The next planning committee meeting is scheduled for Noon on Friday, June 22, 2001 at the law offices of Jones Vargas, 100 West Liberty Street, 12^th Floor. You can either bring lunch or buy something from the Corner Café in the building to bring upstairs. Please contact Amy Tirre at 788-2209 for further information.

We have applied for and received one (1) CLE credit for the meeting held in January, 2001. We will keep you informed of other approvals as they become granted. If you have any questions, please contact Lori Story at 786-8000.

We plan to do a feature article on one of our members each month. If you are interested in being a feature member, or have someone in mind whom you feel deserves some recognition, please contact Gabrielle J. Carr at 688-1958.

Governor Guinn is seeking qualified candidates to serve as representatives of the citizens of our state. The Governor has requested my, Gabrielle Carr, assistance in providing recommendations for candidates to the approximately 250 termed appointments to the many boards and commissions which currently expire on or before July 15, 2001. If you are qualified, would like to recommend someone as a candidate, or if you would like a copy of the list of potential vacancies with the various boards and commissions, please contact Gabrielle Carr at 688-1958.

For those of you attending the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois on August 3-7, 2001, the following sets forth those meetings sponsored by the National Association of Women Lawyers. Go to www.abanet.org for more information.

Arabella Babb Mansfield Award Luncheon and Installation of Officers
11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

**Effect of Women on the Law – Part I - Views from the Bench

2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

**Effect of Women on the Law – Part II - A Discussion of Women Judges and Lawyers

3:45 PM to 5:00 PM

**Affirmative Action in Employment

9:30 AM to 11:30 AM

SEC Arbitrator Training

1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

SEC Arbitration Chairperson Training

1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

The NNWLA Membership Roster is finally complete. Some last minute additions have been made and we will provide the Roster at the June Luncheon. If you do not attend, we will mail your copy to you. If you are not a member and would like a copy, the cost is $5.00. Please contact Gabrielle Carr at 688-1958 for information.

The scholarship committee and NNWLA would like to the thank the following individuals for their donations to the NNWLA Scholarship Fund: Steven P. Brazelton, Gabrielle Carr, Jill Greiner, Nathalie Huynh, Lori Story, and Amy Tirre. You can make your tax-deductible contributions to assist a female law student with her law school expenses.

Our goal is to exceed the $1,000 scholarship award amounts that we have provided to women students for the past two years. The donation is supportive of women in our profession and truly appreciated. Please help support a future colleague. Contact Jill Greiner for more information at 322-8443.

Victoria Mendoza 324-7533

Amy Tirre, 788-2209

Jill Greiner, 322-8443

Nancy Moss Ghusn, 829-0543

LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE EXPENSES COULD
GOBBLE UP YOUR NEST EGG*

Most of us have known at least one person who has stayed in a nursing home or needed home health care. More people you know could end up in this situation in the future – even yourself. Half of all Americans will one day need long-term care and 40% of all individuals needing long-term care are under the age of 65. As people live longer, those odds will increase.

The financial consequences of long-term health care can have a significant impact on a family’s savings and lifestyle. According to National Underwriter (January 11, 1999), patients and their families currently pay about one-third of all long-term care expenses. Those accumulated expenses can use up a major part of your savings. For people who enter a nursing home, the financial outcome can be worse: the average cost of nursing home care today is $50,000 per year.

For many years, it was tradition for adult children to take care of parents during their "golden years." But changing times have brought an increase in dual career families, job insecurity, family mobility, and divorce. Today, many adult children are not even in a position to stay home and look after their own children, let alone an aging parent. Add the increasing uncertainty of health care benefits for senior citizens, and a giant question mark looms on the horizon. This is why it is essential for individuals nearing (or in) their retirement years to give consideration to the possibility of declining health and its potential financial repercussions.

Although Medicare provides health coverage for senior citizens, it is somewhat limited in the area of long-term care coverage. In 1977, Medicaid paid 12.3% of nursing home expenses. Medicaid, on the other hand, will cover the cost of long-term care, but there is one catch: to qualify, you must meet strict eligibility requirements.

Long-term care insurance can help pay for nursing home care, and a variety of home and community-based care services, including: physical, speech, and occupational therapists; home health aides and visiting nurses; adult day care, hospice care. Since several companies offer long-term care insurance with a variety of coverages and options available it is important to carefully research the subject. A variety of articles and books have been written on long-term care; check your local library or bookstore. In addition, community or government agencies dealing with issues facing senior citizens can sometimes provide general information. Also, you may be able to find a local seminar dealing with this topic.

No matter what your needs are, there are certain things to look for in long-term care insurance. Be sure that the company offering the policy is financially secure; research their ratings. (Most libraries have that information available from independent ratings agencies; otherwise, ask your agent.) Keep in mind that premiums will vary depending on age and benefits selected. Find the level of coverage that is affordable yet still offers the specific coverage most important to you. For example, if you are concerned about the possibility of being unable to independently care for yourself in the future, and you don’t feel comfortable having to rely on a stranger to do so, then make sure that your policy provides benefits allowing a paid friend or family member to come in and take care of you. Or, if you do not anticipate needing long-term health care for several years, you may want to take advantage of an inflation protection option. And, no matter what, you will want a policy that waives premiums while you are receiving nursing home benefits.

Long-term care insurance may not be for everybody, so if you are considering a policy, read it carefully. Ask for an outline of coverage that describes policy features. If you have questions, ask them. With the help of an informed agent, you will be able to make an educated decision. For information about long-term care insurance, please contact Carisse Gafni, or contact New York Life at www.newyorklife.com

Carisse can be reached at 775 325-2292 or at cmgafni@ft.newyorklife.com.

LAWYER IN THE LIBRARY: The Washoe County Law Library would like to thank the following attorneys for participating in the Lawyer in the Library program this past month: Karen Dickerson, Todd Torvinen, Jonathan King and Patricia Phair. They would also like to thank Patricia Phair for presenting a seminar on Bankruptcy. We could use some new attorneys for the summer months, please call Diane Swanson at Volunteer Lawyers (329-2727 Ext. 28) if you would like to volunteer.

M-Th 8 a.m. -- 9 p.m.

F 8 a.m. -- 5 p.m.

S-Sun 10 a.m. -- 5 p.m.

Tuesday July 3, 2001 Closed

Wednesday July 4, 2001 Closed

WESTLAW: The Washoe County Law Library recently renegotiated their contract with WESTLAW. For the past few years, they only had a government account but now all patrons may use Westlaw again. Many patrons still have deposit accounts and they may be used again to charge Westlaw use. You may want to update the list of those who may use your account. Please inquire at the library (328-3250) if you would like to open an account. If you have a deposit account for Westlaw, you will be billed once a month for use. Those without an account must pay by check or cash immediately after use.