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...

One way for a gift to be exempted from reporting requirements, no matter the gift's size, is to pay for someone else's educational tuition. However, only payments directly to educational institutions qualify for the exemption to the gift tax filing requirements, so a...

If you are about to turn 70, congratulations on reaching a big milestone.  And if you also have delayed claiming Social Security retirement benefits up till now, you are joining a select group -- only 6.5 percent of Social Security recipients put off collecting their...

When a married couple applies for Medicaid, the Medicaid agency must analyze the couple’s income and assets as of a particular date to determine eligibility. The date that the agency chooses for this analysis is called the “snapshot” date and it can have a major...

For years people have been worried about Social Security’s future, but what is the actual outlook? According to the federal government, unless Congress acts to intervene, Social Security shortfalls are expected beginning in 2035. Social Security retirement benefits...

Making sure your end-of-life wishes are followed no matter where you happen to be is important. If you move to a different state or split your time between one or more states, you should make sure your advance directive is valid in all the states you frequent. An...

Whether you should prepare and file a Medicaid application by yourself or should hire help depends on answers to the following questions: How old is the applicant? How complicated is the applicant's financial situation? Are you concerned with the well spouse (i.e. the...