Every year the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit rate and Medicaid resource allowances are updated. For 2022, the federal benefit rate increased by 5.9%. There was no change in the SSI benefit rate. The SSI monthly benefit increased to $841. This means the Medicaid income cap increases to $2,523 of gross monthly income. The one-third […]
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H.R. 1717, known as the Protecting Married Seniors from Impoverishment Act of 2021, and a companion bill in the Senate (S.1099) would require States to extend Community Spouse Resource and Income allowances to couples needing in-home care. A temporary modification extending these protections was already in place through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. […]
What are people talking about when they say you have to “spend down” to become eligible for Medicaid? Well, it can describe two different things. Most of the time elder law attorneys are referring to to resource spend-down where the applicant is trying to get below the resource eligibiity threshold. But it can also refer […]
The spreadsheet included below can be used to help total your countable and exempt resources when evaluating your eligibility for public benefits like Medicaid.
Deeming Terminates After Eligibility Is Established. Four years later, the Duprees were back in Court. At the annual review on February 29, 2012, DFCS denied eligibility due to a failure to submit documentation. The documents were then submitted and eligibility was denied with DFCS alleging petitioner was over resourced. Petitioner had not acquired any new […]
Which Home is the Homeplace? Pernie Dupree entered a nursing home on September 11, 2009. Prior to her admission, she had lived with her husband at 1 Bragg Circle since 1949. The Bragg Circle property was valued at $45,411. After hs wife entered the nursing home, due to his declining health Mr. Dupree moved into his […]
Pooled Trust Subaccount Established for Individual Over 65yo. An 83 year old deposited $12,320 into a pooled trust in August 2008. In November 2008, he applied for Medicaid. His application was denied. The parties stipulated the trust complied with 42 USC 1396p(d)(4)(C), but the Department took the position a transfer penalty should be applied. The […]
Direct Transfer to Disabled Child; Previously Unknown Resource. Applications for Medicaid were filed on November 24, 2008 and January 8, 2009. The first application was denied for failure to provide documentation. The second was approved on April 16, 2009 with assessment of a penalty through 2009. The transfer was directly to a disabled child rather […]
Annuity; Transfer Penalty for Failing to Name State as Beneficiary. Petitioner, a 95 year old nursing home resident, applied for Medicaid on December 15, 2008. DFCS denied eligibility and imposed a transfer of resources penalty because she had purchased an annuity without naming the State of Georgia as a beneficiary. The annuity was irrevocable and […]
Single Premium Life Insurance Contract; Penalty Reversed. On November 5, 2008, Petitioner filed an application to purchase a Single Premium Pure Endowment Life Insurance Contract. She paid $89,500 for the policy which, in five years, would pay her children $91,327. The contract stated there was no cash surrender value and that no benefits would be […]
