Some 2021 numbers are now published for New Jersey Medicaid’s MLTSS program. These apply to people who are applying for benefits under the MLTSS/ Medicaid program for long-term care services. These numbers relate to the resource limit for a married applicant and spouse, the income “cap” that would trigger a need to set up a Qualified Income Trust, the Personal Needs Allowance or “PNA,” and room and board contribution obligations. Here’s the State’s Communication, called Med-Com No. 21-01. These figures are effective as of January 1, 2021.2021 MLTSS numbers
The PNA is the portion of an applicant’s income that s/he can retain and use for personal needs. For a person receiving MLTSS benefits in a home setting, the 2021 PNA number is now $2,382. In Assisted Living Residence and other non-nursing home congregate residences, the PNA will be $117.75. The PNA in a nursing home is unchanged and remains $50.00.
The Community Spouse Resource Allowance or CSRA is the amount of non-excluded resources the community spouse can have as of the date for which eligibility is sought. The CSRA is half of the resources that the couple had when the applicant was institutionalized or was approved for home care benefits, but there is a floor and a ceiling for this share. The 2021 floor number is now $26,076.00 and the 2021 ceiling number has been increased to $130,380.
Finally, the required monthly room and board contribution for Assisted Living Residence and other non-nursing home congregate residences in 2021 is $826.30.
These are hard and fast limits and anyone who plans to apply for MLTSS needs to examine every aspect of their financial circumstances to create a “Medicaid Plan” that can work within these limits.
Call us for advice first if you are thinking about applying for MLTSS …. 732-382-6070