How Do You Know if You are Getting Accurate Medicaid Information?
How many times have you contacted a government office to inquire about some benefit or program and told you are not eligible? Have you then left the office or hung up the phone accepting that what you have been told is true? What if that is just flat out wrong?
NFL Seat Licenses and Medicaid — Huh?
I met with a family with the following scenario. Dad needed nursing home care and the family had done no long term planning. We talked about how under Medicaid rules the coupleâs assets would be counted, divided in half and that Mom would be able to keep 50% of the
Is It Effective Medicaid Planning to Add Someone’s Name to Your Bank Account
Mrs. Jones came in to see me. Her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimerâs three years ago and the disease has progressed to the point where he needs long term nursing home care. At the time of the diagnosis she talked to some family friends and they told her to go
To Gift or Not to Gift
Joe calls me because he wants to understand how Medicaid works. I start to explain how you have to spend down your assets before you can qualify for benefits. That the spend down has to be for value, meaning that you are spending your money and receiving something of equal
The Right Way — And The Wrong Way — To Hire a Home Aide
As long term care needs increase and families want to keep their loved ones at home, hiring home health aides often becomes necessary. Paying an aide, however, if not done correctly, can cause Medicaid ineligibility years later, after funds run out. Consider the following very common scenario. Jane hires a home
Dad Owns a Home and Needs Nursing Home Care – What do I do?
A common scenario that I am seeing with increasing frequency is the following fact pattern. Dad owns a home but not much else. He needs nursing home care but canât get a mortgage to tap into the equity to pay for the care. The home is listed for sale but
Assisted Living Medicaid – Another Example of the Risks of Going it Alone
A few months ago I wrote about the difficulties qualifying for assisted living Medicaid. (See 3/23/09 blog post). Last year I wrote about the risks of trying to handle a Medicaid application yourself. (See 10/5/09 blog post). A recent case we handled in our office illustrates both issues. John had been
Spent Down? Not So Fast
Some months ago I wrote about the couple who, not understanding the peculiarities of the Medicaid rules, did not spend down in a timely manner and, as a result, lost six months of Medicaid eligibility. Even though the money was eventually spent those lost months could not be recovered and
A Medicaid Story That Starts Out Bad But Turns Out Just Fine
Last week I wrote about Dad who gifted a large sum to his children and within 6 months needed long term care. Because the money had been spent and could not be returned I had to explain to the daughter that Dad would not be eligible for Medicaid for 4
It’s Dad’s Money. He Can Do What He Wants With It – Right?
In February, 2006 Congress passed some significant changes to the Medicaid laws that created some very dangerous traps for unprepared families needing long term care. At the time I wrote about a case in which Granddad gifted his money to Granddaughter who moved in to care for him. When she