For over 40 years, advocates, policy makers, and others have relied on NHeLP to ensure that the Medicaid program is implemented as the law intends and that eligible low-income people can access the services that Medicaid provides. The recently updated Advocate's Guide to the Medicaid Program (Guide) is the leading reference on Medicaid for a quick, convenient way to understand the program. The Guide covers all of the major developments in Medicaid law over the past year and a half, including new guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Supreme Court's decision upholding the Affordable Care…
IMPORTANT UPCOMING WORKSHOP REVEALS One of the biggest fears that many people have today is the fear of having their life savings wiped out if they end up in a nursing home. What a shame to see someone’s life savings of 30, 40, or 50 years wiped out in a matter of months. Whether you or a family member is in a crisis or not, it is important that you understand what you can do to protect your hard earned assets! Most of the public does not yet realize that the laws on asset protection and long-term care planning has…
A new poll finds that only a quarter of Americans think that it is very likely that they will personally need assistance caring for themselves as they age. Thirty-seven percent of those surveyed mistakenly believed that Medicare will pay for a nursing home and approximately 60 percent underestimated the cost of a nursing home. Read more details on the survey.
The House and the Senate introduced legislation that would allow time spent in a hospital under “observation status” to count toward the requisite three-day hospital stay for Medicare coverage of skilled nursing care. Reforming “observation status” is an important public policy priority. Ask your Senator to support “observation status” reform.
As we age we face unique financial and legal issues, including Asset Protection, Medicaid, and Estate Planning. The time to act is NOW! With proper planning, you will insure that things will be handled according to you wishes, and to protect your loved one’s financial security. Imagine the peace of mind you will have when you stop reacting to your situation and start putting into place a positive action plan which will allow you to protect yourself and your loved ones. Come to a FREE Workshop on asset protection and planning at Dutchs Daughter, Frederick, Maryland on April 23, 2013…
Medicaid is an important source of coverage for people with disabilities, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) makes several changes to Medicaid eligibility and enrollment rules, effective January 1, 2014, that impact this population. This issue paper provides a short summary of Medicaid eligibility and benefits for people with disabilities today and explains how these issues will be affected by health reform in light of CMS’s new regulations. Provisions of the new Exchange regulations are discussed briefly to the extent that they relate to Medicaid eligibility determinations for people with disabilities.
State funding and investment for mental health services have significantly decreased in recent years, even as demand for these services has increased. But there may be a glimmer of hope for advocates of expanded access to mental health coverage. In participating states, the upcoming Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act will increase both the number of eligible enrollees and the list of treatments and services covered, including mental health coverage. Both the Medicaid expansion and the establishment of health insurance exchanges are scheduled to roll out Jan. 1, 2014. The federal government will pick up all the costs for…
While Medicare gets most of the news coverage, Medicaid still remains a bit of mystery to many people. The fact is that Medicaid is the largest source for funding nursing home care, but there are many myths about exactly who qualifies for it and what coverage it provides. Here are five myths followed by the real story. Medicare will cover my nursing home expenses. Medicare's coverage of nursing home care is quite limited. Medicare covers only up to 100 days of "skilled nursing care" per illness. To qualify, you must enter a Medicare-approved "skilled nursing facility" or nursing home within…
Seniors dealing with rapidly rising personal medical and nursing home expenses are often dismayed to discover that even modest asset levels may make them ineligible for Medicaid i.e $2,500. Faced with the possibility of spending all their money on health care and leaving nothing for their heirs, they might be tempted to transfer everything they own to their heirs at once, qualify for Medicaid, and move into a nursing home states Forbes. Medicaid’s “look-back” and “transfer penalty” rules are intended to keep Medicaid spending under control by preventing or minimizing asset transfers having the sole purpose of allowing one to…
When a widowed or single individual seeks Medicaid benefits, Medicaid requires that they spend their available assets down to $2,500.00 before receiving such benefits. If a person enters a nursing home without a reasonable expectation to return to their primary residence, Medicaid will expect them to sell their residence to pay for nursing home care. Medicaid examines all gifts made within five years of a person applying for the program. As a result, if a senior tried to transfer a home outright to their loved ones before entering a nursing home they may be subject to a penalty period for…
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