Rita Rudner

Good AdviceHelp for the Suddenly Singleby Mark J. Snyder, ChFC, CLU, RFCFinding oneself “suddenlysingle,” opens awide range of issues,not the least of whichis financial. Gettingpersonal finance issuesunder control can help with thetransition.It’s very important for a single personto have a grasp ofbasic finance becausethe concerns they facetoday are much differentthan those theyfaced many years ago.Issues like health care,tax deferral and transfer of wealthare usually neglected or overlooked.One of the first considerations is howto create enough income to meet currentneeds. Some settlements are inthe form of periodic alimony paymentsbut substantial one-time payments arecommon. In most cases, lump-sum14April 2012It’s very important for asingle person to have agrasp of basic finance.advertisementGood Advicesettlements are not considered taxableincome, while periodic alimony paymentsare taxable income. You mayalso owe capital gains taxes if you sellproperty received in a settlement butinvesting part of your settlement maybe needed to achieve long-term financialgoals, such as planning for a child’seducation or your retirement.Mark Snyder is an independentfinancial advisorin Medford, NY. For a freecopy of our newsletterThe Snyder Report, pleasecontact: mailbox@markjsnyder.com.Securities offered through Royal AllianceAssociates, Inc., member FINRA, SIPC. Advisoryservices offered through Mark J. SnyderFinancial Services, Inc., a registered investmentadvisor, not affiliated with Royal AllianceAssociates, IncMark J. Snyder Financial Services, Inc.1731 North Ocean Ave., Medford, 631-289-4224, www.markjsnyder.com.Help With Weight Loss and Diabetesby Dr. Dazhi Chen, PhD, LAC, IPA of N.S.-L.I.J.Recent reports show thattwo thirds of Americanadults are either overweightor obese in this country andobesity rates have grownfrom 15% in 1978-1980 to32% in 2003-04.Not only does obesity increase the risk fordeveloping major diseases, including type 2diabetes, heart diseaseand stroke, but may leadto some forms of canceras well. Many therapeuticweight loss programs maywork in the short term,however, as most Americansknow, the patientgains the weight backalmost immediately after he or she discontinuesthe program — usually underunhealthy conditions during treatment orafter the patient has stopped exercising.Weight gain can be attributed to manythings, but metabolism is a key considerationand should be looked at seriously.I recently developed a healthy, successfulway of losing weight with acupuncture,advertisementwhich can actually change your metabolism.There are several unique characteristics withthis therapy:1. You do NOT gain back the weight you lost.2. You will see the results as early as theFIRST WEEK.3. Stop craving food.4. Health Issues such as insomnia, constipation,menopause and stress will be alleviatedsimultaneously duringthe treatment.5. It is effective for howyour whole body will function.If other weight loss programshave failed call Dr.Chen at 516-562-9221 or516-526-2058 (located at277 Northern Blvd., Suite. 306, Great Neck)for an appointment or emailaltmedny@gmail.com. Acupuncture is also aneffective treatment for menopause, pain management(neck pain, shoulder and back pain)as well depression, fatigue and infertility.Dr. Chen is a credentialed Acupuncturist atNorth Shore Hospital.Visit www.camtherapycenter.com.I recently developed ahealthy, successful way oflosing weight withacupuncture, actuallychanging your metabolism.Good AdviceThe Use of Personal Care Agreementsby Marc Alhonte, Esq.The new Medicaidlaws for nursing homecare have imposedlonger “look back” periods,which have drasticallylimited an applicant’sability to become Medicaid eligibleby gifting their assets. However, aMedicaid applicant isstill permitted to “spenddown” their assets.When family membersbecome unable toindependently care forZwanger-PesiriRadiology has taken agroup pledge to “ImageWisely.” The “ImageWisely” campaign is ajoint initiative undertakenby the American College of Radiology,the Radiological Society of North Americaand other radiology organizations, withthe goal of reducing theamount of radiationpatients receive from medicalimaging exams. We atZwanger-Pesiri Radiologywhole-heartedly embracethis cause as our philosophywhich has always been toprovide exceptional care toour patients, and thisincludes safe and appropriate imaging.As a part of this campaign, our goal is toincrease awareness about performingonly necessary testing that uses radiation,and when doing so, using the lowest possibleradiation dose.To show our commitment, Zwanger-PesiriA “Personal CareAgreement” can be aneffective method offairly benefiting lovedones and preservingeligibility for Medicaidbenefits.advertisementGood AdviceImage Wiselyby Elizabeth Maltin, M.D.Our goal is toincrease awarenessabout performingonly necessarytesting that usesradiation.advertisementthemselves, anotherfamily member maychoose to become afull-time caregiver.Since the caregiver islegitimately providingpersonal services to the patient, thecare arrangement can be formalizedby a properly drafted “Personal CareAgreement.” It details the services tobe provided and the patient pays thecaregiver a fair wage for their services.This enables the client to fairlycompensate their loved one and“spend down” the client’s assets forMedicaid qualifying purposes. In theevent the client requires nursinghome care, the assets paid to thecaregiver were not a gift, which createsa period of ineligibility.The caregiver mustmaintain detailedrecords documentingthe need for care and allservices rendered.Payments for these personalservices are consideredtaxable income tothe caregiver.A “Personal CareAgreement” can be aneffective method of fairlybenefiting loved ones and preservingeligibility for Medicaid benefits.For a free consultation contact MarcAlhonte at Karol, Hausman and Sosnik,P.C. in Garden City at (516) 745-0066.www.khspc.com.Radiology took the lead and purchased thefirst CT Flash scanner in the Northeast. TheCT Flash scanner emits the lowest radiationdose of all CTs, and is also the fastest scanneron the market today.Our commitment to dose reduction alsoextends to educating both patients andreferring physicians. We provide allpatients who receive a CT scan a “dosecard”. The dose card is a calculationof the effective doseof radiation received duringthe CT exam. The radiationdose is also provided to thereferring physician. Knowingthe actual dose received froma given study will helppatients and their doctorskeep track of how much radiationthey receive over their lifetime.Elizabeth Maltin, M.D. is a BoardCertified Neuroradiologist and Past-President of the Long Island RadiologicalSociety.For more information visit www.zprad.comor call 516-798-4242 or 631-444-5544.To advertise: 516-505-0555 x1 or ads@liwomanonline.com