If you have a loved one with disabilities, you may be familiar with ABLE accounts, authorized by Congress in 2014 under the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act. States can offer ABLE accounts to help people who become disabled before… Read More
What’s Involved with Medicaid Planning? Is it Complex?
Is Medicaid planning complex? Sometimes, Medicaid planning can be easy. An example might be when there is a need for a Qualified Income Trust, for a nursing home resident who has spent down their assets to practically zero, and whose… Read More
Medicaid Planning, and Qualified Income Trusts, Are the Practice of Law
Frequently, we are asked whether the client can engage in Medicaid planning and the preparation of a qualified income trust, or Miller Trust, on their own. The short answer is that “yes” a person can do their own Medicaid planning… Read More
Long Term Care and Nursing Home Facts for Florida
Interesting Facts About Long Term Care In Florida Florida nursing homes are serving increasingly diverse patient base and providing a greater variety of acute care, rehabilitative and convalescent services that cannot be delivered elsewhere. Key Facts There are 683 licensed… Read More
Four Reasons Why Giving Your Home to Your Children Isn’t the Best Way to Protect It From Medicaid
You may be afraid of losing your house to the nursing home, the State, or otherwise, if you must enter a nursing home and apply for Medicaid benefits to pay for the nursing home. While this fear may be well-founded… Read More
What Financial Protections Are Available for My Spouse When I Enter a Nursing Home and Receive Medicaid Benefits?
Often our clients seeking Medicaid benefits to help pay for nursing home care, or other long term care, are concerned about financial protections available to the stay at home spouse. They want to know how many assets or how much… Read More
National Long-Term Care Spending Hits All-Time High at $163 Billion
Americans spent nearly $163 billion for long-term care in skilled nursing facilities and continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) in 2016, according to a recent U.S. Government report. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ National Health Care Spending report for… Read More
Don’t Let Health Care Providers Use the Improvement Standard to Deny Medicare Coverage
Have you or a loved one been denied Medicare-covered services because you’re “not improving” or “not making progress”? Many health care providers are still not aware that Medicare is required to cover skilled nursing and home care even if a… Read More
Use of Immediate Annuities in Medicaid Planning for Married Couples
Immediate annuities can be a useful tool to protect the spouse of a nursing home resident who applies for Medicaid. These types of annuities allow the nursing home resident to spend down assets and give the spouse a guaranteed income.… Read More
Nursing Homes Cannot Discharge a Resident for Nonpayment if Medicaid Pending
New Medicare rules designed to give nursing home residents more control of their care are being phased into effect. The rules give nursing home residents more options regarding meals and visitation as well as make changes to discharge and grievance procedures.… Read More