The Medicaid application process for MLTSS services in nursing homes, assisted living facilities or in the community requires a tremendous amount of documentation. Numerous documents pertaining to personal status, income, and finances must be produced. Filing an incomplete application increases the risk of a denial. Failing to produce the required documentation frequently leads to denials, as the courts in New Jersey have held again and again that the responsibility to produce proof of eligibility rests with the applicant and not with the agency which is processing the application. Of course, the notice of what’s missing actually needs to be delivered to the person who is filing the application, but upon receipt, one must “jump” since the time given to reply is typically really short.
Two recent cases illustrate the problems that can be encountered from failure to present required verifications for a Medicaid application These are not “published” decisions, so they are not considered to be binding precedent on any other court. But they do illustrate the problems that can arise. In both cases, there was a failure to produce certain documentation, and the court concluded that the individual had the authority to obtain the records had they wanted to do so. One case is RP vs DMAHS 2018 and the other is G.C. vs DMAHS (birth certificate case).
There may be circumstances in which the person filing the application has no authority to get documents. There may be a need to apply for guardianship or to get a court order directing the release of certain records. These are situations in which the person should quickly consult with an elder law attorney to take necessary protective action. The important thing is that the person filing the applicant needs to act — to seek whatever legal remedies might be necessary rather than just throwing up his hands and doing nothing. The pace of denials for “failure to provide verification” seems to be escalating and there may be numerous legal issues in any given application that need an attorney’s attention.
Don’t despair! Call us for help & legal advice with the preparation and filing of your MLTSS Medicaid application ……… 732-382-6070