Is the Stimulus Payment Counted by Medicaid
Last week I gave you an overview of the CARES Act and specifically how it affects seniors. A few days later people began to receive their $1200 stimulus payments directly deposited into their bank accounts, the part of the aid package that gives a one time payment to anyone who had $75,000 or less
CARES Act – An Overview for Seniors and Their Families
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was passed by Congress and signed by President Trump last month. It is a $2 trillion aid package with a lot to it. Because of the speed with which it was written and passed, there is much confusion about what’s
Should I Move My Loved One?
As the current Covid-19 pandemic continues and experts predict that the peak in the number of new cases is expected to be reached sometime this month we have been taking calls from family members who want to know whether they should consider moving their loved one to another facility or to their own home.
Document Signing During Covid-19 Crisis
As of this writing we are in the midst of a pandemic the likes of which none of us living today has ever experienced. Historians tell us that the Spanish Flu epidemic from 1918 to 1919 comes the closest. Government shutdown of nonessential businesses has caused widespread disruptions and affected people and businesses in
Problems When Renewing Medicaid – Part 1
I have written a few times about the problem of keeping Medicaid once you have been approved. There are a number of rules and regulations that – if violated – could cause the loss of benefits. A recent case in our office illustrates another way that we haven’t previously experienced. We applied for Medicaid for
Thoughts on the Coronavirus
With the spread of the Coronavirus (named COVID-19) in the news and changing seemingly by the minute I decided to devote this week’s post to the topic. People are understandably nervous. It can seem impossible at times to sort through the information, especially when one government official says one thing but then almost immediately
What to do if a Bank Refuses to Honor Your Power of Attorney
2 years ago I wrote about bank and other financial institutions' resistance to powers of attorney (POAs). Since then we have seen an increase in frequency of these issues so it bears revisiting some of the common problems and solutions. When we draft POAs for clients we tell them to
What the 2020 Candidates are Saying About Social Security – Part 2
Last week I posted about the future of Social Security and what is being said in this 2020 election year. President Trump’s comments have been ambiguous as far as whether he would cut or protect Social Security, although his recent budget proposal includes cuts of $72 billion to the Social Security Disability program. This
What 2020 Candidates are Saying About Social Security (Part 1)
This being an election year there is talk again about what the candidates propose to do about the Social Security program which most recent projections suggest will run out of money by 2035. The Medicare program projections are more dire, with that program now expected to be insolvent by 2026 which is 3 years earlier
Married Couple Medicaid Redetermination Challenges – Part 2
Last week I started talking about Medicaid’s redetermination process. Pretty much every county Medicaid office is now sending out annual redetermination notices. As I said last week, married couple cases can be especially tricky. That’s because even after Medicaid is approved, the healthy spouse must keep certain rules in mind. Let’s first review some of the