Do I Make Too Much Money for Medicaid?
You should start by talking to an estate planning attorney who can look at your assets and income and see what impact they will have on Medicaid eligibility.
Ethan Huizenga April 13, 2021
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How to: Plan for Spouse’s Medicaid
When a spouse enters a nursing home, the cost of care can be financially devastating. Many families are simply unable to afford long-term care without applying for Medicaid.
Ethan Huizenga February 3, 2021
In the News: Iowa’s Highest Court Rules Against Medicaid Applicant
Trusts can be a highly effective tool in nursing home planning. Certain types of trusts are effective even when a nursing home stay is imminent
Ethan Huizenga January 29, 2019
Watch Your Language: Trust
One of the most common questions I hear during our Mutual Interviews is, “Do I need a trust?” And the typical lawyer answer is, “It depends.” In order to answer that question, we need to start by defining what a trust actually is. [Read More]
Ethan Huizenga August 14, 2018
Watch Your Language: Snapshot Date
When you first submit a Medicaid application for nursing facility care (and Elderly Waiver, in Iowa), DHS takes a “snapshot” of your financial status as of the date you first moved into the nursing home. This is called the “snapshot date.” [Read More]
Ethan Huizenga August 7, 2018
Watch Your Language: Asset
In the Medicaid world, the term “asset” is used when discussing Medicaid’s transfer penalty rules. As a result, “asset” includes both income and resources. [Read More]
Ethan Huizenga July 31, 2018
Watch Your Language: Resource
The third test in the Medicaid application process considers whether the applicant has too many resources. But what is a resource?[Read More]
Ethan Huizenga October 18, 2016
Watch Your Language: D.R.A.
In 2005, Congress passed legislation which, among many, many other things, changed the way a Medicaid applicant’s resources and past transfers are considered. This bill is called the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and was signed by the President on February 8, 2006.[Read More]
Ethan Huizenga October 11, 2016
Watch Your Language: Income
The Medicaid definition of “income” comes from federal law and reads as follows: Income is “[a]nything a person receives either in cash or in kind that can be used to meet the person’s basic needs of food, clothing, or shelter.” [Read More]
Ethan Huizenga September 21, 2016
Watch Your Language: Attribution
Here’s how the Iowa Medicaid manual describes an attribution: “When one spouse enters a medical institution or applies for a home- and community-based services waiver, […] resources are attributed to the ‘community spouse’ to protect sufficient resources for the community spouse’s maintenance.” What does that mean in normal english? [Read More]
Ethan Huizenga September 13, 2016
