Medicaid Planning
“Can’t I just put Mama’s assets in a trust and then apply for Medicaid?” We hear this question maybe weekly. Unfortunately for these families, qualifying for Medicaid is not that easy. Medicaid Asset Limits In Georgia, you cannot own more than $2,000 of countable assets to be eligible for nursing home Medicaid. For a thorough…
Read More This year, Georgia increased the amount of money that a nursing home resident receiving Medicaid benefits can keep from their monthly income. As you are aware, Medicaid is a means-tested health insurance program for those with limited income and assets (for a complete discussion on those limits, please click here). Medicaid’s Cost Share (or Patient…
Read More To qualify for nursing home Medicaid, applicants must show that they have a limited amount of countable assets. These rules can be very confusing, and most families worry that their loved one cannot qualify for Medicaid. Currently, Georgia residents must have less than $2,000 in countable assets in order to qualify for nursing home Medicaid.…
Read More Medicaid is a means-tested, government-provided health insurance benefit. It is the largest payer of nursing home care in Georgia. It is also commonly misunderstood. For instance, many people believe that they may have too much income for Medicaid. It is true that Georgia has an income cap. For 2018, that income cap is $2,250. This…
Read More The rules about home ownership and Medicaid often confuse families. Here are the basics: A person can own a home and qualify for Medicaid, BUT that home may be vulnerable to Estate Recovery after the person dies. In other words, a nursing home resident can own a home and still get Medicaid benefits. The home…
Read More I am still so surprised by how much misinformation there is about Medicaid’s Look Back Period. Is it 3 years? Is it 30 months? What exactly is the Medicaid Look Back Period? As we all know, Medicaid is a means-tested program that provides health insurance to those who qualify for it. That is, you…
Read More It is true that Medicaid is intended to be health insurance for the very poor. It is also true that Medicaid has become the default long-term care insurance payer for millions of middle class families. In the Metro Atlanta area, nursing home costs can run $10,000/month. With such high costs, it is no wonder that…
Read More For married couples, updating wills and beneficiary designations are important parts of Medicaid planning. Most of our clients have “I Love You” wills that leave everything to their spouse after their death. Likewise, their assets have their spouses as the Payable on Death Beneficiaries. This can be a huge issue if the spouse is receiving…
Read More There is a new push to change Georgia’s laws so that Medicaid dollars could also be used to pay for assisted living facilities. The Coalition of Advocates for Georgia’s Elderly (CO-AGE) has finalized their 2018 advocacy priorities, and this topic was selected as one of their 3 legislative issues for 2018. We all know…
Read More Medicaid’s rules for eligibility are complex and there are so many misunderstandings. Families often mistakenly believe that adding more account holders to the Medicaid applicant’s bank account will reduce their assets. We often hear things like this, “Well, I added myself to Momma’s checking account last year, so won’t Medicaid look at only ½ of…
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