Medicaid Planning Strategies

Annuities can be valuable retirement and longevity planning tools, but they are complex financial products that can be misused. There are two kinds of annuities: deferred and immediate. Learn how they work.

A federal appeals court has ruled that Medicaid officials must accept applicants' short-term annuities, providing more certainty for Medicaid applicants' use of this important planning tool. ...

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling on marriage equality means that gay couples living in states that previously did not recognize their marriage will now be covered by Medicaid’s spousal impoverishment protections and asset transfer rules.  ...

When hiring a caregiver, it is important to put the contract in writing, especially if they're a relative. If you don't it can affect your Medicaid benefits. We explain the risks of failing to have a formal agreement.

In some states (called "income cap" states), Medicaid applicants who have excess income can qualify for Medicaid only if they put the excess in a special trust, called a "Miller" trust or a "Qualified Income Trust.

Medicaid 101

In order to qualify for Medicaid, a nursing home resident's income must not be above a certain level. ...

Medicaid 101

A recent Louisiana case shows the harmful impact on Medicaid eligibility that the lack of a written caregiving agreement can have.  ...

A new study by Boston College's Center for Retirement Research indicates that purchasing long-term care insurance makes financial sense for fewer individuals than was previously believed. ...

When one spouse is in a nursing home and applying for Medicaid, planning has to take into account the possibility that the spouse who is not in the nursing home (called the "community spouse") may pass away first.

Medicaid 101