Transfer Penalty Traps and NJ Medicaid Applications
Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) is the government program that pays for nursing home care and long-term care in other settings for people who meet the stringent financial requirements. The application is filed once the non-excluded resources (assets) are below the specified levels. Along with the application form itself, the applicant must supply numerous documents as proof...
The 2022 “Medicaid Numbers” you need to know in New Jersey
The NJ Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) has released Medicaid Communication #22-01 which provides the new numbers that are relevant to applications for Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) benefits. 22-01_Income_and_Resource_Standards_for_Medicaid_Only (1) MLTSS pays for nursing home care (skilled nursing facilities), Assisted Living Facilities and...
Avoiding the Risk of Medicaid Liens
Individuals who receive Medicaid to pay for nursing home care, assisted living or in-home care must meet stringent financial requirements. The non-excluded or inaccessible resources cannot exceed $2,000 at the time of application, and as of the first day of each successive calendar month, must be below that limit in order to maintain eligibility. What resources are “excluded” or...
“Have you Talked to an Elder Law Attorney yet?”
The world can feel like a confusing, tangled mess when a loved one has dementia and needs to be discharged from a hospital with a major care plan in place. There are so many options, and hospital staff are in a huge hurry the minute the doctor signs the order clearing the patient for discharge. Staff speak in “shorthand,” using code words or acronyms that the patient’s family may not...
Spring Cleaning Time
IT’S SPRING CLEANING TIME! DUST OFF YOUR OLD ESTATE PLAN
Spring time is when people often take a look around and start freshening things up. Home repairs, paint jobs, new furniture, new clothes, maybe a different haircut…… there’s something about seeing the new buds on trees and the blooming daffodils that gets us thinking this way.
It’s the perfect time to pull out your old estate plan...
Do you know where your Estate Plan is?
The building blocks of an estate plan are the Last Will & Testament, financial power of attorney, medical power of attorney, and various kinds of Trusts. Based on a client’s instructions, the attorney typically creates drafts for the client’s review and approval. Once the client and attorney are in sync about all of the provisions...
Good Reasons to Hire an Elder Law Attorney before a Nursing Home Placement is Made
The following story will illustrate why you should call an elder law attorney before a nursing home placement is made to try and avoid what happened to my client who I will call “Mary.”
Careful Consideration Should Go into Making Decisions Regarding Nursing Home Placement
If you need to select a nursing home for a loved one, there are several factors you should take into consideration.
Ways to Show that you Love your Family
A few years ago, my husband and I sat down with all of our children and their spouses for a family meeting. I started with, “Our plan is to live forever. But just in case ………” and we proceeded to tell them about our new estate plan, who would have which responsibility, where important data is kept, who takes care of things for us, who our doctors are, and who to...
What to do when a Medicaid Application is wrongfully denied
The process to apply for MLTSS/Medicaid to pay for in-home care, nursing home care and assisted living is grueling. There’s no denying that. Producing all the records to the County Board of Social Services, and explaining every single financial transaction that occurred during the 60 month look-back period, can be brutally difficult, if not downright impossible. As you can imagine,...