7 Legal and Financial Tips to Plan a Better Life with Parkinson's

The first concern for most people following a Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis is to get the right medical help. Next, many people begin planning for living their life with Parkinson’s ensuring that their legal, financial and insurance concerns are all in good shape.

While earning ability or other sources of cash flow may change, with planning and a better understanding of the rights and benefits you may newly qualify for, the Parkinson’s Foundation wants to make sure that our PD community feels empowered to utilize the systems in place.

1. Create a foundation for planning legal, financial and medical planning.
    
2. Create a long-range plan for health insurance.  Identify strategies for: protecting yourself against the risks of major medical bills, long-term disabilities and long-term care expenses.
    
3. If you or a loved one are a veteran living with Parkinson’s, learn about veterans benefits.
    
4. Estate planning is not only about a will. It’s about planning for life. Proper estate planning will protect you for many years. If you have religious beliefs that might affect medical decisions, be sure to address them in your documents. 
    
5. Medicare can be complicated to figure out on your own. There are many plans and features and it is difficult to compare them all. Fortunately, there are several resources that can help.
    
6. Parkinson’s may change your income and expenses. Whatever financial and investment plans you made prior to your diagnosis should be revisited. Develop a workable financial plan early, then revisit and revise it annually. 
    
7. Micrographia (smaller handwriting) is a common PD symptom. Have a lawyer prepare formal notarized affidavits that you sign throughout the day to document signature changes. This can help prove that your signature is real, even if it differs from other signatures on file.

Learn more in our Legal, Financial & Insurance section.