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1 year ago
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Anyone who gifted assets within five years of applying for Medicaid may be subject to a penalty period, but that penalty can be reduced or eliminated if the assets are returned.
In order to be eligible for Medicaid, you cannot have recently transferred assets. Congress does not want you to mo... [read more]
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1 year ago
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When applying for Medicaid’s long-term care coverage, in addition to the strict income and asset limits, you must demonstrate that you need a level care typically provided in a nursing home.
Whether you are applying for nursing home coverage or through a Medicaid waiver program for coverage a... [read more]
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2 years ago
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When most of a couple's income is in the name of the spouse who is receiving Medicaid, the spouse remaining in the community may wonder what he or she will live on. Medicaid has created some protections for the community spouse.
Although Medicaid limits the assets that the spouse of a Medicai... [read more]
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2 years ago
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Medicaid long-term care benefits traditionally pay mainly for nursing home care, but the federal government can grant “waivers” to states allowing them to expand Medicaid to include home and community-based services. The downside is that receiving care in a nursing home is an entitlement, while ... [read more]
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2 years ago
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In order to be eligible for Medicaid benefits a nursing home resident may have no more than $2,000 in "countable" assets (the figure may be somewhat higher in some states). Note that Medicaid is a state-run program, so the rules are somewhat different in each state, although there are federal guidel... [read more]
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2 years ago
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Qualifying for Medicare hardly means free health care -- there are still premiums and deductibles. However, people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid (called “dual eligibility”) receive help paying their out-of-pocket costs.
Medicare is a federal program available to anyone 65 or olde... [read more]
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2 years ago
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To qualify for Medicaid coverage of long-term care, you must satisfy very complicated financial eligibility rules—rules that often can be traps for the unwary. One of the most significant traps is Medicaid's right to recover its expenses from your estate after you die – a practice known as “estate r... [read more]
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2 years ago
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President Biden has introduced a plan to spend $400 billion over eight years on home and community-based care for the elderly and people with disabilities. The money would go to expand access to care and support higher-paying caregiving jobs.
As the elderly population grows, our long-term car... [read more]
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2 years ago
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The one-year deadline for nursing home residents on Medicaid to spend down their first round of stimulus checks is here, but they may have a little extra time.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized $1,200 stimulu... [read more]
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2 years ago
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Medicaid planning can be a difficult and confusing process. The following are some common mistakes people make when planning to apply for Medicaid.
Thinking it's too late to plan. It's almost never too late to take planning steps, even after a senior has moved to a nursing home.
Giving... [read more]
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2 years ago
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Buying long-term care insurance is one way to protect against the high cost of long-term care. However, this type of insurance may not be for everyone, so consider all your options.
Long-term care – care in a nursing home or at home -- may be paid for in four main ways:
Out-of-pocket. If y... [read more]
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2 years ago
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In some circumstances, immediate annuities can be ideal Medicaid planning tools for spouses of nursing home residents. Careful planning is needed to make sure an annuity will work for you or your spouse.
An immediate annuity, in its simplest form, is a contract with an insurance company under... [read more]
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