During lunch on this gorgeous fall day in an outdoor café, my
friend, who was widowed last year, told me that her daughter was receiving social
security until she finishes high school.
She was not aware of this benefit until another friend mentioned it to
her. Of all the professionals with whom
she was in contact as a result of the death of her husband, it was a friend who
told her she should apply to Social Security on behalf of her daughter who is
still a minor. Such important information. So create a note and leave it with your important
papers if you have children under age 18 or who are still in high school. Someone would need to apply for these benefits—the
government will not track your children down and offer them the benefits.
In some countries, organ donation is expected and one can “opt
out”. Here in the US, one has to “opt in”. And to receive insurance benefits of any
kind, one has to “opt in”. The
responsibility falls on the consumer in the US.
Make that responsibility more palatable by organizing your
important papers, having THE conversation with your family about your desires
for end of life care, and collecting information for your survivors that will
make their journey less difficult.
As always, if you have questions or comments, please email
me or leave them in the space below on the web version.
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