Obamacare May Increase Business for Estate Planners

As I previously mentioned, starting on January 1, physicians can now bill Medicare for time they spend discussing end-of-life healthcare preferences with their patients. The goal of this discussion is to encourage seniors to sign a living will and healthcare power of attorney. This discussion isn’t a mandatory part of the check-up, but doctors will be more eager to bring it up because they can now be paid extra money for doing so.

FindLaw reveals that 55% of adult Americans do not have a will. This new policy is likely to drive many of these seniors to get legal counsel before their next check-up. This may be a good “opportunity for estate planners looking to capture a bit of business in the new year.”

Scott Martin, Obamacare to Send Seniors to Estate Planners Before Visiting Their Doctor, The Trust Advisor Blog, Jan. 1, 2011.