Qualifying for Medicare hardly means free health care -- there are still premiums and deductibles. However, people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid (called “dual eligibility”) receive help paying their out-of-pocket costs. Medicare is a federal program...

ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) accounts offer people with disabilities a great, tax-free way to accumulate money without jeopardizing their qualifications for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other means-tested programs. Withdrawals are tax-free as...

In an alarming number of instances, private Medicare Advantage plans are denying coverage for medical services that would be covered under original Medicare, according to a federal investigation.  These denials are likely preventing or delaying medically necessary...

Yes. A revocable trust for both tax and Medicaid purposes is treated as if the property it holds is in the name of the grantor, which means the assets in the trust can put an applicant over the Medicaid asset limit. If you make the trust irrevocable, Medicaid will...

Sports fans with season tickets may want their families to enjoy the tickets after they are gone, but passing on these tickets may not be simple. Getting season tickets to your favorite sport is not always an easy task. Season tickets for some teams can cost a lot of...

The maximum amount that can be contributed each year to an ABLE account for a person with disabilities rose $1,000 to $16,000 on January 1, 2022.  The figure, which is tied to the inflation-adjusted value of the IRS’s gift tax exclusion, had been stuck at $15,000...

For many Medicaid applicants, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are one of their biggest assets. If you do not plan properly, IRAs can count as an available asset and affect Medicaid eligibility. Medicaid applicants can have only a small amount of assets in order...

It depends on the state. Some states don’t exempt IRAs even when they are in payout status, so the IRA will have to be spent down before qualifying for Medicaid benefits. But for those states that exempt IRAs, the question is whether the state’s estate recovery rules...

If you apply for long-term care assistance through Medicaid and your application is denied, it may feel hopeless. The good news is that you can appeal the decision. Medicaid is a program for low-income individuals, so it has strict income and asset eligibility...

A Minnesota appeals court holds that a lower court did not have subject matter jurisdiction over a case, brought by the trustee of a trust who was arguing the state had no right to recover Medicaid benefits, because the trustee did not exhaust his administrative...

Once someone enters a nursing home, even for a temporary rehabilitative stay, it isn't always easy to move out again - especially for those receiving Medicaid benefits to pay for care. While some residents may prefer nursing home care to living on their own, others...

If you have Medicare, you can now receive up to eight free rapid at-home Covid-19 tests a month at participating pharmacies. The free tests are available without a prescription to all Medicare beneficiaries with Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage...

The Second Circuit rules that a district court does not have to abstain from hearing a challenge to a state court’s validation of a lien on a Medicaid recipient’s share of his grandmother’s estate. Cavanaugh v. Geballe (2nd Cir., No. 21-571-cv, March 17, 2022). Brian...

While declining COVID-19 cases are good news, the end of the pandemic could mean millions of Medicaid recipients, including millions of children, will lose their coverage. Federal law has prevented states from terminating Medicaid benefits while the coronavirus health...

You are right; the Social Security Administration does not honor durable powers of attorney. Powers of attorney are created under state law and are not necessarily binding on federal agencies. A representative payee manages benefit payments for beneficiaries who are...