Funeral Expenses and Medicaid
Whenever I talk to a family whose loved one is close to spending down the required amount of assets to qualify for Medicaid, the topic of burial expenses comes up. Most people are aware that Medicaid permits setting aside funds to cover the burial but many are a bit fuzzy on
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
More Numbers of 2019
In my blog post last week, I disclosed some of the important numbers that change year to year with respect to the Medicaid and VA Aid and Attendance programs that we work to obtain for many of our clients. Here are the rest of the important numbers
Raising a Grandchild (Part 2)
In last week's post I focused on an increasingly common family arrangement in which -for several different reasons - grandparents who expected to retire and live a more leisurely lifestyle instead find themselves caring for their grandchildren. This often starts as a temporary solution but
Trumpcare – What Doe it Mean for Long Term Care? (Part 2)
Last week I was discussing the impact that the Republican party’s health care bill, dubbed by some “Trumpcare”, might have on long term care. As of Friday it appears that the American Health Care Act is dead and Obamacare, at least for now, is still with us. Nevertheless, let’s
Can Family Pay for Private Room When Loved One is Receiving Medicaid? #Medicaid
It’s a question that I’ve been asked numerous times over the years. It’s also one that has caused a lot of confusion. I’ve spoken with some nursing homes who have told me their belief that it violates Medicaid rules. That is incorrect. Here’s the scenario. Mom receives Medicaid, which
What Happens When You Don’t File for Medicaid When You Should (Part 2) #Medicaid
Last week I was telling you about the call I received from Shelly. Her mom was sued by the nursing home where her husband resided for the last 4 months of his life. She failed to file a Medicaid application which would have covered the cost of that care.
Nursing Home Resident with Personal Injury Claim #Medicaid
A personal injury attorney called me recently for assistance. Melissa had settled a claim for damages resulting from the negligence of a nursing facility in which her client, Mary had been living. Mary’s net settlement after paying her legal fees and the costs of the lawsuit is approximately $100,000.
Why Won’t the Government Cover My Care?
It’s a comment we get frequently when someone calls our office just after getting sticker shock at the cost of their loved one’s long term care. Some get angry upon hearing that, if they have assets but no long term care insurance coverage, they’ll need to use their own
Planning Before the First Spouse Dies (Part 2)
Last week I was telling you about Mary’s call. Her mom is in a nursing home paying $11,000 per month and her sister, Terry is in a group home. Mary doesn’t want to spend down all of Mom’s assets towards her care. She wants to be able to save