New Jersey Implements POLST
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services recently released a new option for patients to communicate their goals and wishes for treatment in end of life situations. POLST stands for Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. New Jersey is one of many states that has put POLST in place. The
Are VA Aid and Attendance Benefits Countable as Income by Medicaid? (Part 2)
Last week we were discussing the VA Aid and Attendance benefit and how it could “knock you off” some of New Jersey’s Medicaid programs - specifically the assisted living and home based programs – because some of the VA pension will be considered income for Medicaid purposes. That could cause
Are VA Aid and Attendance Benefits Countable as Income by Medicaid? (Part 1)
New Jersey has several Medicaid programs. Some have a strict income cap of $2130 per month of gross income as we saw last week with the assisted living program. In 2013, if you have more income than $2130 per month you won’t be eligible for these programs. So what counts
The Facility Said If I Pay for 2 Years then I’ll Get Medicaid (Part 2)
Last week we were discussing Carol, her mom and a very common disconnect we see when families speak with assisted living facilities. The facility explained it’s requirement that residents private pay for a certain period before being considered for one of it’s Medicaid slots. Carol heard something entirely different, that
The Facility Said If I Pay for 2 Years then I’ll Get Medicaid (Part 1)
It’s a statement we hear frequently when someone calls our office with the following scenario. Mom can no longer live at home alone so daughter, Carol, is exploring assisted living as an option. She tours an assisted living facility and has a conversation with the Community Relations Director. Carol asks
Dad and Aunt Living Together and Dad Needs Medicaid – Now What? (Part 2)
Last week we were discussing George’s dilemma. Dad needs nursing home care but owns the home that he and Aunt Harriet are living in. Is there a way for him to preserve the house for Harriet but avoid a New Jersey Medicaid lien and New Jersey Inheritance tax? The answer
Dad and Aunt Living Together and Dad Needs Medicaid – Now What? (Part 1)
George had been looking in on his dad and his Aunt Harriet for years. They had been living together for at least 20 years, ever since his mother died, when Dad moved into Harriet’s home. Now Dad was in rapidly declining health and would need nursing home care and Medicaid
How We Saved Brenda $30,000 and Got Her Granddad Medicaid (Part 2)
Last week we were talking about Brenda, who tried to apply for Medicaid for her grandfather, but ran into a snag. She provided the New Jersey Medicaid caseworker with 5 years of financial records and was told that Granddad still had to spend down another $30,000 from accounts that Brenda
How We Saved Brenda $30,000 and Got Her Granddad Medicaid (Part 1)
Brenda needed help. She had looked after her grandfather for years. When he needed nursing level care she found a nursing home nearby, arranged for him to be admitted and, as agent under his Power of Attorney, spent down his remaining assets. A dutiful granddaughter, she then scheduled an appointment
New Jersey Medicaid and VA Benefits – 2013 Numbers
Every year brings change, sometimes small sometimes big. Many of the government benefit programs that we, as elder law attorneys, work with frequently, such as New Jersey’s Medicaid program and the VA Aid and Attendance program, underwent slight changes as the clock turned to 2013. Let’s review them. Medicaid and VA