True or False? try this New Jersey Medicaid Quiz
Test your knowledge about nursing homes and the Medicaid-MLTSS program that pays for nursing home care, assisted living and part-time home care.
Does a person’s monthly income have to be less than $2,313 (2,349 in 2020) to apply for Medicaid-MLTSS?
Will the State take one-half the house if a married person moves into a nursing home?
Does a married person have to sign over or pay...
New 2020 NJ Medicaid numbers just released
The NJ Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) has just released Medicaid Communication #20-01 which provides the new numbers that are relevant to applications for Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) benefits. 20-01_Medicaid_Only_Standards MLTSS pays for nursing home care (skilled nursing facilities), Assisted Living Facilities and part-time home care...
Ways that the NJ Ombudsman can be helpful in nursing home problems
New Jersey has a state-level Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO), previously known as the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly whose mission is to protect the rights of individuals who reside in facility settings which are nursing homes (skilled nursing facilities), assisted living facilities, group homes and continuing care retirement communities. Each of these facilities is highly...
Update on Irrevocable Funeral Trusts and Medicaid Eligibility
Earlier this year I wrote about problems that are cropping up for Medicaid applicants who purchased irrevocable funeral trusts. The problem is that certain County Boards of Social Services were/are counting some of the dollars in the irrevocable funeral trust as if they are available resources (assets). The theory was that the items are ‘for the living,” and not “for the...
Planning for Later
A long-term client of mine called to tell me that he had just learned that he had a terminal illness – it was a medical problem that appeared suddenly appeared. He was about 70 and his wife about the same. Their children were self-supporting adults, out of the house. Both he and his wife were retired – he was collecting Social Security and a pension. He had always handled the...
Long Term Care Insurance — It’s All about the Contract
If you purchased a long-term care insurance policy, (LTCI) make sure you keep that contract and the annual update notices in a safe, accessible place and that you let your important persons know where they can find these papers. When it comes time that hands-on care, supervision and cueing are required, it will be necessary to scrutinize the contract to see just what conditions must be met to...
After the Wedding Bells Have Rung Again, Update your Estate Plan
It is surprising how often we hear of situations in which a person passed away unexpectedly or had a catastrophic accident or stroke, and various family members or good friends start trying to find out information or even start trying to gain access to assets without any authority to do so. Oftentimes, energy is fruitlessly spent before legal advice is obtained. Sometimes, tremendous fights...
Sometimes, Arbitration Clauses in Nursing Home Contracts aren’t Enforceable
It’s very common for nursing home and assisted living contracts to contain a section in which the applicant is asked to consent to arbitrate any dispute with the facility. By consenting to arbitration, the individual waives his or her right to file suit for damages or breach of contract, or other matters, in the court system. Lately, those contracts frequently have a statement that...
LifeTown: a special downtown for individuals with special needs
An innovative community service for people with special needs was recently opened in Essex County called “LifeTown: The Jerry Gottesman Center” in Livingston. It’s like a mini-mall filled with shops such as a pet store, a book store, a bank, a movie theater and a food market, as well as recreational venues including a music studio, basketball court and more. Evidently...
Continuous residence in USA not prerequisite for Medicaid eligibility for previously-qualified alien
One of the threshold eligibility requirements for Medicaid has to do with legal status. N.J.S.A. 30:4D-3(q)(1)(a). If a person is an alien (non-citizen) with the status of a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) (“green card holder”) who was present in the United States prior to August 22, 1996, s/he is eligible to apply for Medicaid (and receive “full Medicaid benefits” if...