|
Blog Home
Many referral agencies promote themselves as a free service to seniors. But, unless they are truly a non-profit organization, there is no free lunch. If you understand how referral agencies work, then you can better protect yourself. Simply, a referral agent is paid a commission from the facility owner that ultimately admits your family member to their facility. So although the senior is not charged a fee up front, the facility owner does pay a fee to have you move into their facility. So what is wrong with that? Consider that the referral agency refers only to facilities that have signed referral fee contracts with them, so you are not receiving a complete list of options meeting your needs. Consider that the agent might refer you to a community that charges a higher rate than others, which helps maximize their commission and the facility is happy to receive a higher rate. Consider that the commission paid by the facility to the referral agent could be negotiated and possibly reduced so that you can use that difference to negotiate a concession by the facility for your loved one. For more information on referral fees or to receive a free opinion memo, please contact Stuart Furman, Esq. at 877-820-3335 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Published in
Senior Care Referral Agencies
Sunday, 07 February 2010 16:59
Ask About the Background of the Referral AgentWritten by Stuart FurmanWhen using the services of a referral agent, ask about their background and experience. The laws of your state (like California) may not require ANY educational background or experience to act as a referral agent. Additionally no state license or exam may be required. When you are dealing with a crisis, such as a catastrophic health care event occurring to a loved one, it is at this point that the most undereducated and untrained people may be assisting you in making very critical decisions. This is further compounded by the fact that it is often the seniors most trusted advisor (their doctor, nurse, attorney, case manager, or others) that refers the family to the referral agent. This can give you a false sense of security in thinking that the referral agency is acting knowledgeably, diligently and on the seniors behalf. Notwithstanding my comments, there are many very good, knowledgeable, and reputable referral agents that do an excellent job for families. Do your research. For more information on referral agencies, please contact Stuart Furman, Esq. at 877-820-3335 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Published in
Senior Care Referral Agencies
A referral agency is a business which refers seniors and their families to board and care facilities or other care facilities, for a fee (commission). Unfortunately, like all businesses, there are those that understand the role of a referral agent and those that merely profiteer from the public's naivete. In my opinion, a referral agent should gather detailed information about the senior, research the selection and refer the client to a "suitable" community. They should represent the family and advocate for them. There should be lengthy discussions about options and choices and the final offerings should not be based on the amount of commission to be paid, but rather on what is the "suitable" facility. In contrast, there are unfortunately referral agencies that merely print and disseminate lists of facilities that are public record for those who know how to find them and then extract a commission from the community which ultimately admits the family member. For more information on referral Agencies, please contact Stuart Furman, Esq. at 877-820-3335 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Published in
Senior Care Referral Agencies
Sunday, 07 February 2010 15:08
So You Think You Won A Lottery?Written by Stuart Furman, Attorney At LawBEWARE: There is no free lunch. You will not just win a lottery that you have not entered. This one works like this. You receive a letter stating that you won a lottery and there is a check for $X in your envelope. They state that after you deposit the money, write them a check for $Y and send it to them for processing or some other reason. You check out the bank and it is real. You contact the bank and ask if the check for $X will clear and they say yes. So all is good? NO. Apparently the account number and the "bar code" do not match. The bank WILL put the money into your account but much later, after you write the check to the scammer, they will take it back indicating that the code and account number did not match. You are out the money! A version of this scam has even taken attorneys for a lot of money. Be careful.
Published in
Senior Fraud and Scams
Tagged under
BEWARE: Someone calls you claiming to be from the Court stating that you did not show up for jury duty. An arrest warrant has been issued due to your failure to appear on your jury duty summons. Obviously you will state that you received no summons. The person says that a Marshall is on their way to your home right now but they will stop them from coming due to the error in delivery. They then ask for your full name and address. They then state they need to verify that you are the same person as in the Court records so they ask you for your social security number. They also say that you must hurry as if the Marshall arrives there is nothing they can do! OOPS! They got you! The Court will never do this so hang up.
Published in
Senior Fraud and Scams
Tagged under
Sunday, 07 February 2010 15:01
What are the Military Service Requirements for VA Benefits?Written by Stuart Furman, Attorney At LawThe VA benefit commonly called the "VA Aid and Attendance" requires that the veteran to have been on active duty for 90 days , with ONE day of which was during a period of war or conflict. This is a non-service connected benefit so the veteran could have been stationed in the U.S. during WWII and will still qualify based on the military record. Of course, the veteran must have been honorably discharged. A spouse of a deceased veteran qualifies based on his/her spouses military record. A divorce will not allow the spouse access to the benefits. For more information, please contact Stuart Furman, Esq. at 877-820-3335 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Published in
Veteran Benefits for Assisted Living
Sunday, 07 February 2010 14:59
Does a Veteran Have to be Poor to Access VA Benefits?Written by Stuart Furman, Attorney At LawThere is a misconception that the VA benefit commonly called the "Aid and Attendance" benefit requires the veteran to be poor to access the benefits. It is true that if the veteran has too many assets, that the VA will deny the claim. However, using proper estate planning, the estate can be properly positioned so that the veteran can still qualify. Obviously this program is not for the multi-millionaire but for those that have assets, there is a great benefit in accessing this tax free pension to preserve ones assets for their future needs. For additional information, please contact Stuart Furman, Esq. at 877-820-3335 of via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Published in
Veteran Benefits for Assisted Living
|