Medicaid

Planning A Must Have you priced nursing homes lately?  In Texas, you are looking at an average annual cost of $50,000.  And we are on the low end; nationally, the average annual cost is closer to $75,000.  New Jersey costs a whopping $109,500 annually.   Who the heck can afford that?    Hello Medicaid.     Medicaid provides several programs that are funded through a state-federal agreement.  One of the programs provides long-term nursing home care benefits...

Paying For Long Term Care Through Medicaid and VA Pensions There are two primary public benefits programs that can help pay for nursing home or long-term care:  VA Pension and Medicaid (there is another VA program for veterans with a service-connected disability).  Both programs have strict requirements for qualification and they are, to put it mildly, complicated. What is a VA Pension and How Is A Veteran Eligible? VA Pension is a federal...

Many families are blessed with a child (or adult) who happens to have a disability. There is obviously some concern regarding that loved one’s care and standard of living once a parent or other caregiver is no longer able to provide for them. SSI and Medicaid Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid can help, but they are limited and require the disabled person to have very depressed levels of assets and...

Medicaid is a government program that pays for nursing home care. The recipient (often elderly) must have limited income and assets to qualify for the benefit. Planning and applying for Medicaid can be complicated. Thus, a cottage industry of “Medicaid planners” has sprung up.   And that is where the difficulty arises. A lawyer can legally advertise and charge for Medicaid planning services. For everyone else, it’s a crime.   There is...

Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that is best known for funding nursing home care for “impoverished” seniors. Let’s focus for a moment on the “impoverished” part. To be eligible for Medicaid, a senior can have only limited assets - but some assets are excluded from the calculation.  The government will look back at 5 years’ worth of transactions in determining if the senior is truly qualified.  If the government...

The issues that most frequently arise concerning eligibility for medicaid are income and resources(assets). Medicaid considers only the income of the person who is seeking medicaid based on the name on the check rule.  In 2012 the income limit is $2,094 per month.  For someone who has income in excess of this limit, a Qualified Income Trust(Miller Trust) will allow the applicant to still meet the eligibility requirements as far...

First, the simple definition. Children with special needs - medical or developmental problems - often qualify for government or private aid.    Most programs have a limit on the assets or income available to the child.  The goal of a Special Needs Trust is to make funds available to the children without disqualifying them from that aid. See if you recognize any of these major programs where  a Texas Special Needs Trust...

Medicaid Planning can be challenging.