From the category archives:

Transition to Nursing Home / Medicaid

FAQ: What happens when two spouses both enter the nursing home?

by Jerrold Bartholomew March 25, 2009

When both spouses of a married couple need nursing home care, the most immediate result is a catastrophic bill of $12,000.00 per month or more. Without the advice of an elder law attorney, the couple will continue to spend down assets until their assets reach just $4,000.00 in cash. Substantially better results can be achieved [...]

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Getting the most from veterans’ benefits

by Jerrold Bartholomew September 19, 2008

Many veterans are unaware of the Aid and Attendance Pension that is available to help them with their medical expenses, which include the cost of assisted living. Some veterans are simply unaware of this benefit. Others have been told that they do not qualify based on “having too much money.” It is important to understand [...]

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New changes to Medicaid eligibility rules

by Jerrold Bartholomew July 27, 2008

The Michigan Department of Human Services has enacted several changes to the Medicaid eligibility rules recently that impact qualification for long-term care Medicaid.
Perhaps the most important change relates to divested assets (gifts) and the calculation of penalty periods. Generally speaking, the gifting of assets results in a period of ineligibility for Medicaid long-term care. Under [...]

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Understanding Medicaid Planning

by Jerrold Bartholomew April 24, 2008

Sue Schiebel has written an excellent article on Medicaid Planning. While her article concerns MassHealth, which is the Massachusetts Medicaid program, the rules and ideas explained are the same in Michigan. She writes:
A lot of middle-aged people don’t realize Medicare, the federal health insurance program, pays for a very limited amount of skilled nursing home [...]

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Retirement Assets and Medicaid Planning

by Jerrold Bartholomew April 7, 2008

Retirement assets (401ks, IRAs, etc) are considered available assets for purposes of Medicaid qualification in Michigan. In simple terms, that means that those funds have to be spent down until the threshold for asset eligibility is met. In the case of a single person, asset eligibility is generally about $2,000.00, with some additional allowances for [...]

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Problems with Small Insurance Policies

by Jerrold Bartholomew March 21, 2008

Yesterday, I learned of a case where a small insurance policy caused an extended period of ineligibility for Long Term Care Medicaid. This means it will be a long time before the nursing home bill gets paid, if ever.

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Medicaid Application for Long Term Care Assistance

by Jerrold Bartholomew March 7, 2008

The process is of applying for Medicaid long term care assistance can be somewhat difficult. The documentation requirements can be voluminous and the process will typically take at least 45 days. I have seen several recent cases take as long 4 months to be approved.

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Rapid Changes in Medicaid Law Require Constant Vigilance

by Jerrold Bartholomew March 7, 2008

An astounding thing happened during the fall of 2007. Michigan changed its Medicaid policy with respect to annuities and implemented those changes with retroactive effect.
The new policy requires annuities to have several features in order to avoid being considered a divestment. Among the requirements is a rule that the state of Michigan must be named [...]

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Medicaid Applications Scrutinized More Than Ever

by Jerrold Bartholomew March 6, 2008

Under previous Medicaid policy, applicants for long term care were given the benefit of a doubt most of the time. In some cases, a demonstrated intent to complete asset conversion, which is the process of converting non-exempt assets into exempt or excluded assets and is the heart of Medicaid planning, would be enough to pass [...]

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Free Durable Power of Attorney

by Jerrold Bartholomew March 5, 2008

The durable power of attorney is an extremely valuable estate plan document. It allows one person to designate an agent to conduct all financial affairs. These documents are typically durable meaning that the power continues through the disability of the principal (the person naming an agent). Alternatively, there can be springing powers of attorney, which [...]

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