When it comes to planning for long-term care, understanding the differences between MassHealth (Medicaid) and Medicare, as well as knowing which services are covered by each program is essential. At Surprenant & Beneski, P.C., a well-respected estate planning law practice serving clients throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, we are committed to providing you with...
Reasons Medicaid/MassHealth Applications get Denied
When you require the long-term care that Medicaid (known as MassHealth in Massachusetts) provides, it can literally be a lifesaver. Unfortunately, a significant percentage of claims for these services are denied which is especially disheartening when your health or the health of a loved one is on the line.
Exempt Assets and Countable Assets: What Can you Keep and What is at Risk?
To qualify for Medicaid, applicants must pass fairly strict tests on the amount of assets they can keep. To understand how Medicaid works, we first need to review what are known as exempt (non-countable) and non-exempt (countable) assets.
Exempt assets are those which Medicaid will not take into account...
Life Estate Deeds vs. Irrevocable Trusts for Medicaid Protection
Written By: Attorney Rebecca S. Spinner, Esq.
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Many of the people we meet with come in looking to get help protecting their assets from the costs of long-term care. For most people, their home is their largest asset and the property they most wish to pass...
What About Medicare?
There is a great deal of confusion about Medicare and Medicaid
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Medicare is the federally funded and administered health insurance program primarily designed for individuals age 65 or older. There are limited long-term care benefits that are available under Medicare. In general, if you are enrolled in a...
The Sandwich Generation: How to manage if you find yourself here
Did you know that a staggering 47% of adults in their 40s/50s are providing care to a parent 65 + years old while also raising their own small child or helping to support their young adult child? This increasingly common group has been coined the “sandwich generation” to describe adult children who...
Case Study: Mom Needs Nursing Home Care… Now what?
It’s a horrible situation faced by so many families. A loved one, husband, wife, mom or dad, is slowing down and can’t live at home any longer. The doctor says mom needs nursing home care. What do you do? Your neighbor tells you that nursing homes cost $12,000 per month and that...
What about Medicare?
There is a great deal of confusion about Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare is the federally funded and administered health insurance program primarily designed for individuals age 65 or older. There are limited long-term care benefits that are available under Medicare.
Learn More About Our Medicaid Planning Attorney
Case Study: Financial Gifts to Children
The state won’t let you just give away your money or your property to qualify for Medicaid.
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After her 73-year-old husband, Harold, suffers a paralyzing stroke, Mildred and her daughter, Joan, need advice. Dark circles have formed under Mildred’s eyes. Her hair is disheveled. Joan holds her hand.
ElderLaw Answers Article: Medicaid Recipients Have a Little More Time to Spend Down Their Stimulus Money
The one-year deadline for nursing home residents on Medicaid to spend down their first round of stimulus checks is here, but they may have a little extra time.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized $1,200 stimulus checks to most Americans, including Medicaid...