FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 17, 2022 • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
NYC health commissioner applauds workers at Flushing health center
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
New York City Health Commissioner
Dr. David Chokshi met with leadership
and staff members at the Charles B. Wang
Community Health Center (CBWCHC) in
Flushing on Th ursday, March 10, to discuss
the center’s vital role in keeping underserved
communities healthy, particularly
in times of crisis.
Chokshi commended the health
center’s work as a leader in the community
throughout the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic and reminded New Yorkers not
to delay their preventative care, regular
doctor visits, and critical health screenings.
“Th e work of federally qualifi ed health
centers has been critical in keeping New
Yorkers healthy during this pandemic,”
Chokshi said. “I applaud the Charles B.
Wang Community Health Center staff for
their hard work and dedication to New
Yorkers over the last two years.”
Th e Charles B. Wang Community Health
Center is a federally qualifi ed health center
(FQHC) providing primary care services to
underserved communities at fi ve locations in
Manhattan and Queens. Th e center is open
seven days a week, and accepts most major
health insurance plans and serves everyone
regardless of their ability to pay, the language
they speak or their immigration history.
Kaushal Challa, CEO of CBWCHC, said
they’re particularly proud of the role that
they and other federally qualifi ed health
centers (FQHCs) play in fi lling a critical
gap in the response to the pandemic.
“We have administered more than
70,000 vaccine doses since 2020, with the
(From l. to r.) Dr. Hyoseong Nuna Kim, CBWCHC deputy chief medical offi cer, NYC Health Commissioner Dr. David Chokshi, CBWCHC CEO Kaushal Challa and
CBWCHC Chief Operations Offi cer and Executive Vice President Betty Cheng
vast majority to vulnerable, non-English
speaking people in under-resourced communities,”
Challa said. “We have seen too
many patients delaying their primary care
and, sadly, missing timely health screenings
for oft en preventable conditions like heart
disease, diabetes, hepatitis B and many
cancers. With supportive partners like
Dr. Chokshi and the NYC Department of
Health, we’re encouraging more New Yorkers
to schedule appointments with their
healthcare providers as soon as possible.”
Photo courtesy of the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center
Since the start of the pandemic,
the health center’s staff has provided
unprecedented culturally appropriate
education, safety and mental health services
to the community, and continues
to do so.
Elder Law Minute TM
Safeguarding one’s home from Medicaid recovery
BY RONALD A. FATOULLAH AND
JUNEL ABREU, ESQ.
When an individual receives Medicaid,
he or she is subject to estate recovery. In
other words, the state can recover benefi ts
it paid on behalf of the Medicaid recipient
from the individual’s estate. Commonly, a
Medicaid recipient’s largest asset is his or
her home. There are some strategic estate
planning tools that can be used to protect
one’s home.
One such tool is the creation of a life
estate. A life estate is joint ownership of
property between two or more people
for diff erent periods of time. The life estate
allows an individual known as the “life
tenant” the exclusive right to live on the
property for the rest of his or her life. The
other owner of the property is known as
the “remainderman”. The remainderman
cannot take possession until the end of the
life estate, which occurs upon the death of
the life tenant.
When the life tenant dies, the house
will avoid going through probate, and
ownership of the property will pass automatically
to the remainderman. Although
the property is not part of the individual’s
probate estate, it will be included in the
individual’s taxable estate. This means that
depending on the size of the estate and
the state’s estate tax limit, the property
may be subject to taxation. However, there
can be a reduction in tax on the capital
gains when the remainderman sells the
property. The remainderman will receive
a “step up” in the property’s basis.
Another commonly used estate planning
tool is the creation of an irrevocable
trust. This option requires that the house
be transferred into the irrevocable trust.
When the house is transferred, it cannot
be removed from the irrevocable trust. If
ELDER LAW
the house is sold, then the proceeds of the
sale must remain in the irrevocable trust.
Both estate planning tools (the life
estate and irrevocable trust) can trigger a
Medicaid ineligibility period of fi ve years.
A transfer penalty can occur if a life estate
is purchased in another home, but can be
avoided if the purchaser of the life estate
lives in the home for at least one year after
the purchase and pays an appropriate
amount for the life estate. Every strategic
estate planning tool has it benefi ts and
pitfalls. It is important to consult with a
knowledgeable estate planning attorney
to determine which tool best meets your
needs.
Ronald A. Fatoullah, Esq. is the founder of
Ronald Fatoullah & Associates, a law fi rm that
concentrates in elder law, estate planning, Medicaid
planning, guardianships, estate administration,
trusts, wills, and real estate. Junel Abreu, Esq. is an
attorney with the fi rm. The law fi rm can be reached
at 718-261-1700, 516-466-4422, or toll free at
1-877-ELDER-LAW or 1-877-ESTATES. Mr. Fatoullah
is also a partner with Brightside Advisors, a wealth
management fi rm with offi ces in New York and
Los Angeles.
This summary is not legal advice and does not
create any attorney-client relationship. This summary
does not provide a defi nitive legal opinion for
any factual situation. Before the fi rm can provide
legal advice or opinion to any person or entity, the
specifi c facts at issue must be reviewed by the fi rm.
Before an attorney-client relationship is formed, the
fi rm must have a signed engagement letter with
a client setting forth the Firm’s scope and terms
of representation.
health
RONALD FATOULLAH
ESQ, CELA*
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