Georgia Medicaid
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 MoreI want to look at the case we mentioned last week again: Sarah applied for Medicaid on behalf of her father, Don. Don owned a home that he placed in an irrevocable trust in 2014. When he first moved to the nursing home, he had about $85,000 in his checking account and a few certificates…
Read MoreOur office receives regular calls from families asking us to intervene in Medicaid cases that have been denied. Often times, family members are handed a copy of the Medicaid application from a social worker in a nursing home or the nursing home admissions director, so they think they should just fill out the application and…
Read MoreOver the last few months, we’ve addressed the top questions about nursing home Medicaid for couples. Today, let’s take a closer look at Medicaid rules for individuals by focusing on the income rules. Medicaid is a means-tested, government-provided health insurance benefit. It is the largest payer of nursing home care in Georgia. Most nursing home…
Read MoreEvery once in awhile we are asked about using divorce as a Medicaid planning tool. The reasoning goes that if the well spouse has over $120,900, that spouse may want to avoid spending those assets on nursing home care as well as the Medicaid Estate Recovery. A “Medicaid Divorce” could do just that. So should…
Read MoreMany have heard of the Medicaid Look Back, but few fully understand this aspect of Medicaid. When someone applies for Medicaid, they are asked about any gifts or transfers of assets for the 5 years (or 6o months) prior to applying for Medicaid. This is the government’s way of deterring people from purposefully impoverishing themselves…
Read MoreThe Aid and Attendance Benefit offered to wartime veterans is often used to pay for assisted living care or home care (https://hurleyeclaw.com/practice-areas/veterans-aid-attendance/). What if a couple is living in an assisted living community and receiving the VA Aid and Attendance Benefits when nursing home care is needed for the wartime veteran? In a situation like…
Read MoreThis whole month we have been exploring Nursing Home Medicaid eligibility questions for Married Couples. The Medicaid rules are confusing, and this is especially true for married couples. In recent blogs and newsletters, we have addressed income issues for married couples when one spouse is seeking Nursing Home Medicaid. Adding to the complexity, let’s consider…
Read MoreWe have mentioned that many nursing home residents pay their whole income, minus $50, to the nursing home leaving Medicaid to pay the remainder of the nursing home bill. In addition to the $50 personal needs allowance, Georgia allows its nursing home residents who are receiving Medicaid benefits to also pay certain bills out of…
Read MoreWe are continuing our series of newsletters and blogs on Nursing Home Medicaid for Married Couples. The eligibility rules for Medicaid can be confusing, and this is especially true if the person seeking Medicaid has a spouse. In today’s blog, we want to address how the QIT (the Qualified Income Trust, or Miller Trust) is…
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