New Jersey COVID-19 MedComm Contains Big Announcements on Medicaid Terminations and Eligibility
An important new Medicaid Communication (MedComm) was recently issued by the New Jersey Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS). As we had previously discussed, due to the COVID-19 emergency, Medicaid has loosened certain eligibility and post-eligibility rules. The MedComm explains and reconfirms our understanding of the changes in these areas:
Terminations: If you were...
NJ Medicaid confirms that CARES payments won’t interrupt benefits
Previously we reported on concerns about whether the $1200 per person payments or the $600 unemployment enhancements that would be arriving via the CARES ACT would be counted as income or a resource which would affect the means-tested benefits being received under New Jersey’s Medicaid (NJ FamilyCare) programs. We’re happy to report that the Director of DMAHS has released a...
Applications for Medicaid/MLTSS are still being accepted at the County Boards of Social Services
Increasing numbers of frail elderly are trying to arrange for care in their houses or apartments because admission to nursing facilities is so problematic at this time. About one third of the state’s skilled nursing facilities are considered to be incapable of appropriately isolating COVID-19 patients, and have been barred from any new admissions. Of course, arranging for home care is...
Health Care Proxies and Advance Directives help Doctors in critical care of patients
The New Jersey Department of Health issued a comprehensive statement concerning triage and the care of COVID-19 patients in different kinds of licensed health care facilities. This is one among many directives issued in the past six weeks. Read the directive here: FinalAllocationPolicy4.11.20v2
As the patient is being treated, many decisions need to be made along the way, often in rapid-fire...
Special Needs Trusts continue to be Vital for People with Disabilities
The term “special needs trust” is used to refer to a trust that’s for benefit of a person with disabilities who depends on means-tested public benefits that have income limits or resource/asset limits. Sometimes these are “first party trusts” — created by the disabled person (over age 18) or his parent, grandparent, or guardian with court permission, or by a...
More requirements placed on skilled nursing facilities to address the pandemic, but some waivers as well
The State’s long-term care population are caught behind the proverbial rock and a hard place. Despite all efforts, COVID-19 has spread rampantly in the past 5 weeks through many if not most of the State’s long-term care facilities, as you have read in the newspapers and other media. The rules of the road keep changing and it can be hard to keep up with what’s been ordered by...
Update on Care and Emergency Directives Affecting Residents of Nursing Homes
Governor Murphy this week signed into law S2333/A3910, an Act granting civil immunities to health care workers and facilities for actions taken in good faith during the declared state of emergency. The act also waives certain professional licensing restrictions and requirements on health care personnel to quickly expand the health care work force in an effort to ease the traumatic staffing...
What do you Do if You Can’t find the Will?
What do you do if you can’t find the Will? Your loved one has passed away, you have pulled yourself through the mourning period, and now you are ready to tackle the estate. You remember that your loved one had a Will — maybe they kept mentioning it, or maybe you knew that they had signed it at their lawyer’s office at some point. You remember that they had told you they were...
Breaking News: Bill signed to allow remote notarizing using audio-visual technology
These trying times have spurred New Jersey to venture into new ways to get things done. The lock-down has made it difficult for individuals in hospitals or nursing facilities, or people quarantined in their homes due to recent exposure to COVID-19 — as well as many others — to get documents notarized. Along with Powers of Attorney, Deeds, new investment account paperwork, insurance...
Estate Administration: Probate is the first Step When there is a Will
A Last Will and Testament designates an Executor who has legal authority to handle the estate assets. The Will also specifies who receives what, and in what way; the language of the Will specifies if the share is to be put in a Trust or is to pass outright, and who will receive the share if the named beneficiary has died. If assets are jointly owned or if they have named beneficiaries, they...