Unexpected Medicaid Estate Recovery Hiccup – Part 1
Medicaid's estate recovery law requires state Medicaid offices to attempt to recover paid benefits from the estates of Medicaid recipients after they die. New Jersey takes an expanded definition of estate, which includes probate assets (those passing by way of a will or otherwise thru the estate administration
2023 Medicaid Numbers
Last month in this blog I updated you on some of the new Social Security and Medicare numbers for 2023. The recently announced cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 8.7% has resulted in another big jump in benefits for the second year. Many other federal programs are tied to the
Medicaid Application Finish Line Shortened
In the past several years, especially since COVID, the Medicaid application process has become more lengthy and time consuming. More documents are now required in order to achieve Medicaid approval than ever before. The 16 page application is the easy part but I always tell people that you must have your ducks
Happily Married or Something Else? Part 1
Through the years we have had many clients who have been happily married for the second or third time. When it comes time to address a long term care crisis, however, navigating the long term care system and determining how to get the best care for the ill spouse while not
Longtime Partners but Never Married (Part 3)
In this 3rd post on longtime partners living together but never married, Bill needed long term care and Mary was concerned about how to pay for it and at the same time be able to afford her own living expenses. As I explained last week, the house they lived in and
Longtime Partners but Never Married (Part 2)
In my post last week I began to tell you about Bill and Mary. Partners for 50 years, they never actually tied the knot. Bill had a stroke and they are now faced with $14,000 per month in long term care expenses. The home they live in is owned by Bill. Mary is not
Medicaid When a Spouse Owns a Business – Part 2
In my blog post last week I wrote about a more frequent scenario we are seeing with married couple Medicaid applications. It’s one in which one or both spouses own a business from which they derive income. As I explained last week, Medicaid allows the healthy spouse to keep a certain amount
Medicaid When a Spouse Owns a Business – Part 1
If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that in the case of a married couple where only one spouse is applying for Medicaid, the healthy spouse, known as the community spouse, is entitled to keep a certain amount of countable assets. The assets of both spouses are
2022 Medicaid Numbers
Last month in this blog I updated you on some of the new Social Security and Medicare numbers for 2022. With a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 5.9% as a result of higher inflation, next year’s increase is the largest in some time. Many other federal programs are tied to the
On Credit Cards and Medicaid – Part 2
In last week’s post I told you about two calls I received regarding Medicaid. In each case the caller was concerned about how credit card charges on a Medicaid applicant’s card affects eligibility. A common misconception about Medicaid is that debts affect eligibility. Not true, at least in the sense that the State