licensed Clinical Social Worker–Clinical tract (Maryland) advocate who has assessed and helped over 1000 people in the District of Columbia access community resources and home health services under the Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver for the Elderly and Disabled.

Shirley can be seen on DCTV hosting her talk show where she discusses pertinent issues faces the poor, elderly, and disabled people receiving or in need of Medicaid or private-pay home health care.

Shirley was formerly with DC Child and Family Services (CFSA), and recruited a two parent family for a sibling group of 8 children using her social marketing skills. As supervisory social worker in Adoptions and Foster Home Recruitment, Shirley and her staff were often heard on WYCB, WOL, WMMJ Majic 102.3, WHUR, and Chanel 4’s Wednesday’s child recruiting foster/adoptive parents for children in the District’s child abuse and neglect system.

Shirley was also selected from among over 1000 nominees to be honored at the annual Working Woman’s Award Luncheon sponsored by WJLA – TV Channel 7 and Metro area Toyota dealers in 2006.

Shirley is also a court appointed non-lawyer guardian for incapacitated adults as a member of the Fiduciary Panel in the District of Columbia’s Superior Court within the  Probate Division and was described by one of the long term care ombudsmen as exemplary of a great Guardian for her tenacity and commitment to the well being of her wards.