Medicaid Rules

How to Fight a Nursing Home Discharge

Once a resident is settled in a nursing home, being told to leave can be very traumatic. Nursing homes are required to follow certain procedures...

Case Illustrates Need for a Formal Contract When Paying Relatives for Care

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

Medicaid Expansion Signups Hindered By Fear of Estate Recovery

A fear that the government will seize their house after they die is causing some people to not sign up for expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

Can an IRA Affect Medicaid Eligibility?

For many Medicaid applicants, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are one of their biggest assets.

What's the Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid in the Context of Long-Term Care?

Although their names are confusingly alike, Medicaid and Medicare are quite different programs.

Even Annual Exclusion Gifts Are Counted by Medicaid

Many people believe that if they give away an amount equal to the annual gift tax exclusion -- which is currently $15,000 to any one individual -- this gift will be exempted from Medicaid's five-year look-back at transfers that could...

What Happens to a Medicaid Recipient If the Community Spouse Dies First?

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.

Level of Assets That Spouses of Medicaid Recipients May Keep Rises for 2015

One of the most important protections for the spouses of Medicaid applicants is the "community spouse resource allowance" or CSRA, which changes each year. The CSRA for 2015 was just announced.