Medicaid Planning

I find that most people are already aware of the five year look back period that impacts Medicaid benefits to cover expenses for in-home care, assisted living, or nursing home care.  The Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) must be told about all transfers within five years of applying for benefits that were for

The Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) that processes applications for those who need assistance paying for assisted living or nursing home care has changed the treatment of promissory notes. Formerly, Medicaid-compliant promissory notes were non-countable assets that did not really impact eligibility for benefits.  But now, promissory notes are always going to be:

A Medicaid policy change that could impact many families is proposed to take effect on July 1, 2019.  Here is the scenario.  Mom and dad have three children.  One child has fallen on hard times and needs financial assistance to get back on his feet.  Mom and dad are on a fixed income and have

Years ago brokers, life insurance, and annuity sales people used to aggressively push Medicaid annuities claiming this product would protect your assets if you went to a nursing home.  In almost all cases, this wasn’t true and the State of Michigan took action to shut down this sales practice.  What is a Medicaid Annuity? A

Many people who require in-home care, assisted living, or nursing home care rely on Medicaid programs to help pay for their care when they do not have enough funds to pay for it on their own.  Historically, the Medicaid applicant’s home (if not in a revocable living trust), has been a non-countable/exempt asset for Medicaid

It is commonly understood that a single person or couple can keep their home and still be eligible for Medicaid benefits to help with the cost of assisted living or skilled nursing care. But what about your adult child’s home? It is not uncommon for a parent to help an adult child by giving them

The Probate Court has authority to enter orders to protect the families of individuals who need benefits to pay for their long term care. The Department of Health and Human Services that approves Medicaid applications is bound to adhere to the court order when it comes to income and asset eligibility limits. How can the

Financial assets have to be spent-down to a certain level in order to become eligible for Medicaid benefits to pay for skilled nursing. But with no funds left to pay the monthly care expenses the approval of the Medicaid application is very critical. Pre-planning with an elder law attorney can avoid these most common reasons