Many teachers, firefighters, police officers and people who received a pension due to work not covered by Social Security may receive (or have received) a Social Security benefit increase pursuant to Social Security Fairness Act signed by former President Biden on January 5, 2025 which...
There are numerous Medicaid programs that require a pay-back of governmental benefits advanced after the death of the Medicaid recipient. This is most common is if the will of the deceased is probated or under the laws of intestacy (when the Medicaid recipient doesn’t have...
Applicants for long-term care and Star+ Medicaid must be below an income cap as one of the requirements for Medicaid eligibility. If the applicant’s income exceeds the income limit of $2,901 (as of January 1, 2025), the eligibility solution for this particular requirement is the...
The cost of long-term care is great (the average is around $7,500/month in Texas). As a result, many apply for long-term care Medicaid for governmental assistance to help pay for the facility and drugs. It is not unusual for us to receive calls after either...
“Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it” was stated in the book “Anne of Green Gables”. There can even be laughter at death as some of the following will provisions illustrate. There are also weird bequests some of which are...
The cost of long-term care is great (average is around $7,500/month in Texas). As a result, many apply for long-term care Medicaid for governmental assistance to help pay the facility and drugs. It is not unusual for us to receive calls after either a facility...
Applicants for long-term care and Star+ Medicaid must be below an income cap as one of the requirements for eligibility. If the applicant’s income exceeds the income limit of $2,829 (as of January 1, 2024), the eligibility solution for this particular requirement is the creation...
Applicants for long-term care and Star+ Medicaid must be below an income cap as one of the requirements for eligibility. If the applicant’s income exceeds the income limit of $2,742 (as of January 1, 2023), the eligibility solution for this particular requirement is the creation...
There are a variety of public benefits programs ranging from taking care of drug costs to long-term care costs to assistance for food and shelter. Although some public benefits programs such as Social Security Disability and Medicare are not “means-tested”, eligibility for most public benefits...
Applicants for long-term care and Star+ Medicaid must be below an income cap as one of the requirements for eligibility, the solution for this is the creation of a Qualified Income Trust (QIT) formerly known as a Miller Trust. The government recently announced the gross...
Even prior to the pandemic, most prefer to stay at home as long as possible if they should need long-term care. The increase in Covid variants has caused renewed and even greater interest for alternativesto care at long-term care facilities and the desire of many to stay at home due to safety concerns....
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but actress Anna Strasberg (who some say Monroe never met or only met once) received much more than that from the legendary actress – even though that was probably not Monroe’s intention. Monroe, who died in 1962, left her...
Facts: Potential Medicaid applicant for governmental assistance to help pay nursing home costs had limited amount of cash and monthly income and had given away money to a relative who spent the money gifted and could not give anything back. This success story is an illustration of how to...
Although “Miller” or “Qualified Income” Trusts have been around for over twenty years (this author has been doing them since first approved in Texas in 1994), it is often surprising how confusing this income trust is to many – including some banks. Several Medicaid programs...
Many Americans will soon be getting $1,200 stimulus checks (which are considered a tax rebate) if they are (1) of working age, (2) not an adult dependent and (3) their income is less than $75,000 ($150,000 if married). Smaller checks will be received by those...
Public benefits can range from payment of expensive drugs (no matter what age) to long-term care costs such as skilled nursing care. There are 40-50 Medicaid programs in Texas in addition to strictly federal public benefits programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security...
As many of you know, Texas is an income cap state in connection with long-term care (most commonly used for nursing home care) Medicaid eligibility. Presently, if an applicant for nursing home Medicaid has “countable” income (certain income is exempt or excluded) over $2,250 per...
As many of you know, Texas is an income cap state in connection with long-term care Medicaid eligibility. Presently, if an applicant for nursing home Medicaid has “countable” income (certain income is exempt or excluded) over $2,205 per month, then such applicant is ineligible for...
As an elder law attorney, it may be surprising to clients that many of our referrals come from estate planning attorneys since most have limited knowledge regarding public benefits. Many are shocked that there are over 40 Medicaid programs (each with their own rules) in...
As many of you know, Texas is an income cap state in connection with long-term care Medicaid eligibility. Presently, if an applicant for nursing home Medicaid has “countable” income (certain income is exempt or excluded) over $2,199 per month, then such applicant is ineligible for...
