If your loved one is single and would like MassHealth to pay her nursing home bill, then the basic rules are these: (1) She medically requires nursing home level care, (2) she has no more than $2,000 in “countable” assets (that’s money in the bank, retirement accounts, life insurance, etc.), and (3) she has...
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Consider Using a Pooled Trust with MassHealth Nursing Home Planning
If a single person wants MassHealth assistance with paying for nursing home care, but has more than the $2,000 in assets that MassHealth will permit her to keep, one option is to transfer the excess assets to a pooled trust.
A pooled trust is a trust managed by a non-profit for the benefit of disabled...
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Testifying at the State House
Last week, I headed to the State House to once again testify on bills that could plug some holes in the MassHealth nursing home payment system and make things a bit easier for families caring for frail elders.
The shorthand for this bill is the "transfer of assets" bill. It comes down to...
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Is Your Spouse Moving to a Nursing Home? Are You Scared of Using up Your Savings on the Nursing Home Bill?
When one member of a couple needs nursing home care, and if you are asking MassHealth to assist with the monthly bill, then the healthy spouse at home may keep only $113,640 in liquid assets, in addition to her home. For a younger spouse with many years ahead of her, reducing her liquid assets...
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Heard in the Office: “I Don’t Want the Nursing Home to Take My House.”
I hear this a lot. Let’s be clear on the very basics. If you’ve watched friends go to a nursing home and “lose the house,” it’s not the nursing home forcing them to sell. Like all medical providers, nursing homes need to be paid.
Your Medicare and supplemental health insurance policy (ex. MediGap) will pay...
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Testifying at the State House
Earlier this summer, I made the big trek to Boston, all the way to the State House. (We are so lucky on the South Shore, we get to take a boat to Boston!) Along with some colleagues, I testified on some bills that we have before the legislature. “We” being the
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Looking at Continuing Care Retirement Communities? Look Closely.
There are a lot of benefits to Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC’s), also called “Buy-In’s.” These are the places where you put down a substantial sum (maybe $250,000 or more) as an entrance fee, and you plan to stay there for life – they have independent apartments, various levels of assisted living,...
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Single Elders Who Will Soon Need MassHealth Nursing Home: Act Fast to Set Aside a Cushion
To qualify for MassHealth to pay for nursing home care, a single elder can have only $2,000 in his name. A big problem with allowing such a small reserve fund is that MassHealth doesn't cover many needed services and medical items - like hearing aids, routine dental care, and eye glasses - and the...
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What Happens to My Special Needs Child’s Health Care Coverage When She Turns 18?
The idea of a special needs kid turning 18 can be scary – that is when she is legally an adult and things start to change. In another post I will address her legal decision-making power. This post looks at health care coverage.
If your child is on your private health insurance policy (i.e.,...
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MassHealth (Medicaid) Programs for Kids
Some children don’t have private health insurance coverage through their parents, as a matter of fact, lots of kids – one in four Massachusetts children is on MassHealth (Medicaid).
Applying for MassHealth is very confusing – there are several programs, they each have different enrollment criteria, and they provide different levels of coverage. Check out...
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