Helpful Links:
Elder & DisAbility Law:
AARP - American Association of Retired Persons website
National Ass'n of Professional Geriatric Care Managers - NAPGCM can help you find resources for caring for the elderly
Disability Law Center of Massachusetts & the Disability Rights Center of New Hampshire - have a lot of great links & information on laws protecting the right of people with disAbilities
DREDF - Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund has a lot of information on everything from accessibility to medical ethics as well as self help/advocacy guides
ABLE 529A Account information - Achieving A Better Life Experience accounts for people with disAbilities whose disAbility began before age 26. More info can also be found at the National Disability Institute's ABLE website
Special Needs Toolkit - summary of benefits and recommendations for estate planning and accessing resources including educational accommodations, MassHealth benefits and more. There are links to videos as well below the link for the toolkit. https://massnaela.com/specialneedstoolkit/
Special Needs Trusts handbook for Trustees: helpful info on different types of special needs trusts, benefits programs and more https://www.specialneedsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SNA-2024-Handbook.pdf
Social Security - Claim your Account to prevent fraud.
Guardianship & Conservatorships in Massachusetts - Volunteer Lawyers Project Guide to Guardianships in Massachusetts
Elder Fraud Hotline at the US Department of Justice - 1-833-FRAUD -11 (1-833-372-8311) open M-F 10-6 EST- https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/elder-fraud-abuse/national-elder-fraud-hotline
Massachusetts Attorney General Elder Hotline & links to helpful info: 888-AGELDER or 888-243-5337 https://www.mass.gov/info-details/the-attorney-generals-elder-hotline and https://www.mass.gov/resources-for-elders-at-the-attorney-generals-office
Estate Planning Links:
American Bar Association, Guide to Wills & Estates, provides general information on wills, health care proxies, trusts and other estate planning and probate issues.
Probate:
Massachusetts Probate Courts website has contact info for the courts & other basic info including self help guides
Death & Dying & Burial Options:
Green Burial Massachusetts has resources for Eco-friendly burial options including caskets from Mourning Dove Studio, LLC - Eco- & Alternative Burial options & art studio for making memorials in Arlington, Massachusetts
Family Caregiver Alliance - great info on end of life decision making & other issues for those with chronic, disabling conditions
The Conversation Project - wonderful guides on how to have the conversation on end of life care preferences with your loved ones.
Memorial Forests - Better Places Forests is an eco-friendly burial option in Western Massachusetts and their other locations in CA and CT (they will likely add more). Better Place Forests offers memorial trees for your loved ones ashes as a way to memorialize your loved one while helping conserve the forest and open space.
Real Estate/Homestead Declarations:
Massachusetts Registries of Deeds - The Secretary of the Commonwealth's website has links to all of the Registries & how-to-guides for filing homestead declarations
Registry of Deeds Consumer Notification Service: https://cns.masslandrecords.com -This is the official, free service to monitor filings at the Registry of Deeds for residential property owners. There has been increasing fraud in real estate and signing up for this free service may help prevent fraudulent conveyances or at least give you notice when it happens .
Business Links:
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division - file LLC's, corporations, and other business entities online, search for a business, reserve a business name and other resources & info for businesses
MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAID KEY DOLLAR FIGURES:
Key Dollar Figures and Interest Rates for 2024
Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) : $2,555.00
( Standard Shelter Expense included in MMMNA: $766.50)
Maximum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMNA): $3,853.50
Maximum Community Spouse Resource Allowance: $154,140
Resource Allowance for Individual/Unmarried: $2,000
Maximum Home Equity Limit: $1,071,000
Transfer/divestment penalty Divisor (per day)/Average daily cost: $433.00 per day
Monthly Personal Needs Allowance: $72.80
Utility Allowance (heat): $890
Utility Allowance (nonheat): $542
Important Massachusetts
Medicaid & Estate Tax
Key Dollar Figures & Rates
MA Key Dollar Figures & Rates
The exclusion for the Massachusetts Estate Tax is $2 million. (Note, your estate includes your retirement assets and life insurance benefit as well as your other assets). If your estate has more than that amount, the estate will be taxes at rates described. The table is used to compute the credit for state death taxes under Internal Revenue Code Section 2011 in effect on December 31, 2000.
Please note: For taxable estates of decedents dying in 2023 or after, the Massachusetts estate tax, as computed based on the maximum federal credit for state death taxes, is reduced by a credit of $99,600. MGL ch. 65C, § 2A(f)
Resource: https://www.mass.gov/guides/a-guide-to-estate-taxes
| Adjusted taxable estate * | ||||
| From | To | Credit | + % of | Excess over |
|
$0 |
$40,000 |
$0 |
0.0 |
$0 |
|
40,000 |
90,000 |
0 |
0.8 |
40,000 |
|
90,000 |
140,000 |
400 |
1.6 |
90,000 |
|
140,000 |
240,000 |
1,200 |
2.4 |
140,000 |
|
240,000 |
440,000 |
3,600 |
3.2 |
240,000 |
|
440,000 |
640,000 |
10,000 |
4.0 |
440,000 |
|
640,000 |
840,000 |
18,000 |
4.8 |
640,000 |
|
840,000 |
1,040,000 |
27,600 |
5.6 |
840,000 |
|
1,040,000 |
1,540,000 |
38,800 |
6.4 |
1,040,000 |
|
1,540,000 |
2,040,000 |
70,800 |
7.2 |
1,540,000 |
|
2,040,000 |
2,540,000 |
106,800 |
8.0 |
2,040,000 |
|
2,540,000 |
3,040,000 |
146,800 |
8.8 |
2,540,000 |
|
3,040,000 |
3,540,000 |
190,800 |
9.6 |
3,040,000 |
|
3,540,000 |
4,040,000 |
238,800 |
10.4 |
3,540,000 |
|
4,040,000 |
5,040,000 |
290,800 |
11.2 |
4,040,000 |
|
5,040,000 |
6,040,000 |
402,800 |
12.0 |
5,040,000 |
|
6,040,000 |
7,040,000 |
522,800 |
12.8 |
6,040,000 |
|
7,040,000 |
8,040,000 |
650,800 |
13.6 |
7,040,000 |
|
8,040,000 |
9,040,000 |
786,800 |
14.4 |
8,040,000 |
|
9,040,000 |
10,040,000 |
930,800 |
15.2 |
9,040,000 |
|
10,040,000 |
---- |
1,082,800 |
16.0 |
10,040,000 |
*The "adjusted taxable estate" used in determining the allowable credit for state death taxes in the above table is the federal taxable estate (total federal gross estate minus allowable federal deductions) less $60,000.
There is no federal credit for state death taxes if the "adjusted taxable estate" is $40,000 or less.