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Christine Brown

Zacharia Brown

Christine Brown

Zacharia Brown

Christine Brown

Zacharia Brown

Christine is a partner of Zacharia & Brown, and provides advice and counsel to clients and their families in the areas of Asset Protection planning and Medicaid Eligibility for nursing home care, Veterans' Benefits Eligibility and related Estate Planning and Estate Administration issues. Additionally, Zacharia & Brown is the only law firm in Western Pennsylvania that is recognized as a Life Care Planning Firm by the Life Care Planning Law Firm Association.

Christine is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as well as the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her law degree from Duquesne University Law School, where she was a member of the Women's Law Association, as well as Secretary of the Health Care Law Society from which Christine received the Distinguished Service Award.

Christine can be heard on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm on Pittsburgh Elder Law on KDKA 1020 AM. Christine is also a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys ("PAELA"), the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys ("NAELA"), the Life Care Planning Law Firm Association ("LCPLFA"), the Allegheny County Bar Association ("ACBA") and the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce.

Firm Description

At Zacharia Brown, our focus is on helping individuals achieve their estate and long term care planning goals. We begin by establishing a strong foundation with quality estate planning documents that can later be utilized to protect the assets and life savings of individuals and families as they progress through the different stages of their lives. Our team of attorneys and elder law professionals can also help you to navigate the bureaucracy of the federal programs to secure the help and support that you and your loved ones deserve. We host educational seminars, interactive workshops and social events to educate the community on essential estate planning documents and to provide information on asset preservation planning and available benefits and resources for long term care. We have offices in McMurray, Wexford, Murrysville, & McKeesport, PA; as well as Bonita Springs, Lakewood Ranch & Pompano Beach, FL.

Hours

Day From To
Monday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM 3:00 PM

Cost

What Is an Elder Law Attorney?

Main Office

4500 Walnut Street
McKeesport, PA 15132

111 W. McMurray Road
McMurray, PA 15317

6530 William Penn Hwy
Suite 301
Delmont, PA 15626

7500 Brooktree Road
Unit 303
Wexford, PA 15090

On the web

View Firm Website


Medicaid 101
What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

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How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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What Medicaid Covers

In addition to nursing home care, Medicaid may cover home care and some care in an assisted living facility. Coverage in your state may depend on waivers of federal rules.

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How to Qualify for Medicaid

To be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, recipients must have limited incomes and no more than $2,000 (in most states). Special rules apply for the home and other assets.

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Medicaid’s Protections for Spouses

Spouses of Medicaid nursing home residents have special protections to keep them from becoming impoverished.

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Medicaid Planning Strategies

Careful planning for potentially devastating long-term care costs can help protect your estate, whether for your spouse or for your children.

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Estate Recovery: Can Medicaid Take My House After I’m Gone?

If steps aren't taken to protect the Medicaid recipient's house from the state’s attempts to recover benefits paid, the house may need to be sold.

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Help Qualifying and Paying for Medicaid, Or Avoiding Nursing Home Care

There are ways to handle excess income or assets and still qualify for Medicaid long-term care, and programs that deliver care at home rather than in a nursing home.

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Are Adult Children Responsible for Their Parents’ Care?

Most states have laws on the books making adult children responsible if their parents can't afford to take care of themselves.

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Applying for Medicaid

Applying for Medicaid is a highly technical and complex process, and bad advice can actually make it more difficult to qualify for benefits.

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Alternatives to Medicaid

Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. For those who can afford it and who can qualify for coverage, long-term care insurance is the best alternative to Medicaid.

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ElderLaw 101
Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

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Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

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Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Estate Planning

Distinguish the key concepts in estate planning, including the will, the trust, probate, the power of attorney, and how to avoid estate taxes.

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Grandchildren

Learn about grandparents’ visitation rights and how to avoid tax and public benefit issues when making gifts to grandchildren.

READ MORE
Guardianship/Conservatorship

Understand when and how a court appoints a guardian or conservator for an adult who becomes incapacitated, and how to avoid guardianship.

READ MORE
Health Care Decisions

We need to plan for the possibility that we will become unable to make our own medical decisions. This may take the form of a health care proxy, a medical directive, a living will, or a combination of these.

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Long-Term Care Insurance

Understand the ins and outs of insurance to cover the high cost of nursing home care, including when to buy it, how much to buy, and which spouse should get the coverage.

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Medicare

Learn who qualifies for Medicare, what the program covers, all about Medicare Advantage, and how to supplement Medicare’s coverage.

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Retirement Planning

We explain the five phases of retirement planning, the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, types of investments, asset diversification, the required minimum distribution rules, and more.

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Senior Living

Find out how to choose a nursing home or assisted living facility, when to fight a discharge, the rights of nursing home residents, all about reverse mortgages, and more.

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Social Security

Get a solid grounding in Social Security, including who is eligible, how to apply, spousal benefits, the taxation of benefits, how work affects payments, and SSDI and SSI.

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Special Needs Planning

Learn how a special needs trust can preserve assets for a person with disabilities without jeopardizing Medicaid and SSI, and how to plan for when caregivers are gone.

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Veterans Benefits

Explore benefits for older veterans, including the VA’s disability pension benefit, aid and attendance, and long-term care coverage for veterans and surviving spouses.

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