GAO Report Criticizes Lax Oversight of Nursing Homes
APRIL 23, 2007 VOLUME 14, NUMBER 43 Individuals with disabilities, confused and vulnerable seniors and patients recovering from medical procedures often end up staying in nursing homes for weeks, months or years. Quality of care in those facilities is obviously important, and yet difficult to monitor. The good news: since most nursing homes accept Medicare […]
Personal Services Agreement Upheld As Payment for Value
APRIL 2, 2007 VOLUME 14, NUMBER 40 When Mary Brewton entered a Louisiana nursing home in January, 2003, her husband Marvin stayed in their family home. The value of the home was not considered in calculating her eligibility for Medicaid assistance with the nursing home costs, and so she qualified immediately. When her husband moved […]
Iowa Allows Medicaid Recovery Against Joint Tenancy Property
APRIL 10, 2006 VOLUME 13, NUMBER 41 As many states have become more aggressive about recovering the costs of Medicaid care from the estates of deceased beneficiaries, one issue has appeared to be insoluble. Federal law permits states to make a claim against property held in joint tenancy at the time of a Medicaid recipient’s […]
Wrong Advice From Eligibility Worker Leads to Loss of Home
APRIL 25, 2005 VOLUME 12, NUMBER 43 The Medicaid worker was helpful, seemed to understand the question and knew the answer. The applicant’s guardian/conservator asked the right question. Unfortunately, the worker’s answer was just plain wrong. When the guardian/conservator relied on that wrong information, he lost out—and lost the Medicaid recipient’s home after her death. […]
Fleming & Curti Offers Seminar For “Special Needs” Trustees
MARCH 1, 2004 VOLUME 11, NUMBER 35 When a recipient of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid benefits receives money, the benefits may be reduced or even terminated. That is why most parents of children with a disability should consider establishing a “special needs” trust to handle any inheritance or gifts. Making the decision to […]
Medicaid Beneficiary’s Alimony Payments Allowed to Continue
FEBRUARY 9, 2004 VOLUME 11, NUMBER 32 When someone in a nursing home qualifies for Medicaid, he or she will usually still have to pay a portion of the nursing home bill. In some cases this can mean that the resident must pay more than his or her income—or risk eviction from the nursing home. […]
Special Needs Trust Planning for Children With Disabilities
NOVEMBER 3, 2003 VOLUME 11, NUMBER 18 If your child has a disability you will have thought about what would happen on your death. Who will take care of your child? Who will pay for that care? Your estate plan can help address those concerns—and should probably include what most in the disability community call […]
Daughter Who Took Mother’s Money May Owe Nursing Bills
SEPTEMBER 15, 2003 VOLUME 11, NUMBER 11 Betty Budd spent the last years of her life at Presbyterian Medical Center, a nursing home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. When she died she owed $96,000 to the facility, and only had $28,000 left in her estate. After collecting that amount, the nursing home filed suit against Ms. Budd’s […]
Undocumented Aliens Receive Limited Medicaid Benefits
SEPTEMBER 1, 2003 VOLUME 11, NUMBER 9 Changes in federal Medicaid rules adopted in 1996 made most immigrants—including even legal permanent residents—ineligible for health care benefits. For immigrants in the country legitimately eligibility for Medicaid services is not available until they have been legal permanent residents for five years. Undocumented aliens, on the other hand, […]
Patient’s Daughter Has No Claim Against Nursing Home
JULY 21, 2003 VOLUME 11, NUMBER 3 Helen Hosta of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, was admitted to Century Oak Care Center in February 2001. Mrs. Hosta was unable to sign the Century Oak admission agreement, so her daughter, Roberta, signed for her. After Mrs. Hosta’s Medicare coverage ran out in March, 2001, her daughter Roberta and […]
