Page 31 - Summer 2019 - Lubbock Senior Link Magazine - Online Magazine
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WHAT’S NEW WITH MEDICAID’S


           LONG-TERM CARE PROGRAM                                                             By Lee Franks





        People assume that Medicaid often    historically has exempted little else,   If a body can interpret its own
        changes its rules, but at least for its   not even retirement money, which   rules one way on one day, it can
        long-term care programs for the      Medicaid should exempt without       interpret them differently the next
        elderly or the disabled, Medicaid    conditions according to its own      day.  In August of last year, Medicaid
        rarely makes significant changes to   written rules.  But in recent years,   announced that, henceforth, it
        the written rules.  However, Medicaid   Medicaid gradually has begun      would exempt all qualified funds
        frequently makes substantial changes   reinterpreting its rules to make it   for persons 70 1/2 years old or older;
        to how it interprets those rules.    easier for a person to keep his or her   persons under that age would still
                                             retirement money.                    have to purchase a deferred annuity
        For the purposes of this article, the                                     to protect retirement funds.  So,
        term “Medicaid” refers generally     First, Medicaid quit counting IRAs   Medicaid now exempts the house, a
        to Medicaid for the Elderly and      and 401(k)s and other types of       car, and all retirement funds.  This
        People with Disabilities, or MEPD,   retirement vehicles, broadly known   reinterpretation of the rules has not
        and specifically to the two long term   as “qualified money”, if the person   filtered down to most providers or
        care programs administered by        was married.  In that case, a person   even all of its own personnel, so
        MEPD – nursing home care and the     could invest qualified money into    anyone with retirement money, who
        Star+Plus waiver program, which      an immediate annuity for his or her   is applying for Medicaid services,
        covers eligible persons living in the   spouse, as long as it was irrevocable   should seek legal assistance to take
        community.                           and began paying the spouse          full advantage of this change.
                                             immediately.  Then, Medicaid
        From its beginning, Medicaid has     interpreted the
        been a needs-based and means-tested   rules to allow
        program.  Aside from having to be    the person to
        over 65 or disabled to be eligible, a   buy a deferred
        person must have a medical need      annuity, naming
        to which only a licensed medical     the spouse as
        professional can attend.  In addition,   beneficiary.  In
        Medicaid caps the amount of income   those cases,
        a person can receive and the amount   the annuity
        of assets a person may own.          did not have

        The income limit changes every time   to start paying
        the Social Security Administration   immediately,
        makes a cost of living adjustment,   and the person
        or COLA.  Currently, a person must   could still cancel
        have income below $2,313 gross per   the annuity and
        month.  In fact, income rarely makes   get his or her
        any difference to eligibility since   money back.
        both the nursing home benefit and    Later, Medicaid’s
        Star+Plus have a work-around for too   interpretation
        much income.                         extended this
                                             privilege to
        The $2,000 countable resource        single persons
        limit causes the biggest problem.    who had
        Medicaid exempts a person’s          qualified money;
        residence (up to $585,000) and       all the person
        one car of any value.  Aside from    had to do was
        personal property, a pre-need funeral   purchase a
        contract, and a few other rarely     deferred annuity
        applicable exceptions, Medicaid      with it.




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